These are some of the approaches I use when working with anxiety and panic attacks. It is interesting to note that at Kaiser, physicians will now recommend therapy as the first step in treatment for mild to moderate anxiety before prescribing medication. Medications can be problematic not only because of side effects but also because they may make it more difficult to learn other methods to more effectively respond to and cope with anxiety .
EMDR is a form of therapy that uses bilateral stimulation (such as tapping, eye movement, and/or audio tones) while evoking difficult thoughts, memories, body sensations, and past events. The combination of focus and bilateral stimulation can help to speed up the brain’s processing of fear and anxiety.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a form of mindfulness based cognitive therapy. It can also help you to approach the problem in a different way. ACT teaches diffusion from the content of scary thoughts, reconnecting with the present moment, mindful acceptance of what you cannot change, and reconnecting with what matters most to you in your life.
Exposure Therapy is a technique of using repeated, structured exposure to feared situations, thoughts, situations, and body sensations to help to both decrease the anxiety response and also teach relating to the anxiety itself in a different and more constructive way