Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Have you ever found yourself in situation when all of a sudden, your heart starts to beat fast, your breathing becomes laboured or you begin to hyper-ventilate? The room or space where you find yourself starts to feel strange and disconnected, and you feel like you could faint or worse, suffer a heart attack? Or, have you found yourself suddenly overcome with a fear that you are “losing it” and that people around you are going to see that you are having a hard time keeping “it together”? You start to sweat, you feel the adrenalin pumping and your body kicks into fight or flight mode without you even realizing it. If this has happened to you, these and other symptoms can all be signs of a panic attack. If you have found yourself struggling with anxious thoughts and/or a fear that at any time a panic attack could rear its ugly head, then it is time to talk to your family doctor or a mental health professional. Depending on the severity of your symptoms and the frequency the unexpected attacks occur, either psychotherapy (counselling) and/or medication (that can only be prescribed by a doctor) may be suggested. Either way, if you, or someone that you know suffers from anxiety and/or panic attacks, community organizations that deal with mental health issues may be able to assist you or you can contact a therapist to help you manage your panic/anxiety. Therapists and counsellors are trained to work with you to help you deal with this manageable condition.

The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy has written a short article that describes Panic Disorder, the impact Panic Disorders can have on individuals and families and it describes the treatments available. In addition, the link to healthchoicesfirst.com provides two short videos that deal with anxiety. By following this link, you will hear two Psychiatrists from Vancouver, B.C.; Dr. Lakshmiyatham, and Dr. Shimi Kang talk about anxiety disorders and how they are treated. Have a read, and listen to these short clips and if I can be of assistance to help you manage your panic and/or anxiety issues, call me at (250) 212-6001 for a confidential appointment. You may also fill in the confidential contact form found on this website and I will connect with you and begin to work with you to develop strategies to help you manage your anxiety and/or panic attacks.

SOURCE:

https://www.aamft.org/Consumer_Updates/Panic_Disorder.aspx

https://www.healthchoicesfirst.com/videos/treatment-of-anxiety-panic-disorders