Panic Attack & Panic Disorder Therapy in Schertz, TX
Therapy support for anxiety, stress, and major life transitions
Stop living in fear of your next panic attack.
Maybe you've experienced a sudden racing heart, dizziness, shortness of breath, or an overwhelming feeling that something terrible is about to happen.
You might have thought you were having a heart attack, losing control, or about to pass out.
Now you find yourself worrying about when it might happen again. You pay close attention to how your body feels, avoid certain places, or make sure you always have a way out.
Even when you're not having a panic attack, the fear of another one can leave you feeling on edge.
Panic attacks can leave you feeling like:
"What if I have another panic attack and can't get out?"
Your heart is racing, and you're afraid something is seriously wrong.
You're constantly checking your breathing, heartbeat, or other physical sensations.
You avoid driving, crowded places, stores, or situations where you've experienced panic before.
You worry about embarrassing yourself or losing control in front of others.
You're afraid to be alone or too far away from somewhere you feel safe.
You feel anxious about the possibility of becoming anxious.
You may realize that avoiding certain situations is making your world smaller, but facing those situations can feel overwhelming.
Therapy for panic attacks can help.
Panic attacks can feel frightening and unpredictable. But the fear of experiencing another panic attack can sometimes become just as exhausting as the attack itself.
In therapy, we'll work on understanding what's happening in your body during panic, recognizing the thoughts and behaviors that keep the fear going, and learning how to respond differently.
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) strategies, and exposure-based treatment to help you face feared sensations, reduce avoidance and safety behaviors, and build confidence in your ability to handle discomfort.
The goal isn't to promise that you'll never feel anxious again. It's to help you stop organizing your life around the fear of panic.
Panic attack therapy can help you do 3 things:
Understand what's happening when panic strikes.
Learn how your body's alarm system works, why physical sensations can feel so intense, and how fearful thoughts can contribute to the panic cycle.
Break the cycle of fearing another panic attack.
Through CBT and exposure-based exercises, learn to respond differently to uncomfortable physical sensations rather than immediately checking, escaping, or avoiding them.
Gradually practice facing situations and sensations you've learned to fear, while reducing the safety behaviors that keep panic going. Build confidence getting back to driving, working, traveling, socializing, and enjoying everyday life.
Feel confident doing the things you've been avoiding.
You don't have to keep planning your life around panic.
You can learn to trust your ability to handle uncomfortable feelings and start doing more of the things that matter to you.
I offer panic attack and panic disorder therapy in Schertz, Texas, convenient to Cibolo, Selma, Live Oak, New Braunfels, and the San Antonio area. Online panic therapy is also available throughout Texas.
faqs
Common Questions About Panic Attack Therapy
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We'll start by understanding when your panic attacks began, what happens during them, and how the fear of another attack may be affecting your daily life.
From there, we'll work on recognizing the thoughts, physical sensations, and behaviors that contribute to the panic cycle.
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and exposure-based strategies, including principles of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), to help you gradually face feared sensations and situations while reducing avoidance and safety behaviors.
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Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is an approach most commonly used to treat OCD, but similar principles can be helpful in treating panic-related fears.
For panic disorder, exposure therapy may involve gradually practicing situations or physical sensations you've learned to fear, without relying on behaviors that temporarily make you feel safer.
For example, you might work toward feeling more comfortable with a racing heartbeat or returning to places you've avoided because of panic.
The goal is to build confidence in your ability to handle uncomfortable sensations without needing to escape or eliminate them immediately.
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A panic attack is a sudden wave of intense fear or discomfort that can include a racing heart, dizziness, shaking, shortness of breath, or feeling like you're losing control.
Panic disorder involves repeated, unexpected panic attacks along with ongoing worry about having another attack or changing your behavior to prevent one.
You don't need to have a panic disorder diagnosis to seek help for panic attacks.
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Yes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), including exposure-based treatment, is an evidence-based approach for panic disorder.
CBT helps you recognize how your thoughts, physical sensations, and behaviors interact during panic.
Exposure exercises, including interoceptive exposure, can help you gradually become less fearful of uncomfortable physical sensations while learning that you don't have to rely on avoidance or safety behaviors to get through them.
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Yes. Sometimes the fear of having another panic attack leads people to avoid driving, crowded stores, restaurants, traveling, or being away from home.
Through CBT and gradual exposure work, we'll practice approaching these situations at a manageable pace while reducing avoidance and building confidence in your ability to tolerate anxiety.
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Everyone's treatment timeline is different. It depends on how frequently you're experiencing panic attacks, how much they're interfering with your daily life, and your individual goals.
We'll work together to establish goals, practice skills between sessions, and track your progress along the way.
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Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation. You can tell me a little about what you're experiencing, ask questions about CBT, ERP, and exposure therapy, and we'll see whether working together feels like a good fit.