Breaking the Cycle: Specialized Treatment for Panic Disorder
A panic attack is one of the most terrifying experiences a human being can endure. In an instant, your heart races, your breath tightens, and a wave of impending doom washes over you. You might feel like you are having a heart attack, “going crazy,” or even dying. When these attacks become frequent, your world begins to shrink. You start avoiding places, people, and situations out of a profound “fear of the fear.”
At Cedar Tree Counseling of Oklahoma, we understand that Panic Disorder is not just “high anxiety.” It is a physiological system-crash where your body’s alarm system is stuck in the “ON” position. We provide specialized, evidence-based treatment to help you disarm the alarm, reclaim your body, and step back into your life with confidence.
What is Panic Disorder? (The Fear of the Fear)
Most people will experience a panic attack at some point in their lives. However, Panic Disorder occurs when the fear of having another attack begins to dictate your daily choices. This creates a vicious cycle:
- The Trigger: A small physical sensation (a skipped heartbeat, a dizzy spell).
- The Interpretation: The brain misinterprets the sensation as a life-threatening emergency.
- The Surge: Adrenaline floods the system, creating the physical symptoms of panic.
- The Avoidance: You begin avoiding any situation that might trigger that sensation, leading to a restricted and isolated life.
Our Specialized Clinical Approach
We don’t just teach you “deep breathing” and send you on your way. We use a multi-dimensional approach that addresses the brain, the body, and the belief system.
1. Interoceptive Awareness (Body-Led Healing)
Panic Disorder is often a “divorce” from the body—you learn to fear your own physical sensations. We use somatic-informed techniques to help you gently re-befriend your body. We teach you to distinguish between “normal body noise” and a “true emergency,” retraining your nervous system to stay calm even when you feel a physical flutter.
2. Brain-Based Processing (Brainspotting & EMDR)
Often, the very first panic attack you ever had was a traumatic event in itself. Your brain “bookmarks” the location, the smell, or the feeling of that first attack as a mortal threat. We use Brainspotting and EMDR to process the trauma of the panic itself, “un-sticking” the survival brain so it stops sending false alarms.
3. Cognitive Reframing (CBT)
Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, we help you identify the “catastrophic thoughts” that fuel the panic. We work together to dismantle the “What Ifs” and replace them with “What Is,” giving you a logical anchor to hold onto when the waves of anxiety rise.
4. Expanding the Window of Tolerance
Instead of fighting the panic (which only makes it grow), we use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to teach you how to “float” through the sensation. By expanding your capacity to handle discomfort without fleeing, the panic eventually loses its power over you.
Symptoms We Treat
Panic Disorder can manifest in various ways, and we are experts in addressing all of them:
- Physical Surges: Heart palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, and trembling.
- Depersonalization/Derealization: Feeling “out of body” or like the world around you isn’t real.
- Health Anxiety: Persistent fear that physical sensations are signs of a hidden medical disaster.
- Agoraphobia: Fear of being in places where escape might be difficult or where help might not be available during an attack.
Why Specialized Care is Critical
Left untreated, Panic Disorder can become a heavy shadow over your life. But with the right specialized guidance, it is one of the most treatable conditions in mental health. Our therapists provide a sturdy, non-anxious presence, offering the clinical expertise you need to prove to your brain that you are, in fact, safe.
Start Living Again. Contact an Experienced Therapist in Tulsa, OK
You don’t have to live in constant fear of the next attack. Our panic and anxiety specialists in Tulsa, OK, are ready to give you the tools to reclaim your peace and your freedom. You have spent long enough managing your symptoms; it’s time to heal the system. Contact Cedar Tree Counseling today to schedule your confidential appointment and take your first breath of freedom.