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