Five Ways to Understand Panic: Which Makes Sense to You?

The Chemical Imbalance Approach

Panic is due to a chemical imbalance. Drugs are needed to restore the imbalance.

The Behavioral Approach

Cause: Panic is caused by anxiety-producing thoughts.

Solution: Control your thoughts.

The Freudian Approach

Cause: Panic takes place when something intolerable in the unconscious rises toward consciousness.

Solution: Analysis promotes acceptance of the intolerable.

The Nobody Knows Approach

Cause: The nobody knows approach says "It's not known what causes panic attacks or panic disorder . . . ." and different things work for different people.

Solution: Try something different.

The SOAR Panic Free Approach

Cause: Unreliable calming by persons the child is dependent on prevents the development of the ability to self-activate the parasympathetic nervous system.

Solution: Train the mind to activate the parasympathetic nervous system when hyperaroused.

Research shows this neuro-psychology based method which is taught in my courses and books ends panic five to six times more effectively than the most commonly used approach, CBT.