Self-Esteem & Panic Attacks

This entry is slightly related to the entry about the Belief System.

Shockingly, believe it or not, Self-Esteem plays a very important role. If you have low Self-Esteem, you will have Panic Attacks very easily. Worststill, if you do not fix your low self-esteem, it will start to get worst and that's the point when you might hit into depression. I've read numerous reports and medical articles to justify that statement. The most horrible thing that you could get when you're having a low self-esteem - your self-confidence will deteriorate and you will start to have Self-Doubt, you will doubt whatever you do and you would always tell yourself things like "I can't do it," "it is impossible to overcome my panic attacks!" or "Panic attacks are gonna be forever in my life..." (quite the same as the belief system, isn't it?)

Seriously, low self-esteem have many negative consequences (you can google on this).
One of the negative consequence is you will fear of change in life: having a family, moving to a new house, getting a new job, travelling overseas and many others. Your life would be full of anxiety.

It is said that the causes of low self-esteem may be due to, not limiting to, bad childhood and such.

Improve your self-esteem and you will improve your self-confidence. It MAY improve your self-doubt but if you've read the belief system entry, you know you need more steps than that. One way is to change your thoughts and belief. If those negative self-doubt like "I can't do it" comes to you, change it to "I CAN do it." That is why if you go to workshops on self-help or business-related, the first thing they will do is to improve your self-esteem.

Also, Hypnotherapy can also help your Panic Attacks and even your life! Many people have misconceptions of Hypnotherapy like it can make you do unwanted things, you won't be hypnotized easily, and other doubtful or negative misconception.

Don't worry, Hypnotherapy won't make you do unwanted things or anything beyond your will. Your mind has the ability to accept it or reject it; your morality is in your mind too. So don't worry. Frankly speaking, I have tried Hypnotherapy on confidence and miraculously, it worked for me. No joke on this, I am serious.

"...example of a hypnotic state is being on the computer. People who are using a computer are focused on what they are doing, but can intelligently answer the phone when it rings. "
- quoted from Steve G. Jones' website


A Trustful Clinical Hypnotherapist that I recommend:
Steve G. Jones (click his name to visit).

He has a good reputation of being a Hypnotherapist. He was invited and being interviewd by CNN, Fox News and so on. Also, here's a video of him teaching about NLP (which I discussed in one of my older post) for free - about collapsing bad Anchors like Fear, Bad Experience and so on. You may wonder, "What is anchor?" Ok, have you ever listened to certain songs and it reminds you of someone or somewhere? Or do you have some feelings being evoked within you when you see your photo album? Yes, that is anchoring.






Here are the few things I recommend you to listen when you visit his website:

  • Confidence Hypnosis (it's at the left column, 2nd category entitled Popular Hypnosis Products) - it helps to increase your self-confidence abundantly. If it has worked for me, it might work for you.
  • Panic Hypnosis (it's at the left column, 3rd category entitled Self Hypnosis MP3s & CDs) - helps you to combat Panic Attacks. For your information, I have not tried this yet.
  • Low Self Esteem (it's at the right column, 1st category entitled Self Hypnosis Titles) - helps you to have high self-esteem. This is important because a person with low self-esteem will have a hard time recovering his panic attacks fully.


Steve G. Jones - Clinical Hypnotherapist's Website

Lastly, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Make a resolution to overcome your panic attacks and live life again! I wish you all great happiness =)

AntiDepressant Substitutes - Herbs

Here are a list of herbs that helps to ease Panic Attacks and Anxiety. Relaxant herbs are normally used for mild anxiety or depression. Anti-Anxiety Herbs are used for moderate to severe Panic Attacks. Antidepressant herbs can be used as a natural antidepressant.


Relaxant Herbs:
Lime Blossom (Alias: Linden Blossom, Lime Flowers)its relaxing properties helps to reduce nervous tension, depression and anxiety. It also aids sleeping.

Passion Flowera very effective herb for many conditions as it sedates, soothes, and relaxes.

Chamomile - In the garden, it's thought of as the doctor plant because it helps to strengthen and revive weak herbs nearby. It helps to relax the nerves.

Bach’s Rescue Remedy - Consists of five remedies which are combined together. It consists of STAR OF BETHLEHEM for shock. ROCK ROSE for great fear and panic. IMPATIENTS for mental and physical tension, when the sufferer cannot relax and the mind is agitated and irritable. CHERRY PLUM for loss of emotional control, when the sufferer screams, shouts or becomes hysterical; and CLEMATIS, the remedy for the bemused, distant feeling, which often precedes a faint.

Lime Blossom HerbPassion Flower HerbChamomile Herb
Lime Blossom - Passion Flower - Chamomile



Anti-Anxiety Herbs:
Ashwagandhastabilizes mood and behavioral disturbances. Its anxiety-anxiety effect is comparable to that produced by Lorazepam.

Kava Kava or Kava ExtractIts relaxing effect helps to reduce Anxiety. It is effective as prescription anti-anxiety drugs containing benzodiazepines such as Valium or Lorazepam. The best part of all is it isn’t addictive!

Valerian Rootknown for its direct sedative effect on the Central Nervous System (CNS), it is a useful for reducing anxiety (when taken in moderate doses) or difficulty sleeping (when taken in higher doses).

Bacopahelps ease anxiety-related problems. Works like Lorazepam.



Anti-Depressant Herbs:
St John’s WortIt helps to inhibit Monoamine oxidase (MAO) and works like SSRI medication. However, do not take it with real antidepressant drugs like Prozac (Fluoxetine).

Rhodiola Rosea it helps support the healthy function of the neurotransmitters or the MAO. It helps to anxiety and many other problems!



Tip: It is said that Kava Kava or Kava Extract is a great anti-anxiety herb to relieve Anxiety and Panic-Attacks. Kava Kava can be taken with St John’s Wort for a bigger and more effective result.

And please do not take antidepressant herbs (like St John's Wort) with real antidepressant (prozac) drugs! If you do you might have Serotonin Syndrome - a serious situation when your brain have too much Serotonin. MAOI medications taken with SSRI medications might also cause Serotonin Syndrome.

Types of Antidepressants and Differences

There are actually 5-types/classes of antidepressants:

  1. SSRI (Serotonin Selective Reuptake Inhibitor)
  2. SNRI (Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor)
  3. MAOI (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor)
  4. Tricyclic (Also known as Heterocyclics)
  5. Others*

Most antidepressants work by slowing down the removal of certain chemicals called Neurotransmitters.
The right amount of Neurotransmitter is needed for proper brain function. An imbalance or low amount on one of the neurotransmitters causes the brain function to not work properly.

There are certain types of Neurotransmitters but what matters more to Depression, Panic Attacks and so on are:

  • Serotonin (also known as 5-HT)
  • Norepinephrine
  • Dopamine

As you all may have read one of the previous post, SSRI works by increasing Serotonin or stop the “reuptake” to leave more Serotonin.

SNRI
works quite the same as SSRI, but instead of just Serotonin SNRI also increases Norepinephrine or stop the reuptake. For other words, it helps Serotonin and Norepinphrine production.

For MAOI, it blocks Monoamine Oxidase (a liver and brain enzyme) from burning up the monoamines (Serotonin, Norepinephrine and Dopamine) after it sent the “messages” or signals to the nerves in the brain. When the excess monoamines don’t get destroyed, they start filling up in the brain – this is how it helps. Unfortunately, it doesn’t just ignore the monoamines it also ignores thyramine, a molecule that affects blood pressure. So since Monoamine Oxidase gets blocked, thyramine begins to rise, too. This is when the negative effects or consequences come. An increase in tyramine is disastrous. Excess tyramine can cause a sudden, sometimes fatal increase in blood pressure so severe that it can burst blood vessels in the brain.
Lastly, if you are taking MAOI you have to follow a very strict diet (like you have to avoid cheese, chocolates, certain fruits, caviers and many other stuffs).

Tricyclic works by boosting up the brain's supplies of norepinephrine and serotonin. This allows the flow of nerve impulses to return to normal. The cyclics do not act by stimulating the central nervous system or by blocking monoamine oxidase. The problem with Tricyclics is that they don't stop there. They go on to interfere with a range of other neurotransmitter systems and a variety of brain cell receptors, affecting nerve cell communication all over the brain in the process. And the more neurotransmitter systems and receptors you affect, the more side effects a patient will have.

*I will skip "others"-type of antidepressants.

Now here are the list of medications in each type of antidepressants:

SSRIs: Celexa (Citalopram), Lexapro (Escitalopram Oxalate), Luvox (Fluvoxamine), Paxil (Paroxetine), Prozac (Fluoxetine), and Zoloft (Sertraline).
SNRIs: Cymbalta (Duloxetine), Effexor (Venlafaxine), and Pristiq (Desvenlafaxine).
MAOIs: Nardil (Phenelzine), and Parnate (Tranylcypromine).
Tricyclics: Adapin (Doxepin), Anafranil (Clomipramine), Elavil (Amitriptyline), Endep (Amitriptyline), Ludiomil (Maprotiline), Norpramin (Desipramine), Pamelor (Nortryptyline), Pertofrane (Desipramine), Sinequan (Doxepin), Surmontil (Trimipramine), Tofranil (Imipramine), and Vivactil (Protriptyline).
Others: Buspar (Buspirone), Desyrel (Trazodone), Edronax, Vestra (Reboxetine), Remeron (Mirtazapine), Serzone (Nefazodone), and Wellbutrin (Bupropion).

It is said that Prozac (Fluoxetine) in the SSRI classification of antidepressant is the miracle drug or the best drug.
In the SNRI classification of antidepressant, the best drugs are Cymbalta (Duloxetine) and Effexor XR (Extended-Release Venlafaxine).

References: HealthyPlace and a few other resources which I forgot to save its address (if you're the webmaster of those sites and realized your content is here but isn't citied, please inform me and I will cite you in this entry).

Sometimes you will be prescribed Psychoactive drugs like Benzodiazepines to give you instant relieve. An example of a drug under Benzodiazepines is Lorazepam. What it does is it binds your Nervous System to make you feel relax or sedated - you won't be able to feel any anxiety and such. The negative consequences of using Psychoactive drugs is you will be addicted and start to be dependent on it.

However, it is best that you listen to your doctor or Psychiatrist and let them prescribe what is best for you. If you feel that your condition (whether is it Depression, Anxiety or Panic Attacks) gets worser, consult your doctor or Psychiatrist - they will know what to do and what is best for you - trust them.

Lastly, I will be researching on herbal antidepressants and natural substitutes. I will post my findings in the next entry, so do visit this site soon! Live with passion and all the best!

Unbiased Review - Panic Away program

To new visitors of this site: please skip this entry and read the other helpful entries if you feel this entry is just a spam or you feel that this entry is totally irrevelant in helping your panic-attacks. This entry will only be a unbiased review on the Panic Away Program.

I have decided to write a review on the "Panic Away Program" because many discussion boards and even in Yahoo Answers do people ask does it work or not. It is said to be very effective on overcoming Panic Attacks or Anxiety and it can cure your panica-ttacks very effectively without medication.

You may wonder, "Why would you want to write a review on it?" or "Shouldn't this site be providing free tips?" and so on. Well, before I even started this research blog I have heard of the program and everytime I want to find a review on the program, I will read biased reviews or a person who has NEVER used it and still they write a review to ask people to buy it. Horrible people. So I got really curious on the program and I went to get it to see if it really works.
Frankly speaking, after reading all the contents of it, the program is more of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy thing. It is what Psychologist always do when you consult them. But the big difference is that the Panic Away Program teaches you the famous "One Move" technique (the program is famous for this).

Here are the contents of the book:


  1. Definition of Anxiety
  2. Myths And Misinterpretation
  3. The One Move
  4. Application of the One Move
  5. General Anxiety
  6. To Medicate or Not
  7. Tapping into your Hidden Potential
  8. Conclusion

The book clears all the myths and misinterpretations of Anxiety or Panic-Attacks. Like the "I am going crazy!" or the impending doom thought. It helps to clear all of the negative myths and misinterpretations we have, first. Then it teaches you the famous "One Move".

Ok, I will reveal to you a little bit on the One Move. We are always taught using coping techniques or tips to overcome or at least cope our Panic-Attacks or Anxiety. But the One Move does a different thing - it teaches you to DEMAND MORE. It explains to you why and such. I would really like to tell you about it but it would be a copyright infringement as the One Move is already a trademark product of it.

In Chapter 4, it teaches you how to apply that technique in various scenarios like when you're taking the train, plane or driving a car. It even has real case studies of people using them.

Then in Chapter 5, it gives you other tips on eliminating it like how Diet and Exercise do play a part. It also teaches you Distraction and the Thought Field Therapy. In the Diet section, it gives you a list of food or herbs that helps your condition.

For Chapter 6, an explanation of medication and other alternatives will be explained.
And lastly in Chapter 7, it reassures you on some information.

Overall, I feel the program is quite good. I did use the One Move technique and yes, it helped me. The information in the program pretty much explained nearly everything on coping, overcoming or curing your panic-attacks or anxiety. The price of the program is quite expensive (that's the disadvantage of this program) but reasonable. I mean if you were to visit your doctor and being prescribed with medication for a long-term which isn't really effective, compared to a program that do help you much effectively. Best part of all, they have a risk-free 8-weeks guarantee money back. If the product didn't work for you, you can just ask for a refund!

You can check out the program and learn more about it here:


Panic Away Program

And no, I won't stop my research yet. I will still research for more panic-attack tips and techniques and I will published it here for free, and I will try to do an unbiased review on products that claim to cure panic-attacks.