| This article is mainly written for the professional | | | | Two years later I opened the Biofeedback Center of |
| treating anxiety panic attack via hypnosis, biofeedback, | | | | NJ in Middletown, NJ and after about four years of |
| psychotherapy, psychiatry... However, the sufferer | | | | poor results-only 30% improvement (no better than |
| may use the information to guide his/her therapist. | | | | placebo)--with anxiety/panic attack clients I hired a |
| Based on a stress management model, the technique | | | | psychotherapist to work with them. My thinking was |
| is different than generally associated with main stream | | | | that it must be something deep rooted causing the |
| stress management training. Let me clarify. It is often | | | | problem and I wasn't qualified to do therapy nor did I |
| assumed that a stress management model is | | | | want to. |
| synonymous with body awareness techniques that | | | | After another five years we evaluated her success |
| utilize inward focus. The other technique is outward | | | | and even though the clients came for many more |
| focus initially used by Lacy, a psychologist. It is the one | | | | sessions than they did with me-she was better at |
| most effective for all anxiety/panic attacks. It likewise | | | | hand-holding-the results were no better. The only |
| is effective for all other maladies, but because it is less | | | | consolation was that I wasn't the one seeing the |
| defined, it is generally only used in more advanced | | | | clients-I could focus on clients with stress related health |
| training and left out of the protocols for initial training | | | | issues that brought me much greater success rates. |
| sessions. | | | | One Saturday afternoon I received a phone call from |
| In this article I want to focus mainly on the why's that | | | | our psychologist who was doing an intake with a new |
| contribute to one developing anxiety issues as | | | | client-I'll call her Jane. He informed me that Jane |
| opposed to some other stress related issue such as | | | | wanted biofeedback for her panic/agoraphobia and |
| ulcers or colitis--not that some individuals don't develop | | | | nothing else. She was dictating her treatment. She and |
| both. | | | | her husband drove some distance and they very |
| Generally anxiety/panic/agoraphobia is found in those | | | | much wanted to start immediately and refused |
| who | | | | psychotherapy as he recommended. |
| · Have less than healthy eating habits or | | | | It was his opinion that her high motivation and |
| · Are taking medications that contribute to panic | | | | expectation would be instrumental (pun intended) in |
| and anxiety as a side effect. | | | | biofeedback working. Reluctantly I agreed to see Jane |
| Most are in the first category and it's contributed to a | | | | and her husband hoping to convince them that |
| high sugar or refined food diet. They generally drink | | | | psychotherapy was the route to go. |
| caffeinated beverages and eat lots of snack foods. If | | | | She made it clear she wanted nothing to do with |
| they were to correct their eating habits in advance, | | | | psychotherapy and it was biofeedback or nothing. I |
| they would never develop of anxiety panic attack for | | | | didn't waste much time trying to convince her re |
| anxiety is simply a hormonal response to large blood | | | | psychotherapy. Instead after twenty minutes of getting |
| sugar changes. However, once the pattern of anxiety | | | | to know her, I began her with basic "close your eyes |
| has generalized or developed into panic and | | | | inward focus breathing exercises," and observed her |
| agoraphobia, then simply changing eating habits usually | | | | go into a panic attack within minutes. She opened her |
| isn't enough because the mind has begun a conditioning | | | | eyes. She and her husband were quite apologetic, paid |
| process-more later. | | | | their fees, and left quite abruptly. |
| And likewise the same conditioning process affects | | | | Personality? I'll jump ahead and share with you what I |
| the second group for even once the meds causing | | | | leaned about personality. First it was easy for me to |
| anxiety are stopped, the symptoms continue. | | | | see Jane as the classic attention getting irresponsible |
| But the main question is, "Why do anxiety panic attack | | | | secondary reward getting individual-a no brainer so to |
| sufferers develop Anxiety and others who likewise | | | | speak which was a total erroneous assumption as |
| are hypoglycemic develop muscle pains and aches, or | | | | were all clients suffering from anxiety that I had ever |
| hypertension, ulcers, colitis...? | | | | seen. |
| The answer is in one's personality. Effective treatment | | | | Contrary to what I was told and learned to believe, |
| of an anxiety sufferer requires that the therapist | | | | anxiety sufferers are Type A perfectionist individuals. |
| understands the personality that contributes to the | | | | They are totally responsible (in some or many areas |
| development of anxiety. | | | | of their lives) and don't use symptoms for secondary |
| I first began working with anxiety clients in the late 70's | | | | reward (even though it appears that way). They need |
| under the supervision of two psychologists for the | | | | to be right. You might ask, "Who doesn't?" Contrary to |
| World Health Medical Dental Center in the World | | | | most of us who like to be right, they really need to be |
| Trade Center, NYC. Dr. Joyce Brothers was one of | | | | right. In fact it's this universal need to be right of anxiety |
| the consultants. I asked my superiors for advice in how | | | | sufferers that makes waking hypnosis work. They are |
| to work with anxiety sufferers. My main treatment | | | | the kind of person you would want to have as an |
| modalities were biofeedback and hypnosis. I asked | | | | employee-minus the anxiety which may totally |
| them for the protocol that they wanted used and was | | | | incapacitate them. In fact it's their high sense of |
| told something similar to, "Anxiety patients are basically | | | | responsibility that works against them in contributing to |
| babies. They use anxiety generally for secondary | | | | development of anxiety issues whereas someone |
| rewards. We don't expect you'll have much success. | | | | suffering from hypertension is also a type A individual, |
| Simply teach them body awareness techniques and | | | | but be more of a driven, less patient person than the |
| hold their hands. They are generally an irresponsible | | | | responsible one who develops anxiety. |
| group of patients." | | | | Although there are many more issues such as diet, |
| I was too young to dispute what I was told and | | | | handling disappointments, the general adaptation |
| accepted it as truth. Needless to say, I didn't have very | | | | syndrome... this is the first program of its kind that |
| much success hand holding and most clients came | | | | takes personality factors in consideration. A survey of |
| three or four sessions at most and then stopped | | | | the participants indicated an 80% success rate in |
| coming-they could never get their muscles to relax | | | | overcoming anxiety panic attack and agoraphobia. |
| with biofeedback, much less their breathing. | | | | |