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Panic and Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is the condition that presents itself as panic attacks, regardless of how often the sufferer experiences them or their intensity. Panic disorder is often accompanied by phobias such as agoraphobia, obsessive thoughts and sometimes a vast array of sensations and disturbed thoughts.

Panic disorder sufferers tend to retreat from society in a mostly futile attempt to control the attacks but over time, as they become more and more restricted geographically and there is nowhere else to hide, the panic attacks occur regardless and more often than not, more often.

Panic disorder is a debilitating and frightening condition which can be experienced by anyone of any age. Often, panic disorder forms as a result of a traumatic or stressful event and once the subconscious has experienced that high level of anxiety once, it modifies the subconscious anxious reaction to a higher level so that the slightest rise in the anxiety level causes the sufferer to panic.

Panic Disorder Causes

Panic disorder relies on the aforementioned modification of the 'baseline' anxiety level, which results from experiences such as trauma or stress. The small organ in the brain, the Amygdala, causes and regulates the anxiety response becomes 're-set' at a higher than normal level of anxiety.

The Amygdala behaves rather like a heating thermostat but in Panic Disorder, the thermostat becomes set at a very high level so that the slightest anxious stimuli can cause the sufferer to enter panic mode.

This subconscious, anxious behaviour then becomes automatic as the brain resets to this new anxiety level as the 'norm'. The original cause of the panic becomes irrelevant as the subconscious mind takes over and causes repeated, 'instinctual' high anxiety. As the sufferer becomes fearful of another attack, the anxiety level rises and the attack becomes inevitable.

Add to this the fear created by the symptoms experienced, the fear of being away from a person or place of trust and it is not difficult to understand how panic disorder causes sufferers to become trapped in this cycle; where anxiety breeds panic, which breeds anxiety. Panic disorder is a complex tangle of many behaviours and beliefs.

Panic Disorder Symptoms

Panic disorder causes panic attacks and can also present phobias, catastrophic/obsessive thoughts and many features of anxiety disorder.

Panic disorder can cause many physiological changes to occur as the 'flight or fight' response is activated, which has developed to warn and prepare us against potential threats. Because panic disorder causes the body to activate this response even when a real threat is not present, the sudden surge of adrenalin in the blood and the physiological changes made to a number of bodily systems, causes a vast group of sometimes disturbing sensations and thoughts.

Panic disorder can cause just a few, in the case of a limited-symptom attack, of the following symptoms or a full-blown panic attack which can present any number of them. Because the body is made of many systems and covered in nerve-endings, a panic attack can cause symptoms anywhere in the body.

This list is of the more common panic disorder symptoms:

Panic Attacks
Hyperventilation
Chest pain
Palpitations
Sweating
Shaking
Muscles spasms
Shortness of breath
Smothering sensations
Tinnitus
Dry mouth
Diarrhoea
Constipation
Butterflies in stomach
Dizziness
Tingling or pins and needles in extremities
Numbness or pain in extremities, head or face
Distorted vision
Strange or inappropriate thoughts
Fear of dying
Depersonalisation & Derealisation

Panic Disorder Treatment / Cure

In order to eliminate panic disorder completely, it is vital that the treatment forms a structured programme of anxiety elimination, with vital and seamless support, available at all times, in order that the treatment provides a conclusive cure.

Any programme of recovery must address the root cause of the panic disorder; there are many so-called 'cures' on the market, however, unless those treatments address the root cause it won't hold water as a cure for panic disorder.

Conventionally, panic disorder has been been addressed with drug or 'talking therapy' treatments such as CBT. Whilst both of these treatments can be useful in a wide variety of psychiatric conditions, their success at providing a cure for panic disorder is limited because, ultimately, a panic disorder only responds to behavioural changes and emotion, not to drugs or therapy treatments in isolation.

A successful panic disorder cure must combine treatments in a structured programme of learning, which overrides the anxious response and undermines the subconscious, anxious behaviours which cause it and replace those behaviours with non-anxious behaviour.

This can be done extremely quickly and with so little effort.

The Linden Method for Panic Disorder

The Linden Method provides panic disorder sufferers with the knowledge, understanding and support required to remove the cause of panic disorder completely, allowing the recovery process to take place quickly.

Permanent recovery is inevitable when this structured programme is complied with and our support staff are available at any time to support, reassure and guide you to the fastest possible recovery.

Support from our qualified and experienced professionals is free of charge and unlimited when you join The Linden Method.

Join The Linden Method^® Today!

You will receive:

The Linden Method Manual - Simple to read, understand and implement
The Linden Method Audio - Empowering, informative and relaxing
The Linden Method Video - Targeted anxiety relief and reassurance
Advice and support - Qualified and experienced specialists