Anxiety & Panic Disorders

Having a panic attack is one of the most frightening experiences a person can have. All of a sudden, you feel terrified for no reason. Your heart is beating fast and hard and you might get chest pains. You may have a hard time breathing or get a choking feeling. You start feeling dizzy and start sweating. You start having stomach problems or feel like you need to throw up. You shake, tremble, or tingle. You are feeling out of control and maybe like things are unreal. You feel like you are either going to die (usually of a heart attack) or go crazy, or both.

Panic attacks can happen at any time and any place without warning. They often happen in grocery stores, malls, crowds, or while traveling. Most end up living in constant fear of another attack and may stay away from places where they had an attack. They become highly anxious. For some people, fear takes over their lives and they are unable to leave their homes.

Panic attacks don't last long, but they are so scary they feel like they go on forever. It usually starts when people are young adults, around 18 to 24 years old. Sometimes it starts when a person is already under a lot of stress, for example after the death of a loved one or after having a baby. Women are twice as likely as men to develop panic disorder.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the sensations of panic attacks often mimic symptoms of a heart attack or other life-threatening medical conditions. As a result, the diagnosis of panic disorder is frequently not made until extensive and costly medical procedures fail to provide a correct diagnosis or relief.

About 1.7% of the adult U.S. population ages 18 to 54 - approximately 2.4 million Americans – has panic disorder in a given year. Neurofeedback has helped many suffers of panic disorder. For some, neurofeedback is all that is needed. Others may need to combine it with standard psychological treatments such as cognitive therapy, EMDR, and relaxation techniques. Anxiety and panic is almost always located in the right hemisphere.

The total number of trainings range from 20-35 sessions. Twice weekly visits will speed progress. For intensives, twice daily for 5 days can result in profound, quick changes.