Panic attacks are the bane of some people’s existence. I know, because I used to suffer tremendous anxiety when flying (and before flying) and public speaking.
I was desperate. My fear of flying became so bad that I drove hundreds and thousands of miles rather than fly. I’m talking about taking 3 or 4 days to get somewhere. Had I flown, it would cost me less than a day.
My panic before speaking was worse. It wouldn’t affect me too much leading up to the event, but minutes before a speech situation would strike great fear in me.
These days, all of this has changed. I still get nervous before flying, but guess what? I actually fly a few times each year. Moreover, I’ve given some decent speeches in recent years. Again, I get a little nervous, but I can do it and do it reasonably well.
What did I do?
I took up meditation. Simple? Yes, but also surprisingly effective. I didn’t expect it would work very well. In fact, when I started, I had a really hard time sitting still. I started with counting breaths and candle gazing.
However, the lack of direction wasn’t working well. I was more relaxed overall, but it wasn’t helping my specific anxiety conditions about flying and speaking. I became a little annoyed by this. I realized that my meditation sessions weren’t that directed. At least not directed enough.
At that point I realized that meditation was the ticket, but I needed something more directed. That’s when I looked into directed visualization and hypnosis. Okay, maybe you’re thinking “hypnosis”, are you crazy?
The fact is self-directed hypnosis isn’t as “out-there” as you might think. It’s really just a directed meditation by an expert. It works through relaxation and visualization and it’s surprisingly effective.
How long are visualization hypnosis sessions?
Surprisingly, not that long. The sessions I do a few times each week are about 20 to 24 minutes. You don’t have to sit for hours learning to meditate. You simply hit “play” on your digital media player and let the guided hypnosis session take your through.
You won’t have any “aha” moments, but you will feel relaxed. The key is to do it consistently for a month in order to see results.
Will it solve all your panic attacks problems?
It can, but you might still need the assistance of a therapist and/or medication. It’s important when seeking panic attacks and anxiety disorder treatment to do so under the guidance of a physician or trained professional. If you start meditating or doing hypnosis, tell your physician so they are fully aware of what you’re doing.
Next, read about these 4 panic attacks treatment options at Panic Attacks Treatment Resources.com.