Guidelines for Choosing a Program of Self Help for Panic Attacks

By Dr. Greg Hamlin

There is quite a lot of variety among programs of self help for panic attacks. Each has a different emphasis such as self help for panic attacks experienced by public speakers or self help for panic attacks while driving. Additionally, the format and media vary from a simple self help book to a full-scale online digital course.

Yet a good program will present information in more than one format. There is something to read, there are audios and videos, there are interactive assignments. A complete program of self help for panic attacks presents good content using more than one medium.

A program of self help for panic attacks should contain four major components. First, there should be a module of good solid information about anxiety and panic. Second, the program should contain a practical approach to building specific skills that have been proven to overcome symptoms of anxiety attacks. Third, there should be tools that support the skills. A hammer is the tool that supports the skill of pounding a nail without bending it. Fourth, the best programs have good instructions for pacing yourself and tailoring the program to fit your needs, schedule, and level of motivation.

Let's dig a little deeper into each one of these essentials. There is a body of knowledge that students need to know if they are going to learn how to outsmart panic attacks and conquer them. If you are trying to peel yourself off of a barbed wire fence, it helps to have some knowledge in order to minimize the damage. A good program of self help for panic attacks will strike a balance between giving enough information and giving information about anxiety that is streamlined.

While good information is important, one must have the skills to know what to do with that information. In learning how to tackle panic attacks it is essential to acquire simple skills such as how to monitor and quantify your anxiety level, how to relax specific areas of the body, how to recognize the phases of a panic attacks so that you can have good timing for using each skill. A program of self help for panic attacks must have a realistic, practical method to help people to acquire a new skill set.

The tools component of a program of self help for panic attacks goes hand in hand with the skill building component. It's important introduce tools at the right time and in the right context so that the learner builds confidence one step at a time.

Tailoring the pace of progress to the unique situation of the learner is one of the most important components because the symptoms, severity, and resources vary so much from person to person. A good program of self help for panic attacks should offer tips for how to adjust the pace of the program to fit your needs. But why is this so important?

Think about it. If the next step is just too frightening to consider, then it becomes more likely that you will give up and quit the program. On the other hand, if the next step is too easy then you won't make enough progress to make it worth your time. Programs of self help for panic attacks work best if there is a straightforward way to adjust the pace as you go.

If you search online for programs of self help for panic attacks you can use these four essentials to make a preliminary judgment about a program just by reading descriptions of the program or sales literature before you purchase it. - 31877

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