Help with panic attacks
A panic attack is a false alarm from a system doing its job badly. The work here is to retrain the alarm, not to talk you out of it while it keeps firing.
What is actually happening in a panic attack
Your threat system fires a full-body alert with no matching threat. Adrenaline hits, breathing shortens, the heart races, and the mind — reasonably — concludes something is seriously wrong. That conclusion then feeds the next attack. Panic is a self-reinforcing loop, which is exactly why it responds well to structured work rather than reassurance.
- Sudden surge of fear peaking within minutes
- Racing heart, tight chest, breathlessness
- Derealisation — the room feeling unreal
- Fear of a repeat attack shaping where you go
How panic is worked with here
Session one maps the loop: trigger, body response, interpretation, avoidance. From there you learn regulation you can use in the moment, then we use clinical hypnosis to reset the interpretation layer. Where a specific memory started the pattern, EMDR-informed processing removes its charge so it stops seeding new attacks.
What changes first
Most people notice the recovery time shorten before the attacks stop entirely. Then frequency drops. Then the anticipatory fear — usually the most disabling part — loosens, and normal life quietly comes back.
Common questions
Can panic attacks be stopped completely?+
For many people, yes. Panic is one of the more treatable presentations because the loop is well understood and responds to structured protocols.
How long does it usually take?+
Often three to six sessions for uncomplicated panic. If there is trauma underneath it, the work takes longer and starts with stabilisation.
I have had A&E checks and nothing is wrong. Is that normal?+
Very. Many clients arrive after a cardiac check-up came back clear. That result is useful — it tells us the target is the alarm system, not the heart.
Break the panic loop
A free fifteen-minute call is enough to see whether this approach fits. No forms, no pressure.