Panic Disorder Therapy in Cleveland

You know the feeling well: your heart starts racing, your breathing quickens, and you may even feel like your body is shutting down. These are common symptoms of a panic attack, oftentimes the manifestation of a panic disorder. Sufferers may have episodes that last for just a few brief minutes or more than an hour. 
You don’t have to let panic stop you from living your life or from reaching your fullest potential. With panic disorder therapy at AMKT Therapy, we can work toward alleviating and even eliminating these symptoms.

What is Panic Disorder?

The “Panic” in Panic Disorder

So what exactly is panic? In short, it is the inability to regulate the fight or flight response. Imagine a lion approaching you in the wild. You may experience an increased heart rate, chest pain, dizziness, or a tingling sensation. Your body is getting ready to fight or flee from the lion. 
When someone has panic disorder, these physical sensations happen without the lion being present, and often the individual has no idea what is triggering these episodes. 

Expounding the Disorder

Panic disorder is your brain's response to a perceived threat, and this becomes a continuous feedback loop. Training your brain to realize there is no threat present will change the wiring in your brain to respond to the perceived threat in a calm manner. When someone suffers from panic disorder, they fear panic attacks will happen in the future. The brain becomes triggered and overwhelmed by the sensations of panic, and this is what causes people to stay stuck in panic disorder. 
Panic disorder and anxiety disorder are the most treatable mental health disorders by undergoing the above-outlined process.

The Causes of Panic Disorder

Learning about the root cause of your panic—both biological and mental—is vital to cracking the code and putting you back in the driver’s seat. Did you know that there may be things you’re doing regularly that contribute to your panic disorder? Both stimulants (such as nicotine and caffeine) and depressants (such as alcohol and other sedatives) have been known to exacerbate symptoms. 
The work done in the setting of panic disorder therapy can help you identify contributing factors to your anxiety. The elimination of these external causes can help clear a path for the further exploration of any underlying psychological ones.

Your Mental Health is Important

Films, television, and especially social media routinely show us only people who are always flawlessly confident, fully sure of themselves, and perpetually ready to overcome any obstacle in a calm, cool, collected manner. This simply isn’t how things work in real life—especially in today’s world, where every day seems to bring about a new stressor. It’s important that you recognize your anxiety and panic aren’t personality flaws, but simply your body sounding the alarm that it’s time to pay a little more attention to your mental health.
Feeling anxious at times is normal—it’s your body’s way of processing things. However, when anxiety and panic begin to affect the way you live your life on a regular basis, it may be time to seek treatment. The avoidance of social gatherings, work situations, important family milestones, and even events that should be fun can lead to a life of isolation and loneliness. 

AMKT Therapy’s Treatment Goal

The goal of therapy is to take inventory of when these triggers occur, discern what the root cause could be, and work on relaxation techniques to retrain your brain to realize there is no threat present. Panic disorder therapy can help you reverse the cycle of dread that’s preventing you from building your personal relationships or achieving your professional goals. 

Reach your Clinical Counselor in Cleveland

You don’t have to feel ashamed of your panic. Let AMKT Therapy be your guide through that journey to mindfulness.
If persistent panic attacks are interrupting your daily function and making you feel like you’ve lost control of your own body, seek help and get panic disorder therapy in Cleveland. Contact AMKT Therapy at 440-720-4673 and set up an appointment with a professional counselor in Cleveland, Angela Tarantino, LPCC, MFT.