A new client called me recently to an appointment about his panic and anxiety. As an engineer, he is sent to sites requiring him to drive on the freeway alone.
Unfortunately, five years ago, when he was on a freeway on-ramp, he suffered a massive panic attack. Ever since, he has not been able to drive on the freeway by himself.

He had become desperate because his assignments were farther away, and surface-street driving was taking too long.

His supervisors have no idea the extent of his issue. He really wanted to drive on the freeway again, but could not.

This case is classic. He experienced what I have written about many times before. When a person has a first-time panic and anxiety attack, the sensation coursing through the man or women’s body worries them gravely. Worse, no cause is evident.  The problem builds. Fear of the next attack grips the victim. What if it occurs during a sales call?  Worry exacerbates the problem.

Commonly, an extreme drop in blood sugar levels causes attacks. Most of us tend to consume a lot of carbohydrates that quickly break down to sugar. Ultimately, sugar feeds our brains. When the brain has plenty, no problem. But when it does not, trouble beckons. Unable to find any, it will create a scenario that fuels an adrenaline rush, giving the brain what it needs. Unfortunately, in so doing it depletes the body even more of the precious sugar that it needs.

The conscious mind will make a connection between the sugar level drop and in this case driving onto the freeway. From then on, when the person wants to travel on the freeway, he will have programmed his subconscious to spark the nervous reaction. Every time. When our blood sugar level is low, we tend to become more sensitive and more negatively reactive. Perspiring, nervousness, irritability, rapid breathing, poor decision-making are inevitable.

Follow This Path

The resolution is four-fold. 1) A low carbohydrate diet, 2) eating protein in small amounts every two hours, 3) hypnotic desensitization to the issue, and 4) box breathing.

Once the client understands the reason for panic and anxiety, he begins to feel better. Within 72 to 96 hours of starting the low carb diet, most clients feel mentally stronger, more energetic. They think clearly and objectively. 

The high protein diet keeps the brain nourished with a continual stream of sugar as protein breaks down to sugar, but far more slowly than carbohydrates. Therefore, by eating small amounts every two hours, the blood sugar level stabilizes. The brain receives what it needs all the time. The client calms down and sleeps peacefully.

The desensitization is important since it helps to train the subconscious to break the panic association. Box breathing helps ensure a person is not over oxygenating, which can heighten the panic by adding tingling and heart palpitations. Box breathing helps a client take his mind off anxiety by counting his breaths. As his breathing slows, it regulates the oxygen and carbon dioxide input. Box breathing is: Breathe in for the count of three or four, hold for three or four, breathe out for three or four, then hold for three or four.

Once my client understood, he changed his diet and had sessions to desensitize him to his anxiety. He was feeling much better. Within weeks, his anxiety had disappeared.

Do not hesitate to contact me by telephone, 310.204.3321, or by email at nickpollak@hypnotherapy4you.net. See my website at www.hypnotherapy4you.net