Panic Attacks

Panic attacks can be extremely frightening.

If you have experienced panic attacks, you may have visited the emergency room or mistaken the symptoms for a heart attack (or other serious health problem). They can feel like they “come out of nowhere” and the sensations can be very intense and uncomfortable.

Symptoms include:

Panic attacks often leads to increased anxiety and depression.

You may have started to limit your life by avoiding places or activities due to fear of having a panic attack, which increases your likelihood of developing depression or increased generalized anxiety.

Chronic avoidance actually reinforces the panic response, making your attacks worse over time.

Treatment works.

If you suffer from panic attacks, it’s important to know that they are curable with proper treatment. Exposure Therapy (a form of CBT) has been shown to be extremely effective in providing long-term relief for the vast majority of people who experience attacks. Specifically, Interoceptive Exposure exercises have been found to be a very effective treatment.

What is Interceptive Exposure?

Interoceptive Exposure involves learning exercises and practices to simulate various physical symptoms common with panic attacks (including increase heart rate, shortness of breath, dizziness, dissociation, muscle tension, and others).

Learning and mastering Interceptive Exposure exercises will allow you to take control of your panic attacks and immediately reduce the likelihood they get triggered in the first place. Interoceptive Exposures can offer fast relief- it is not uncommon to experience significant reduction in panic symptoms in as few as 2-3 sessions.

Vivid Psychology Group currently offers panic attack treatment for adults and adolescents both in-person (in Denver) and virtually (in 35 states).