The Stoic HypnotistA panic attack can feel like the most frightening experience of your life. Your heart pounds, your breath goes short, your hands tingle, and a voice in your head insists something is badly wrong. Many people end up in an emergency room the first time, convinced it's their heart.
If that's happened to you, you're far from alone. Let me explain what's going on in your body, what tends to keep panic going, and how hypnotherapy can help you meet it with more steadiness.
First, an important note: if you've never been checked by a doctor for these symptoms, please do that. Chest pain, shortness of breath, and dizziness can have medical causes, and they deserve to be ruled out.
What a panic attack actually is
A panic attack is your body's alarm system firing at full strength when there's no physical threat to fight or flee. Adrenaline surges, your heart speeds up to move blood to your muscles, and your breathing quickens. All of it is designed to help you survive danger. The problem is that it switches on at the wrong moment, in a supermarket line, on a train, or lying in bed.
Panic attacks typically build quickly, peak within minutes, and then begin to ease. They feel as if they'll go on forever, but your body can't sustain that level of arousal for long. Knowing this doesn't make an attack pleasant, but it can make it less terrifying.
The fear of fear
For many people, the hardest part isn't the attack itself. It's the dread of the next one. You start scanning your body for signs. A slightly faster heartbeat after climbing stairs gets read as the start of an attack. You avoid places where panic happened before. Gradually, your world can shrink.
This loop is what keeps panic going: a sensation, a frightening interpretation of it, more alarm, more sensation. Breaking the loop usually means changing your relationship with the sensations, so they stop being treated as proof of danger.
What helps in the moment
- Slow the exhale. Breathe in gently through your nose and out through your mouth for longer than you breathed in. My guide to breathing techniques for anxiety walks through this.
- Name what's happening. Silently say, "This is a panic attack. It's my alarm system. It will pass." Naming it engages the thinking part of your brain.
- Let it rise and fall. Fighting the sensations tends to add fuel. Imagine them as a wave you're floating on rather than a wall you have to hold back.
- Ground yourself. Press your feet into the floor and notice five things you can see. Attention on the present moment gives the alarm less to feed on.
How hypnotherapy helps
In hypnosis, your body is deeply relaxed and your attention is focused. That combination gives us a safe place to rehearse a new response. We can gently bring to mind the early sensations of panic while your body stays calm, so your nervous system learns that those sensations don't have to lead to an emergency.
We also work on the thoughts that fuel the loop. With NLP techniques, we can change how you picture and talk to yourself about panic, so a racing heart becomes something you notice rather than something you fear. And we build a short anchor you can use in daily life: a breath, a word, or a gesture that reminds your body of the calm you practiced in session.
From the Stoic side, we work on the difference between what happens and the story we tell about it. Epictetus put it simply:
Men are disturbed not by the things which happen, but by the opinions about the things.
— Epictetus
A racing heart is a thing that happens. "I'm dying" is an opinion about it. Learning to see the difference, in the moment, is a skill, and skills improve with practice. Each session comes with a recording, so you can keep practicing at home.
Working alongside other care
Panic disorder is a recognized condition, and therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy have a strong track record with it. Hypnotherapy can sit alongside that work and alongside any treatment from your doctor. If you're in therapy or taking medication, let your providers know you're exploring hypnotherapy, and please don't change any medication without medical advice.
Where to start
If panic has been shrinking your life, it's worth reaching out for support, whether that's your doctor, a therapist, or a hypnotherapist. My page on hypnotherapy for anxiety and stress explains how we can work together, and you can see session options on the sessions page.
Your alarm system isn't broken. It's working too hard, in the wrong places. With practice, it can learn to stand down.
Frequently asked questions
- Can hypnotherapy stop panic attacks?
- I can't promise that any approach will stop panic attacks. Hypnotherapy can help you practice staying calmer as early sensations appear and change how you interpret them, which many people find makes attacks less frightening. It works alongside medical care and therapy, not instead of them.
- Is it safe to use hypnosis if I have panic attacks?
- For most people, yes. You stay aware and in control throughout and can open your eyes at any time. If you have a diagnosed mental health condition, talk with your doctor or therapist before starting.