Online Therapy for Anxiety and Panic Attacks with a Licensed Therapist
Online counseling therapy can be an effective
treatment for anxiety and panic attacks, but first let’s answer two questions: What is
anxiety, and when does it become a disorder? Anxiety is a universal human emotion that
helps us survive by warning of approaching danger by switching us into fight-or-flight
mode so we can protect ourselves. Anxiety is like an internal smoke detector, but instead
of warning only of smoke, it warns of any threats. Anxiety becomes a disorder when it
frequently throws us into fight-or-flight mode without the presence of any real threat.
Panic attacks are an extreme form of anxiety disorder where we feel like we’re going to
die, go crazy, or completely lose control even though no real threat is present. Anxiety
can last for hours, days, or even longer, but panic attacks are brief and exhausting,
usually less than 30 minutes, but can become reoccurring.
So, to continue with my smoke detector analogy, if a smoke detector is calibrated incorrectly,
it might falsely “perceive” steam from a shower as smoke, thereby triggering an alarm. Similarly,
if a person has an “incorrectly calibrated threat detector,” it might produce anxiety
or panic attacks by falsely perceiving danger where none exists. Thus, anxiety disorders
and panic attacks are like smoke detectors run amok. Except worse – much worse!
Living with anxiety and panic attacks is not easy. In fact, it can be an ordeal. Alarms
are triggered everywhere as sufferers struggle to feel safe. Have you ever felt in serious
danger – in combat, escaping a fire, or living through a hurricane? If so, then you might
begin to grasp what sufferers of chronic anxiety and panic attacks experience on a daily basis
as they struggle to feel safe. What causes some individuals to have incorrectly
calibrated threat detectors? The answer falls between genetics, biochemistry, and environment.
From my years as a therapist, I have observed that most sufferers of chronic anxiety and
panic attacks either have family members with anxiety disorders, or they grew up in alcoholic,
abusive, or other dysfunctional environments, or maybe they experienced both.
How does environment produce anxiety disorders? In an experiment, rats were put in two cages
where painful electric shocks were delivered. In cage #1 the rats received shocks exactly
on the hour and half hour. In cage #2, the rats received shocks that were random but
no more frequent or intense than the shocks in cage #1. So, what happened over time? In
cage #1 the rats quickly learned the schedule of the shocks and then braced themselves on
the hour and half-hour, endured the shock, and then relaxed and went about doing what
rats do. In cage #2, where the shocks could not be predicted, all the rats developed anxiety
disorders where they could not stop shaking! Sadly, growing up in the chaos of addiction, abuse,
or other severely dysfunctional or tragic environments is similar to the conditions
of cage #2, and many survivors of such situations develop anxiety disorders because their wounded
minds are “programmed” to habitually tell them they are not safe, even when they are.
So what helps? Surprisingly, antidepressants are the most effective medications for anxiety
because they seem to “recalibrate the threat detector in the brain” so it isn’t triggered
so easily, which gives long-term relief. Anxiety medications, on the other hand, give only
short-term relief, so are less effective. And they’re addictive, which antidepressants
are not. However, many of my clients manage their anxiety effectively without medications.
So, how can online therapy for anxiety and panic attacks help? Well my role as a licensed counselor
is to help you improve your understanding of anxiety and panic attacks; increase your
awareness of how your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations come together to create
anxiety and panic attacks; and strengthen your self-care and coping skills so you can
manage anxiety and panic attacks more skillfully to the point that they become bumps in the
road rather than crises. And for sufferers of anxiety and panic attacks, this provides
welcomed and empowering relief. As online counseling progresses, you’ll become
more confident in managing anxiety, which will improve your functioning and self-esteem.
As a result, you’ll be able to enjoy life’s pleasures more and cope with life’s challenges
better. Anxiety disorders can be disabling, but they are also quite treatable. Are you
ready for the challenge? If so, visit my website, serenityonlinetherapy.com for more information
about the services I provide. If you found this video helpful, please click
the Thumbs Up button. And if you want to hear more from me, then subscribe to my channel,
Counselor Carl. I will be publishing a new video every other weekend.
Thanks for watching this video, and keep paying attention to your life.
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