Solving the Puzzle of Panic Disorder
Dr. Carbonell describes the key to understanding, and overcoming, panic attacks. In this video, he tells a (fictional) story he often uses in his workshops for professional therapists. Dr. Carbonell maintains a self help web site for people with fears and phobias at www.anxietycoach.com
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You’re welcome. Bon Voyage!
Glad to hear it. Thanks for writing!
Here’s a great self help book for social phobia: “Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness: A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques”, by Gillian Butler. I highly recommend it!
Nice to hear from you - thanks for writing!
Dr. Carbonnell: Just wanted to say a big “thank you” for making these videos available to the public. Sometimes I watch them when I’m feeling particularly anxious, and they help snap me back to reality. Again, thank you.
Hi Dr. Carbonnell, thank you for posting this. I recently purchased your workbook and I am excited to start working on it.
I like your analogies. Good way of looking at it.
This is really true, i had a slight panic disorder, then i started to research it and find ways to cure it, but it actually just made me think about it more and gave me more panic attacks then before.
i used to have panic attacks before and it’s really hard having it. i am just happy that i am taking Vilift now and it’s really helping me a lot.
BRAVO! You gave the best example of an anxiety disorder that I have ever heard from a patient OR a professional!
..and according to the clinic I went to, I’m the worst, longest running anxiety case they have lol.
Responding to a perceived threat passively and ‘floating’ may well be the hardest thing anyone ever has to do. It takes a while, but as long as you anticipate feeling worse before you feel better you’ll very slowly turn a corner. Using CBT, think oil tanker, not speedboat.
Single-best analogy I’ve heard. I’ve had panic attacks for 20 years. I’ve conquered them only to have them come back. I particularly idenitied with the analogy of the lie detector. It’s so simple to say, “don’t worry about it and you’ll be fine”, but you need to know you have nothing to worry about in order not to worry. My doctor telling me I could cause my own heart attack and not to worry so I didn’t was rather stupid.
Maybe I got you beat ….23 years. You would think that after thousands of episodes I would figure out you’re in no danger. We humans are so silly, I have become an expert at overcoming panic. I learn more and more each of the many times I’ve accomplished this. Gone years with hardly an attack only to fall for my lies again. I find it’s your prevailing belief as to the danger of panic that creeps up behind you when you least expect it. It’s feels so real, to some extent it is, but not dangerous.
WAtch it with crutches like medication and avoidance. You really need to deal with it. You start creating requirements for you to be “safe” and before long, it’s like the story told here, you make more and more requirements to feel safe.
It’s a real paradox. Don’t fight it, but do takes steps to deal with it. When you try too hard, you become apprehensive when it isn’t working. You become vigilant and notice every little symptom until what you were thinking moments before explodes into full blown symptoms. I find that if you’ve been thinking about it and not sure it isn’t dangerous. They come on their own like when you dream about something you were thinking about during the day making you think that surely it wasn’t suggestion
I know what you mean, actually I had another one last night, late and it was like that. I feel guilty not being able to just snap out of it eventually…like you said, you feel like after a few years you would realize there’s no danger. I like to say it’s like surfing now…you can’t really fight it, just have to navigate it. I still remember what it was like before I started having these when I was 15…I didn’t know how good life was!
Try self-hypnosis. I always tell myself, “suggestion created it, suggestion will make it go away”, make a tape. But you know if you are not of the idea that it’s anything to worry about in general, it will go away. I find that if I have been entertaining the notion that it might be dangerous, it comes on later on in the day. The best thing to do is press forward and don’t expect results. You assure yourself, but are disappointed and worried when it comes back anyway. Let it blow over.
The paradox can be simplified by dichotimizing the solution like this: Don’t fight the sensations. In fact embrace them. But do fight to change your behavour- regardless of the symptoms. But your absolutley right; it can be hard to undersand this duality.
i dont get it.they are linknig panic attacks with chiropractice. issit true chiro practice can help?ive been having panic attacks anxiety for no reason.like out of nowhere?
New treatment for panic attacks!
Search Youtube for HOW WEED WON THE WEST
watch?v=MzT1a1NKoKM
well explained and I love your vids!!
Stop panic attacks here: watch?v=Gsj4YogmBp4
im 27 i have been having panic attacks for 6years and i still cant deal with i stay dizzy all the time my doctor say it is to do to my panic have you every had that problem
In my experience, fear of panic causes panic. Panic was merely a bunch of sensations individually tailored to scare the me. It comes from the mid brain, the other part of the brain (the part really in control) can ALWAYS choose not to respond to these sensations, it was this rational and some citalopram as a pick-me-up that taught me to switch the panic off, once I learned how to switch it off, I welcomed panic as an opportunity to use my new skill, once I welcomed it, it never comes back.
u nailed it juts right thats exactly what im experiancing right now every morning i wake up and have issues with leaving the house in fear that ill have a panic attack but recently i have been deliberatly going outside in order to welcome it so i can face it and try to beat it well said thats exactly how u can beat it