Panic Attack

How to manage an anxiety attack

John Nolan
10th June 202510th June 2025

Managing intense anxiety and panic involves shifting from trying to control or eliminate the experience to accepting and allowing it. Key strategies include practicing acceptance, mindfulness, breathing and relaxation techniques, taking action aligned with your values despite anxiety, questioning unhelpful thoughts and beliefs, being compassionate towards yourself, and focusing attention outwards. Experiential exposure, or facing feared situations, is also a core component to teach the brain that these experiences are not dangerous. Ultimately, the goal is to change your relationship with anxiety and learn to function effectively even when it is present.

Mastering the Experience of a Panic Attack

John Nolan
5th June 2025

Experiencing a panic attack can feel intensely frightening, like an attack on one’s very being, leading to a sense of being gripped and paralysed. These attacks can happen for seemingly no explanation and are often described as the most alarming experiences of a person’s life. A panic attack is characterised by the sudden onset of… Read More »Mastering the Experience of a Panic Attack

Anxiety Attack Management Report

John Nolan
24th May 202510th June 2025

This report outlines strategies for managing anxiety attacks based on information from the sources. It explains that anxiety attacks are temporary exaggerations of the stress response and not harmful. Key immediate actions include breathing techniques, relaxation, focusing on thoughts and sensations without judgment, using distraction, and resisting the urge to flee. Longer-term strategies involve identifying triggers, making plans, writing or journaling, challenging thoughts, adjusting language and reactions, practising self-care, seeking support, building understanding, and being persistent.

Managing Panic Attacks

John Nolan
13th January 202528th May 2025

Panic attacks are an intense and frightening experience that originate in the over activation of the amygdala in the brain. This is the source of a strong stress response, leading to fight, flight or freeze reactions, as well as many physical and emotional symptoms. A range of techniques can help to deal with panic attacks during and afterwards, including deep and mindful breathing, physical relaxation, exercise, self-compassion, accepting the experience and identifying triggers. The core principle is to understand that panic attacks are not dangerous and will pass, and that by reducing avoidance and embracing self-compassion, it is possible to gain more control of the experience.

What to do when you have a panic attack.

John Nolan
30th December 202410th June 2025

Immediate Actions:When you have a panic attack. Acknowledge and accept the panic. Understand that your brain is reacting to a perceived threat, and that it is a normal bodily reaction to stress. Don’t fight or resist the feelings, as this can make things worse. Remind yourself that the panic attack is temporary and will pass… Read More »What to do when you have a panic attack.

Support for Psychological Distress: Approaches to Overcoming Anxiety and Related Challenges18th June 2025
Summary – anxiety treatment therapy: Many individuals grappling with anxiety are seeking diverse forms of support beyond traditional therapy. While established methods like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and medication are widely available, challenges such as high dropout rates and a focus on symptom reduction mean they… Read More »Support for Psychological Distress: Approaches to Overcoming Anxiety and Related Challenges
Heading: Exploring Support for Depression: Why Alternative Approaches and Coaching Are Gaining Traction16th June 2025
Many people seeking help for depression encounter challenges with traditional therapeutic models, including high dropout rates and a focus on pathology. Alternative approaches and coaching, often incorporating techniques like solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and Havening Techniques, offer different perspectives that can empower individuals by focusing on strengths, solutions, values, and neurobiological change. These methods may resonate more with those seeking practical tools and a collaborative relationship rather than solely exploring problems or receiving a diagnosis. Havening Techniques, in particular, address the emotional residue of traumatic experiences often linked to depression, offering a gentle way to process the past and build resilience for the future.
Overcoming Social Anxiety13th June 2025
Social anxiety is an intense fear of social situations and judgment, distinct from general anxiety or shyness, often leading to avoidance. It involves a hyperactive amygdala and contributions from the cortex, fuelled by cognitive biases, negative beliefs, and safety behaviours, often rooted in genetic predisposition and early experiences. Consequences include physical and emotional symptoms, social isolation, damage to relationships, and increased risk of other mental health issues. Social anxiety coaching helps by employing evidence-based techniques like exposure, cognitive restructuring, mindfulness, and goal setting to challenge avoidance, reframe thinking, build confidence, and support individuals in living a valued life despite anxiety.
Mindfulness: what is it really?11th June 2025
Mindfulness is defined in various ways, including present-moment attention, awareness, and observing internal and external experiences without judgment. Key descriptions highlight focusing on thoughts as mental events, accepting difficult emotions without trying to eliminate them, and adopting attitudes like curiosity, openness, and compassion. These varied definitions are helpful because they allow the application of mindfulness to be tailored to specific challenges: focusing on body sensations for panic, thoughts for worry, acceptance for emotional struggle, and linking practice to values for motivation. The underlying goal across definitions is to change one's relationship with internal experiences to live a fuller life, rather than simply reducing symptoms.
How to manage an anxiety attack10th June 2025
Managing intense anxiety and panic involves shifting from trying to control or eliminate the experience to accepting and allowing it. Key strategies include practicing acceptance, mindfulness, breathing and relaxation techniques, taking action aligned with your values despite anxiety, questioning unhelpful thoughts and beliefs, being compassionate towards yourself, and focusing attention outwards. Experiential exposure, or facing feared situations, is also a core component to teach the brain that these experiences are not dangerous. Ultimately, the goal is to change your relationship with anxiety and learn to function effectively even when it is present.