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Don’t Manage Panic Attacks—Eliminate Them!

When I write blog posts, I try to cover topics that people are actively searching for. One that comes up time and time again is how to manage panic attacks.

But that phrase always makes me pause:
Why manage them? Why not aim higher and eliminate them entirely?

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The Language We Use Shapes Our Expectations

“Managing” implies that panic attacks are something we’re stuck with. That we have to learn to live with them, adjust our lives around them, and simply get by.

But what if I told you that’s not true?
What if I told you that panic attacks can be stopped—permanently?

This isn’t just wishful thinking. It’s possible. I’ve seen it, and I’ve helped people achieve it. The goal shouldn’t be to cope with panic attacks—it should be to free yourself from them.

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Why Are We Settling?

I sometimes wonder whether people genuinely know they can overcome panic attacks. Or is it cultural? Have we been conditioned to seek ways to tolerate pain, rather than fix it? Whatever the reason, it’s time to challenge this mindset.

Managing panic attacks might feel like a responsible approach—but in my opinion, it’s not the solution. It’s a holding pattern.

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Panic Attacks: What’s Really Going On?

Panic attacks often begin in childhood and typically fall into two categories:

• Random: They seem to come out of nowhere.
• Triggered: The person knows what sets them off.

Common symptoms include:

• Dizziness, nausea
• Sweating, trembling
• Rapid heart rate and breathing
• Hot flushes, feelings of doom
• Feeling faint or detached
• Fear itself

A panic attack is essentially a conflict between the conscious and subconscious mind. Your conscious brain may know you’re safe, but your subconscious believes you’re in danger. And guess which one wins?

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So, What Causes Panic Disorder?

More often than not, the foundation for panic disorder is laid in childhood. A core emotional experience—often overwhelming and repressed—becomes lodged in the subconscious.

Repression: The Hidden Time Bomb

When we experience something emotionally overpowering, our mind may repress it. It gets pushed out of conscious awareness—but not deleted. Instead, it lives on as a hidden template for danger.

Because these events usually happen in childhood, we interpret them with immature emotional logic. We perceive things as life-or-death, even if they weren’t. And that belief can stick with us for decades.

Eventually, something in adult life may resemble that repressed event—and trigger it. The emotion resurfaces, and the symptoms of panic begin. But here’s the catch: the panic doesn’t always attach itself to the original event. It latches onto whatever’s happening at that moment.

Let me show you how this works.

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A Real Case Study: From Fear of Flying to GAD

One client came to me after experiencing a severe panic attack on an airplane at age 29. Convinced it would happen again, he stopped flying. That avoidance seemed rational—but the anxiety didn’t stop there.

Soon, he felt panicked on trains. Then buses. Then taxis. Eventually, the only form of transport he could manage was driving himself.

But it didn’t stop.

Next came fear of confined spaces. Then anxiety in meetings. Then social anxiety—he feared being judged for his panic. Eventually, the panic even morphed into health anxiety. The original repression had spread, morphing into Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Panic Disorder.

When we traced it back, the original trauma had nothing to do with planes or transport. It was a fight at age 11, when he’d been cornered and overwhelmed. The feelings of helplessness and entrapment were the same—and that’s what the brain had connected to air travel.

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Treatment: Getting to the Root

Let’s be clear: panic attacks can be eliminated. But it takes the right approach.

Here’s how I work with clients to break the cycle:

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1. Hypnoanalysis – Finding and Reframing the Root Cause

Hypnoanalysis allows a client to revisit the repressed experience and reframe it through the eyes of their adult self. We don’t just “dig up” the past—we change the emotional imprint. The shift is powerful and permanent. Most clients need 6–12 sessions. [More on Hypnoanalysis →]

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2. BWRT (BrainWorking Recursive Therapy) – Changing the Reaction

BWRT doesn’t need to uncover the original trauma. Instead, it changes the emotional response to triggers. You choose how to feel next time the trigger fires—calm instead of fear. Fast and effective. [More on BWRT →]

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3. Educational Therapy – Understanding Your Brain

Knowledge is power. I offer educational therapy to help clients understand what’s happening in their minds and bodies. Panic is just a misfiring of the fight-or-flight system. Understanding that you are safe, and that your body is simply overreacting, can lessen the fear and break the cycle.

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Final Thoughts

This post isn’t just about traffic or promotion. I offer help locally and via Skype—but if you’re elsewhere and can’t reach me, this blog still has a purpose: to inform and inspire.

You don’t have to live with panic attacks.
You don’t have to manage them.
You can end them.

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If this post resonates with you and you’d like to know more, feel free to reach out. You’re not broken—and you’re not alone. There’s a way out.

To book a free 30 minute consultation contact me here.

No more managing panic attacks, lets eliminate them.

Why Anxiety Isn’t Always What It Seems: Understanding Generalised Anxiety Disorder vs Free-Floating Anxiety

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues in the world—but despite how often it’s discussed, it’s also widely misunderstood.

At its core, anxiety is a response to a perceived threat to survival. It’s a built-in, instinctive system designed to keep us safe. However, this survival mechanism doesn’t always function the way it should in our modern world. And in many cases, people are misdiagnosed or treated with the wrong approach—especially when it comes to Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Free-Floating Anxiety (FFA).

Let’s take a closer look.

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Anxiety: A Misfire of Survival Instincts

Our minds are wired to keep us alive. When we’re under threat, the body activates a system known as the Fight or Flight response (with Freeze also being a part of that response).

This was incredibly useful thousands of years ago—when actual life-threatening situations were a daily occurrence. But in today’s world, our environments have evolved far faster than our biology.
Now, our minds often misidentify emotional discomfort or psychological stress as physical danger.

And when our bodies are ready to fight or flee—but there’s no actual threat or no appropriate outlet—we’re left with anxiety.

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A Modern Problem With Ancient Roots

Let’s say you’re waiting to board a bus, and out of nowhere, you feel your heart race, your chest tighten, and a wave of nausea come over you. Your mind knows the situation isn’t dangerous, but your subconscious doesn’t.

You’re not about to fight the bus, and you can’t exactly run away without making things worse. So instead, your body just sits in that conflict. This inability to discharge the survival response—because there’s no real danger—is exactly where anxiety is born.

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Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) vs Free-Floating Anxiety (FFA)

These two forms of anxiety are often confused—and that confusion can lead to ineffective therapy.

✅ What is GAD?

GAD occurs when a person is triggered by multiple known factors. There’s a clear connection between situation A and anxiety B. The person can usually list specific things that cause them distress.

• Example: Public speaking, deadlines, social situations, health fears.
• Benefit in therapy: We can work directly on known triggers using targeted tools.

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❌ What is Free-Floating Anxiety?

FFA is very different. In this case, the person cannot clearly identify what causes their anxiety. It’s everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

• Example: A person may say, “I feel anxious all the time but I don’t know why.”
• Problem: If we try to treat FFA like GAD—by hunting down triggers—we’ll just go in circles. Today’s trigger won’t be tomorrow’s.

With FFA, anxiety isn’t attached to specific situations—it becomes a default emotional state.

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Key Differences: GAD vs FFA

	GAD	FFA
Trigger Awareness	High – can list specific causes	Low – triggers feel unknown
Symptoms	Situation-based	Chronic, global anxiety
Treatment Approach	Targeted trigger work (e.g., BWRT)	Base-level emotional reconditioning
Client Experience	“X makes me anxious”	“Everything feels dangerous”

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Symptoms of Free-Floating Anxiety

People with FFA may experience symptoms across four main areas:

1. Emotional Symptoms

• Constant fear or dread
• Feeling “on edge” all the time
• Depression and irritability
• Sense of impending doom

2. Cognitive Symptoms

• Intrusive, vague worries about safety or loss
• Poor memory and concentration
• Obsessive thoughts

3. Physical Symptoms

• Headaches, muscle tension, unexplained pains
• Digestive issues (nausea, diarrhoea, loss of appetite)
• Sleep disruption and fatigue

4. Behavioural Symptoms

• Avoidance of people, places, and responsibilities
• Procrastination and disengagement
• Withdrawal from social and family life

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Treatment Options

The key to success in treating anxiety—particularly FFA—is using the right therapy for the right condition. Here’s how I help clients with both GAD and FFA:

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🧠 BWRT – Abolishing Anxiety Protocol

BWRT (BrainWorking Recursive Therapy) has a protocol specifically developed for Free-Floating Anxiety.

It works by identifying your Base Driver—the deep, instinctive motivator that shapes your emotional reactions. There are 4 possible base drivers, and through a non-invasive questionnaire, we find yours.

Once identified, we run a specific series of BWRT loops to erase the fear response at its root. This method doesn’t rely on trigger identification, which makes it ideal for FFA.

• Sessions: Typically 2–6

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🌀 Hypnoanalysis – Digging Up the Root

Hypnoanalysis is ideal for uncovering the original root cause of free-floating anxiety—often a childhood experience that taught the brain to be hyper-vigilant.

Here’s one common example:

A child is repeatedly warned by a worried parent not to go somewhere or do something—“Don’t go down that alley… something terrible will happen.”
But what terrible thing? It’s never explained.
The child fills in the blanks and forms a deep, undefined fear of the unknown.
As they grow up, the feeling persists—and becomes free-floating anxiety.

Hypnoanalysis helps bring these hidden memories and beliefs to light. Once they’re revealed, they can be reframed from an adult perspective and finally resolved.

• Sessions: Typically 5–12

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Final Thoughts: Stop Chasing Symptoms

Too often, people with Free-Floating Anxiety are misdiagnosed with GAD and sent down the wrong treatment path. As a result, they stay stuck—chasing triggers, attending endless sessions, and never feeling truly free.

The truth is:
You can eliminate anxiety.
But first, you need to understand what kind you’re dealing with—and use the right tool for the job.

If you’re unsure which applies to you, or if you’ve tried therapy before and found it ineffective, reach out. Whether you’re local or want to work via Skype, I offer a safe and effective path forward.

You don’t have to live with anxiety.
You can overcome it—and get your life back.

To book in for a free consultation contact me here

Self-Confidence vs Self-Esteem: Understanding the Difference—and How to Heal Both

Although self-confidence and self-esteem are two distinct emotional conditions, they often appear together. That’s because the root causes behind both are surprisingly similar, and the therapeutic approach I use to resolve them is the same.

In this blog, we’ll look at:

• What each condition really is
• How to tell the difference
• Where they come from
• Why they can go unnoticed for years
• And, most importantly—how to treat them

It’s worth noting that it’s possible to suffer from one without the other—or to experience both at once.

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What is Self-Confidence?

Self-confidence relates to how you feel about your ability to do things. It’s not about being perfect or succeeding at everything—it’s about trusting yourself enough to try.

Self-confidence shows up as:

• Believing in your ability to take on challenges
• Accepting mistakes as part of growth
• Feeling worthy of respect and friendship
• Being assertive and holding healthy boundaries

It’s the attitude of:
“Even if I fail, I’m still valuable—and I’ll keep trying.”

You might not be good at juggling, but you’ll try anyway, knowing that dropping the balls isn’t a sign of failure—it’s part of learning.

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What is Low Self-Confidence?

When self-confidence is lacking, you may experience:

• Self-doubt and hesitation
• Feeling inferior to others
• Anxiety around performance or trying new things
• Emotional withdrawal or apathy
• Avoidance of risk—even when it’s safe

Low confidence often creates an internal conflict between desire and fear.
You want to participate, but something inside holds you back.

Importantly, self-confidence isn’t about being great at something.
It’s about believing you’ll be okay even if you’re not.

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What is Self-Esteem?

Self-esteem is different. It’s about how you value yourself as a person—not based on what you can do, but on who you are.

Someone with high self-esteem will:

• Treat themselves with kindness and respect
• Believe they are good enough—even when others are critical
• Feel secure in their identity, regardless of achievement

Low self-esteem, on the other hand, is often tied to:

• Negative self-perception
• Shame or guilt about who you are
• Belief that you’re unworthy of happiness, love, or success
• Tendency to self-sabotage, even when you’re good at something

In short:
Self-confidence is about “doing.”
Self-esteem is about “being.”

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Can You Have One Without the Other?

Yes—and it happens more than you might think.

For example:

• You may feel confident at work, but still believe you’re not a good person.
• Or you may think highly of yourself as a person, but feel incapable of facing new challenges.

However, the two often go hand-in-hand—because both are shaped by how we were spoken to, treated, and conditioned in childhood.

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Where Do These Issues Come From?

Cumulative Trauma

The most common cause I see in therapy is something called cumulative trauma. These are repeated emotional wounds, often subtle and unintentional, that accumulate over time.

Unlike a single, dramatic traumatic event, cumulative trauma:

• Often goes unnoticed
• Becomes part of the person’s normal
• Embeds itself into the belief system

We can divide cumulative trauma into two main areas:

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✂️ How Confidence Gets Cut Down

Imagine a child growing up around a father who constantly puts down their efforts:

• “That’s rubbish.”
• “Why bother?”
• “You’ll never amount to anything.”

The first few times, it may sting—but eventually, the child stops trying.
Not because they’re lazy—but because their subconscious has learned a new rule: “Trying isn’t worth it. I’m not good enough.”

That child may grow into an adult with a constant fear of failure, even in areas where they are capable.

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🪞 How Self-Esteem Gets Worn Away

Now imagine a daughter with a mother who subtly (or overtly) criticises her looks:

• “That outfit doesn’t suit you.”
• “You’re getting a bit chubby.”
• “You’re not as pretty as your sister.”

Even if the daughter is objectively attractive, her internal worth becomes tied to these negative messages.
She may grow up feeling insecure in every mirror, unable to accept compliments, and always looking for external validation.

Again—this doesn’t require abuse or overt cruelty.
Often, it comes from well-meaning parents who had no idea of the long-term emotional impact.

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What About Good Intentions?

Some clients worry: “But I didn’t have a bad childhood!”

That’s often true.
In many cases, parents were trying to protect or prepare their children for the world—they just didn’t realise the psychological cost.

Take this example:

A mother, herself anxious, constantly warns her child:

• “Don’t trust people.”
• “Be careful out there.”
• “You never know what might happen.”

Her intentions are loving. But the child absorbs a deeper message:
The world isn’t safe, and I can’t handle it.

By adulthood, this same person may avoid risks, relationships, or any unfamiliar situation—crippled by a belief system they didn’t choose.

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So, What’s the Fix?

The good news is: these beliefs aren’t fixed.
They were learned—and they can be unlearned.

🔍 Hypnoanalysis: My Preferred Method

My go-to therapy for resolving self-confidence and self-esteem issues is Hypnoanalysis.

It works by:

• Regressing to the original moments that shaped your self-beliefs
• Bringing those moments into conscious awareness
• Reframing them with adult understanding and perspective
• Letting go of rules and beliefs that no longer serve you

You may realise:

• That voice in your head isn’t yours—it’s your parent’s.
• What you believed at age 6 doesn’t need to define your actions at age 36.
• You’re free to rewrite your own story.

Once that internal “Top Trumps score” starts rising again, so does your confidence—and your ability to live freely and fully.

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Final Thoughts

You don’t need to have had a “bad” childhood to struggle with self-confidence or self-esteem.

All it takes is repeated exposure to subtle messages that your efforts don’t matter, or you aren’t good enough.
But just as those beliefs were created, they can be undone.

You’re not broken—you’re just carrying old programming.

And you can change that.

If this resonates with you and you’d like to explore it further—either in person or via Skype—I’m here to help.
Alternatively, feel free to explore the resources on my blog for more insights.

For more information or to book a free consultation click here.

Every week I help countless people overcome Anxiety. In my experience it is something that, although not always easy to overcome, is very possible for full resolution.  I find it a little baffling that in the world we live in that more information is not available to overcome anxiety. This is why I decided to write this blog post. To share my experiences of helping deal with anxiety and panic disorders so those reading are able to try things they have not tried before. Or, have an understanding of why some of the things they have tried didn’t work. It’s so important to know that just because something doesn’t work, this doesn’t mean you are stuck with anxiety for life. It is just that what you tried wasn’t in line to deal with your problem

My choice of therapies are ones that are proactive in eliminating the root cause. This means anxiety doesn’t happen in the first place. My chosen therapies that enable this are BWRT and Hypnoanalysis via Hypnotherapy. I am based in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire but can also work via skype for those that choose BWRT.

Disclaimer

Everyone’s mileage will vary with therapy. One size does not fit all and that is especially true with Therapy. I was reading a David R Hawkins booked recently and he noted that there were at last count 1600 different approaches. What will work wonders for one person may not even scratch the surface for another. This is just my experiences and this is not to put anyone of pursuing avenues that they feel may benefit them. This blog post is not to dismiss any other therapies. It is simply my view of what I have seen work and not work.

My Clients

I am not sure of the percentage, but it is high, of the number of people that I see that have already had some sort therapy. The therapies that most have tried before they see me are hypnotherapy and CBT. Usually people had around 6 sessions of Hypnotherapy before giving up and up to 12 sessions of CBT.  Usually reporting in little or no improvement with their condition.

Coping Techniques Vs Root cause resolution.

For me, there is a time and place for coping techniques, but they shouldn’t be the only therapy on offer. Coping is like saying, ‘let’s live with this’, but deal with it better. This doesn’t sit well with me. I want people to overcome anxiety, not live with it. Would you want a mechanic to temporarily fix your car and to have to keep continually taking it back to the garage?  If you had a broken arm, would you want to learn to live with the pain or would you want the pain to go away? Resolution of the conflicts within the psyche needs to be pursued to enable a client to stand the best chance of getting better.

CBT

Let’s first take a look at CBT. CBT is a Cognitive behaviour therapy. This is, the most likely therapy someone will have tried before they see me. Doctor’s will refer a client for CBT, but unfortunately the waiting lists are usually in the months. This is not helpful for the anxious sufferer.

CBT works on the concept that our thoughts, feelings and physical sensations are all connected – which they are. CBT attempts to break down those connections so as to break their cycle. If you can change those negative patterns, you can change the cycle. If you can change the cycle, you can deal with your anxiety better. The benefits of CBT are that it works on your current issues, and has no requirement to delve into your past.

A+B+C = your issue. What CBT strives to do is make you feel differently about one of those letters and break the cycle. CBT is all about you changing your patterns. Although CBT has been successful for people I just feel there is too much emphasis on you the client to make changes. It means that the anxiety has to occur and then you have to do something different. I think the logic behind CBT is strong, but in practise it is difficult to apply.

Not to be dismissed!

It might sound like I am knocking CBT, but I’m not. It has been around a long time and has helped many people. It’s a coping strategy and I will never be a fan of them. This is a snippet from the NHS website. ‘CBT can’t cure the physical symptoms of these conditions, it can only help people cope with them better’.

If you are seeking out CBT or booked in or currently undergoing it…. Don’t be put it off. It might be exactly what you are looking for. This is just mine, one person’s view!

Hypnotherapy

I am trained in Clinical Hypnosis and use Hypnotherapy when applicable. Again, a number of my clients have already tried hypnotherapy, so why didn’t it work? Hypnotherapy has many different approaches, but the one used by your standard therapist will likely be Suggestion therapy.  Suggestion therapy is exactly what it sounds like. The therapist will suggest you for to act in a different way to how you currently act. For instance, if you were scared to ride the bus, the suggestion would be that you are calm and confident on the bus. But, and there is a big but, it depends how the subconscious holds that rule. Let’s have a quick look at how it does this.

Is it for survival?

The closer to survival our brain thinks a response is, the more resistant it is to change that response. This is a very important concept and one worth repeating. ‘The closer to survival our brain thinks a response is, the more resistant it is to change’. This is because of this. Your actions have led to your survival, which they have, because you are still here, so you better keep doing them. The suggestion has to be bigger, stronger more applicable than what is already there. This can be very difficult to achieve.

Smoking cessation is extremely effective when combined with Hypnosis. This is because the brain is aware that smoking is not linked to survival. It will release a pattern that it doesn’t believe is for its benefit. But, over eating, this is very tough to address with Hypnotherapy because we need to eat to survive. It is possible to do via hypnosis, but a lot harder to achieve.  

Survival v Suggestion

A lot of Hypnotherapists are only trained in suggestion therapy. When suggesting to the brain that something is actually ‘ok’ when the brain believes it’s a threat isn’t going to achieve anything.  What often happens is that the client feels better for the next few days and then reverts back. Although an extreme example, this was a story that made headlines a number of years ago.

A lady had a phobia of flying and sought hypnotherapy to address the issue. The therapist decided to use suggestion therapy to ‘suggest’ that the lady actually liked flying.  The lady flew out on holiday and had a pleasant flight. Everything was fine until she attempted to get back on the aeroplane to return. The lady had returned to her previous state where she was afraid to fly. She was then stuck abroad and ended up having to travel home by land.

This is an extreme example, but one that shows how the brain works. Imagine an anxious thought is the size of an Apple in your head. When suggesting, we then implant a thought the size of a raisin. These two then battle it out for which one we should listen to. Eventually the stronger thought (the bigger thought) wins through.  Recidivism is then experienced.

Suggestion therapy is still an extremely valid tool for helping certain situations. But those situations do need to be non-life threatening from the brain’s point of view. For example, it is great for one off occasions like exam nerves, dentists or driving tests.

My View.

In my experience suggestion therapy is a powerful tool in the therapist’s toolkit. This needs to be used at the right time, but all too often it is simply not. It is used because it may be all that particular therapist has available to them. Phobic and Panic responses generally don’t respond that well to suggestion therapy. There will always be exceptions to the rule but I have seen more than enough clients to know that this can be the case.

EFT

Branching out into what is seen as maybe a more left field therapy is EFT, Emotional Freedom Tapping. I am a master practitioner in this skill set but rarely, if ever, use it anymore. This isn’t as well-known, but still plenty of people have tried this with varying success. EFT is delivered by creating a mantra and tapping different parts of the body in a certain order. This disrupts the energy flow around the body and causes the body to reset the nervous system. Once the nervous system is reset the panic/anxiety ceases to be. It is a highly effective therapy but again it’s something to do once anxiety starts.

It’s a very good tool again for the client to know in case of attacks. It does have a big downside and that is, it isn’t practical to do in public. The nomad types of people may feel happy to do this in a crowded room but the majority wont. Having to talk out load and tap your body just isn’t something that is doable in many situations. For instance, you wouldn’t be able to do this in the middle of a board meeting.  

I am more than happy to teach this technique as can be extremely useful in certain situations. Rather than someone having a pill in their pocket in case of emergency this can be used.

Again though, EFT is a therapy that relies on the anxiety presenting itself then the sufferer reacting. It definitely has a time and place and can be learnt fairly quickly to do.  Ideally I don’t want to be teaching coping strategies when we could be dealing with the root cause!

Talking therapies

I had a client recently that had been through a lot of counselling and she summed up what a lot of people experience. She had a good understanding of why she was like she was. She had the logic to know why she acted like she did. But, she still acted like she did. It was some relief to her to have talked through her problems, but this provided no solution.

In the hands of a skilled therapist this can be extremely well worthwhile. If the therapist is able to reframe the Conscious thought patterns so the client can see another view, great progress can be made.  But all too often the conscious mind wants one thing to happen and the subconscious another. So even when you know something is silly and you don’t need to react like you have, you still might!

I am not against talking therapies at all, but they have to provide a resolution. Sometimes they become part of the problem because they just become outlets for a client to unload their issues without resolution.

This type of therapy definitely provides a lot of relief for certain issues. With anxiety though we are needing to deal with the conflict found in the psyche. This often doesn’t fully resolve this.

The interventions I use.

This blog may be read as a way of advertising what I do and saying what I do is better than everyone else. It is not that. This blog is about understanding the different approaches and using one that is best suited. Any therapy that gets the desired results is a successful therapy.

Everybody has a different set of goal posts. As mentioned numerous times already, I believe we should get rid of the root cause. That is my opinion and although it sounds like the logically approach to have, both clients and therapists may not see this as the be all and end all.

My opinion is that anxiety, be it 3 out of 10 or 8 out of ten is not wanted. Some people are happy for a reduction in their anxiety levels and that is enough for them. In my psyche though, I just wish for it to not exist at all. This is then reflected in how I treat my clients. With that in mind I sought to be trained in Therapies that could achieve removal of triggers. The two that I found to do this were BWRT, Brain Working Recursive Therapy and Hypnoanalysis via Hypnotherapy. Lets first take a look at Hypnoanalysis.

Hypnoanalysis

Hypnoanalysis is one of the best forms of treatment there is for Anxiety and Panic attacks.

It usually takes around 6-12 sessions to complete analysis. This is a fairly brief intervention when you consider how long people may have suffered their symptoms. People though, don’t always complete the course. This is because depending on the root cause, people don’t feel like anything is happening between sessions so quit.

When under taking analysis it is common to see no improvement in the symptoms until we reach the end. Catharsis often only happens when the root cause(s) are identified and removed. If this happens in session 6, you can see why no improvement was felt for the first five sessions, it can be seen as peeling an onion. Every session brings us closer to the root causes and once found, improvements will then be made in the client. The improvements often need to be seen to be believed as the change can be rapid. It is imperative to finish the course once started to experience the benefits.

Why is Hypnoanalysis so powerful?

The closer a problem is to our survival the harder it is to change. Knowing this simple concept can explain why so many other therapies fail. Our psyche has no interest in giving up what it believes is an instruction to keep you safe. Analysis works and is successful by discovering the original cause of your issues. Once this issue is discovered, your adult mind can re-evaluate it and realise that it is out of date. Once this has happened it can then be relinquished and removed.

Then once the trigger is removed, you can’t be triggered anymore! This also means that there is no requirement for further sessions. Once you have resolved your issue they won’t return. This is because it is very difficult to create these incorrect beliefs again as adults.

Anxiety

Beneath almost every emotional and physiological illness you will likely find anxiety. It may be that you don’t recognise the issue as anxiety but it will eventually lead there. You can read more about anxiety states here.

We rely on instinct to keep ourselves safe. We don’t want conscious thought to get in the way, as this would slow down any reaction time. It is when we try to override our instincts that have been directed from our subconscious, that our fight or fight response is activated. This response is then seen as physiological changes in the body. Everyone has their own set of symptoms, but usually have heart racing, sweating, shaking etc. to name just a few.

The sensitising event

This is usually created in the formative years of childhood. This happens when the child, believes that in a single moment, they are vulnerable or in some way at risk. The child, unable to cope with the overwhelming feeling, then represses the emotion into the subconscious.

From that point on, the emotion will work as an instinct designed to avoid repetition. The issue we have is that what the subconscious sees as similar can often be unfathomable to the conscious mind. What is often seen is that the presenting problem doesn’t actually match the original issue. For example a client i treated. She started to have panic attacks on aeroplanes to the point she had to stop flying. All subsequent therapy she had was working on the basis of claustrophobia or fear of flying. Consciously makes sense, right? But they never worked as they were not the actual issue!

But when she undertook analysis, she actually found she had repressed a childhood play fight. In this fight she was placed in a headlock by a child older and stronger than her. In that moment she was unable to get out and feared she would die. What had happened was that repressed original memory was triggered by being on the plane. In that moment, on the plane a number of similar feelings to the original event overlapped. She then developed claustrophobia due to being unable to get off the plane. Had those feelings appeared when she was in a busy market she may well have ended up with agoraphobia.

Once triggered, it requires intervention!

The repressed memory can stay dormant for weeks or even decades. But once it is live it can easily exist for that person for the rest of their lives. Anyone who has been on an anxiety forum will have seen that people have suffered for 20+ years etc. Without removing the original trigger it will likely always be problematic. Remember it believes it is keeping you safe so will constantly go off. Hypnoanalysis gets to that trigger!

Why Hypnoanalysis?

Unfortunately it is not possible for the conscious mind to talk directly to the subconscious. This is where the hypnotherapist comes in. We are in a unique position where we are able to directly communicate with the subconscious. It is once under hypnosis that the subconscious will release its incorrectly stored information.

Hypnoanalysis is a powerful technique to discover the underlying root cause and then releasing it. Once the root cause has been brought into the spot light the conscious mind can then make adult sense of it. It can then no longer have a negative effect over the client. When the root cause is found, both client and therapist will have an understanding of why they had the presenting problems. This in itself can be very therapeutic as our mind is logical and this provides an answer.

Who Hypnoanalysis is for?

It would actually be better to write who it wouldn’t work for as that list would be shorter 🙂

It is not possible to list them all but it is particular well suited to.

• Psycho-Sexual difficulties, panic attacks, unaccountable anxiety states, general stress, continual worrying, excessive timidity, fear of authority, sleeping difficulties, poor confidence/self-worth, relationship difficulties and almost all true phobia’s (not fears!), Jealousy, saractastic, excessive emotion, doormat syndrome, cannot say ‘no’, cant concentrate, cannot sleep well, philandering, always tired, always ill, blushing, sweaty palms, palpitations, irresponsible, perfectionist, always angry, never angry, often crying, never crying, image conscious, shy….

• Symptoms that are likely to have a physiological origin. IBS, Spontaneous vomiting, fainting fits, Hysteria, promiscuity.

How does Hypnoanalysis work?

Analysis works by seeking, finding and removing the original trigger. It doesn’t have to be a one shot trauma though. It can also be lots of similar events adding up. Each on their own not being an issue but when combining becoming an issue. These events may not be repressed or forgotten but simply invisible because they appear as ‘normal’. This can take two routes.

• Constant repetition of a negative idea over a period of time. Once heard enough times the subconscious stops listening and takes these on board. This can be found with people who have low self-confidence. A parent constantly telling their child they are stupid and wont amount to much. After a while they actually believe this. This is known as Simple Cumulative Trauma

• Strong feelings of vulnerability for the developing child. For instance, Child’s mother leaves. Father can’t cope so child is passed to relatives. Foster family move areas so school is upset. Bullying at next school. First job is made redundant. Low personal confidence then follows. This is Compound Cumulative Trauma.

Analysis works by allowing the collection or one shot trauma to become available to the conscious mind. It can then be reprogrammed and removed as necessary.

The ticking time bomb!

As mentioned already it can take many years for a repression to surface and this can be difficult to understand. When the initial sensitising event takes place its gets repressed. It will stay repressed, until we find ourselves, or what our subconscious believes to be a similar situation. If it is something that you are likely to come into contact again with soon then it can be reignited sooner rather than later. For instance, if it happened on a bus, and you travel on a bus everyday it might open straight away. But like in the example instance of being placed in a headlock. She wasn’t placed in a position she felt threatened with until she was on an aeroplane some 20 years later on!

What to expect when undergoing Hypnoanalysis.

A session in Hypnoanalysis last 60 minutes. The first session you will be placed under hypnosis and after around 30 mins of subconscious priming we will do a brief round of free association. This is where you get used to saying out load what it is you are thinking. Once you have mentioned everything around that event, allowing that memory to drift away. Once that has gone, moving on to the next thought.

Second session onward you will first be placed in hypnosis. Each week that passes you may find you fall into hypnosis quicker and quicker which will enable more time for the free association aspect of the session.
This is then repeated on average from about 6-12 sessions until we unravel and gain access to the root of the issue.

Session to session

It is important to understand that depending on the original cause will have different outlooks on how you feel from one session to another. I don’t want to say which is which as that could cause any one to attempt to lead themselves to a certain goal. But it is normal to feel better, maybe a little worse or no better at all after each session. It’s impossible to know which one you will be until after starting. But it is imperative to know that feeling worse or nothing doesn’t mean it’s not progressing.

In the early sessions the memory recalls are likely to be far removed from the presenting issues. This is normal. This is how the brain has matched up what it believes to be linked. Often these memories have very little consciously to the presenting problem. But as the sessions progress it will become obvious they are link to the presenting problem.

And, Finally

Catharsis in some instances can happen in seconds after reaching the root issue. But more often than not it’s a slow burn of feeling better. The coming days, weeks and months usually see massive shifts and symptomatic issues subside. Often the client doesn’t notice this themselves. The changes are usually seen in people close to you who can remember how you used to be.

To book a free initial consultation or learn more about Hypnoanalysis please contact me here.

For anyone reading that might like to learn this discipline click here for further information.

BWRT

BWRT®’ stands for ‘BrainWorking Recursive Therapy®’, a modern model of psychology and psychotherapy created by UK professional therapist, Terence Watts, MCGI. It uses a totally logical, practical and down-to-earth working method in which it’s not necessary for you to talk about anything you would rather not discuss – the practitioner only needs to know how you feel and how you would prefer to feel instead. BWRT® is unlike any other therapy you might have heard of or read about, using the latest discoveries in neuroscience coupled with your own unique brain processes to help you get better. Only Certified Practitioners have been trained to deliver BWRT® and all have to adhere to a strict ethical code. Find out more at http://www.bwrt.org

What to expect in a session

During a session of BWRT®, I will ask you a few questions about your background and what has brought you to see me – but I will not ask you to reveal any secrets or intimate details of your life. This is a totally private therapy in which you only have to be able to tell me how you feel and how you would like to feel instead. For instance, you might say something like: “Social situations scare me half to death!” and I would then ask if you can think how you would like to feel instead. If you can, I will then get straight to work; if you can’t, I will help you decide – and again you will never have to reveal any details you really don’t want to.

It really is that simple and that private!

BWRT® doesn’t use hypnosis or anything that might be considered to be mystical or unscientific – it is a science-based, totally grounded methodology that deals with uncomfortable emotional or psychological triggers before you are even aware of them. Most other therapies work on the response after it has been generated, requiring you to tell the practitioner what you’re thinking about – but with BWRT® the problem is dealt with ‘at source’, before it even gets to the conscious mind.

How it works 

I will explain fully how the process works and although, as in all work of this sort, you have a vital part to play in the process, it is a very easy part – in fact you will have to do very little more than keep focused on how you want to be when the work is complete… and that could be the same day you started!

Contact me here to learn how BWRT can change your life.

More about BWRT here

Claire Weekes, the 1960’s pioneer into anxiety and panic attacks, discovered that anxiety is 2 fold. First, the trigger that causes the chemical iUnderstanding the Root of Anxiety: The First and Second Fear

Anxiety is often misunderstood. Many people suffer from it without ever truly understanding what’s happening internally. In my experience, anxiety tends to stem from two main components:

1. The initial imbalance that produces the anxiety symptoms (the First Fear).
2. The fear of experiencing those symptoms (the Second Fear).

When the source of the first fear is unknown or unclear, the second fear increases dramatically. This creates a vicious cycle that’s difficult for the sufferer to break.

Real-Life Example: The Bus Scenario

Let’s break it down practically.

A person goes to board a bus and suddenly feels anxious. That’s the first fear—the subconscious trigger. However, the symptoms of this fear—such as a racing heart, dizziness, or a tight chest—can be so uncomfortable that the individual then fears the symptoms themselves. This is the second fear. Now the person is anxious about being anxious. This amplifies the original symptoms and prolongs the experience, turning what could have passed in minutes into a long, distressing episode.

Understanding the first fear is crucial. You don’t need to know why it’s there initially—just that it exists and is doing a job: trying (wrongly) to protect you.

So, What Causes Anxiety?

In its simplest form:

“Anxiety happens when there is a conflict between two parts of your psyche.”

That’s it. At the root of almost every anxiety-related issue is a psychological conflict.

The subconscious brain falsely perceives a threat to your survival. This is usually in contrast with what your conscious brain knows to be true. Let’s revisit the bus example: You consciously want to get on the bus, but your subconscious associates the bus with danger. So, it creates symptoms (anxiety) to warn you and stop you from doing it.

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Common Examples of Anxiety Conflicts

Here’s how this conflict shows up in daily life:

• Indecision or analysis paralysis
  You feel torn between two choices. Consciously, you want to decide—but your subconscious says, “Last time we chose, things went badly. Don’t risk it.”
• Overwhelm and workload stress
  Consciously, you know you only have so many hours in the day. But your subconscious insists, “You must get it all done or you’ll fail.”
• Feeling under-skilled or out of your depth
  Even if you logically know you’re doing your best, your subconscious says, “You’re not good enough.”
• Perfectionism and high self-expectations
  Consciously, you’re aware you’ve tried your hardest. But your subconscious insists you’ve fallen short.
• Guilt
  The punishment doesn’t fit the crime—but your subconscious believes you don’t deserve your success or happiness.
• General discomfort in specific situations
  The subconscious sees danger; your conscious mind knows you’re safe. The conflict triggers a fear response.

These underlying fears usually stem from deeper concerns:

• Fear of rejection
• Fear of looking foolish
• Fear of being caught out
• Fear of punishment
• Fear of failure
• Fear of emotional pain

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Anxiety Symptoms and Their Clever (but Misguided) Purpose

The subconscious is clever. It uses anxiety symptoms as a strategy to help you avoid perceived danger—even if that danger isn’t real.

Here are some examples:

• A public speaker loses their voice
• A window cleaner develops a fear of heights
• A house clearer becomes terrified of spiders
• A tube driver develops claustrophobia

Sometimes, the subconscious expresses fear in indirect ways:

• A dancer sprains her ankle before a big performance
• A band member injures their hand before going on stage
• A sore throat develops before giving a speech

Other times, the fear response becomes chronic and automatic:

• Dry mouth
• Sweating
• Rapid heartbeat
• Shaking

These symptoms are tied to your autonomic nervous system, which is trying to prepare you for fight or flight—even though you’re not in real danger.

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Why the Subconscious Isn’t the Villain

It may sound like the subconscious is working against you—but it isn’t. The subconscious doesn’t think or reason. It operates on instinct and past experience. If it once learned that something is dangerous (even if it isn’t anymore), it will act accordingly.

And when do most of these subconscious beliefs form? Childhood.

For example, a child who was regularly shouted at by a teacher may grow up with a fear of authority figures—even if that connection no longer logically makes sense.

The conscious mind forgets, but the subconscious never does. So, adult anxieties are often being governed by outdated, irrelevant rules formed in childhood.

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Understanding the First and Second Fear

So, let’s recap:

• First fear: A rule from the past (often from childhood) is triggered in the present. The subconscious says, “Danger!”
• Second fear: The conscious mind doesn’t like the feelings that come with the first fear and starts to panic about the symptoms.

What can you do? The goal isn’t to change the symptoms in the moment. The goal is awareness—to acknowledge what’s happening and understand it’s just your brain trying (wrongly) to protect you.

Here’s the golden rule:

“Anxiety happens when there is a conflict between two parts of your psyche.”

If the problem is conflict…
The solution is resolution.

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So How Do You Resolve It?

This is where the therapies I use—Hypnoanalysis and BWRT® (BrainWorking Recursive Therapy)—come into their own. Both are designed to remove the internal conflict, but they do so in different ways.

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Hypnoanalysis

A regression technique that allows the adult mind to revisit childhood experiences, uncover the subconscious rules created back then, and reframe them. Once those outdated rules are released, they no longer affect your present life.

➡️ Read more about Hypnoanalysis here

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BWRT®

BWRT® doesn’t look for the original cause. Instead, it works at the level of the subconscious response. By changing how you feel in reaction to a trigger, the emotional charge is removed. The conflict disappears because the brain now responds with the feeling you want instead of fear. here

When I write blog entries I like to use topics that are commonly searched for. One that often comes up is managing panic attacks. I don’t understand why this is so highly searched. Bear with me, I know you will be thinking, of course people want to know how to manage panic attacks! But, why not search ‘overcome panic attacks’. Set the bar higher. Let’s not manage it, let’s get rid of it!

Lets not put up with, lets eliminate it!

The ambition of anyone that has panic attacks should be simple, to stop them happening. Not managing panic attacks, putting an end to them!

This made me wonder if people realise they are actually able to overcome them. That they are not something that they have to put up with and manage! Maybe it is within our culture, that we don’t seek solutions, we seek, how to make the best of it. I’m not sure why, but what I am sure about is, managing panic attacks isn’t how to deal with them.

What I have just said is quite a bold statement and is one that I believe. So what is the solution to panic attacks? Well, there are likely to be many. I am aware of 2, and trained to a high standard in both to provide the best possible outcome of success. 

For the record, this post isn’t just about driving traffic to my door. If you are local or want to work via Skype, then please, get in touch here. This blog is also here to provide information for those that aren’t local or use Skype. There are solutions to your problems and these could be them.

The three types of therapy I use are BWRT,Hypnoanalysis and Educational Therapy. Let’s take a look at why a panic attack happens and how each therapy can help.

Panic Attacks

Panic attacks usually originate in the formative years of childhood and take two distinct forms. Random, which can happen without a recognisable trigger. Triggered, where the sufferer is aware of what will cause one to happen.

The symptoms can include: dizziness, sweating, hot flushes, fast heart rate, fast breathing, and feelings of impending doom, legs and arms turning to jelly, trembling, shaking, vomiting, and feelings of Fear itself!

There is a conflict between the psyche of the subconscious and conscious aspects of the brain. The conscious aspect of our brain knows we are safe, but the subconscious believes we aren’t. Because it is the duty of the subconscious to keep us safe it always overrides what we want to do. Even when we know we are safe!!

What causes someone to suffer from Panic Disorder?

The foundation of suffering of this condition usually occurs in the childhood years. Hypnoanalysis is a powerful tool that can eradicate Panic Disorder and also gives the reason behind it. What is found when undertaking hypnoanalysis is usually a repressed emotion(s).

A repressed emotion

Repression happens when we experience an event, but are so overwhelmed the event is removed from conscious thought. This means that we forget it has happened. At that moment we were unable to deal with the overpowering emotion so we stored it subconsciously, but out of reach from consciousness. This means that we have a record of it happening in case we need to react to it again, but we don’t have to think about it again. This is a clever way that we protect ourselves. We use experiences to create templates on ways to react. But because this was so traumatic we don’t want to have to relive it again.

Unfortunately a repressed event creates an incorrect belief in our psyche about something. This is because they happen in childhood and we mistake a traumatic event as life or death. So often, these events are nothing more than childhood pranks gone wrong. We were just too young to know better at the time, that they weren’t as bad as we initially believed. Even if the event was traumatic by anyone’s standards, they still shouldn’t have the hold over us as adults as they do.

The time bomb.

The created repression will stay dormant until a similar event happens. The symptoms will only appear if life presents something similar. This means that the repression can stay dormant for an unlimited amount of time. If the experience was a common event, then it may well be released days or weeks after. If, for example, it was related to a plane and you didn’t fly on one again for 40 years, it could stay dormant for decades. In some cases, if you never flew again, it may never be released!

The repression may or may not have anything to do with your presenting issues, but it is the catalyst! The release of the repression will then associate itself with whatever is happening at that moment. For instance, if you are in a busy crowd you will likely develop agoraphobia, if you are flying, aerophobia.  Once the repression is released and attaches to something in your life you will start feeling anxious. The natural response is to attempt to avoid that situation. But Anxiety has a knack of morphine from one thing to another. This is because the body is required to release the emotion, but if you are avoiding the trigger it will then stick to another event or situation.

A case Study

This is a case study of a client I successfully treated to a full recovery who suffered Panic Disorder.

At the age of 29 the client suffered a panic attack on an aeroplane, the exact moment of the release of the repression. He immediately stopped flying as he believed he would have another one if he did. Because the repression had now come to life whilst flying the clients presenting issue was fear of flying. As commonly done, the client then avoided flying. But because he avoided flying the anxiety needed to attach to something else. The client then started to feel discomfort on trains, then buses, then taxis. As he avoided each form of travel it just moved on to the next. All the way to the point where the only form of travel he could do was driving himself.

Morphing

The anxiety, then morphed across to small spaces. You can probably see why, as all forms of transport are usually limited in space. He then couldn’t use lifts or then be in meetings at work in small rooms. Off the back of this, a social anxiety was born because he was worried about showing his anxiety at work or in front of friends. So he started to avoid social interaction as best he could. Then there was another wave of morphing towards the client on his health.

This client developed Generalised Anxiety Disorder as well as having a Panic Disorder. The problem with panic attacks is that once you have one, you are likely to worry about having another. This worry in itself is then enough to have a panic attack. You then get stuck in a cycle of avoiding and worrying and often still having panic attacks.

The Repression

The repression coming to life doesn’t always have to be as obvious as this example on the plane. People can’t always put their finger on when their anxiety started as it can be more gradual after the release of the repression.

It is the release of the original repression that can cause Panic Disorder to start. The repression itself could have been anything and often has little or no resemblance to the presenting problems. After taking this client through analysis we actually found the root cause of the repression. As an 11 year old they were caught in a fight and got cornered and unable to get out. This repression was activated on the aeroplane as the body at that point felt the same as he felt in that moment.

This is the interesting aspect of the way the brain works. What started off as a fight as a child, ended with the adult suffering panic disorder!

Now we know how and why – The Treatment!

Hypnotherapy – Hypnoanalysis

Firstly, Hypnoanalysis, which is an advanced form of Hypnotherapy. The analysis allows the client to be regressed to the point of the first trigger. This trigger is then brought into consciousness and reframed by the client. This then allows the child’s take on it to be replaced by the adults. At this point catharsis will happen and the client will start to get better. This can take between 6 and 12 sessions to complete. For more information on Hypnoanalysis click here.

BWRT

Secondly, BWRT, which stands for Brain Working Recursive Therapy. BWRT doesn’t work on finding the original trigger like analysis does. It works on changing the responses that are created when the triggers are activated. So when you feel panicky you would decide to feel calm instead. When the trigger is then next fired you don’t panic you feel calm. BWRT can be a quicker therapy than analysis depending on how many triggers we are working on. For more information on BWRT click here

Educational Therapy

Thirdly, Educational therapy. The above two are my successful tools for eliminating panic. But, I do provide support on educating someone on what is happening behind the scenes. Understanding panic disorder is half the battle but, it is not a truly preventative measure. Understanding that no actual harm can come to you and this is due to your Fight or Flight response is powerful in removing the fear. If you can minimise the fear of a panic attack you stand a good chance of not having another one. Or, if you do, at least being able to deal with it better.

To book a free 30 minute consultation contact me here.

No more managing panic attacks, lets eliminate them.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder is probably the most commonly
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Understanding the Roots

🧠 What Is GAD?

GAD is persistent and excessive anxiety about a wide range of situations — not just one specific trigger.

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🧩 Causes of GAD

1. Repressed Emotion

A single overwhelming childhood experience gets locked away in the subconscious.

• Too intense to process at the time
• Forgotten, but stored for “future protection”
• Triggered later in life, often by a similar-feeling event
• Once released, the anxiety attaches to your current situation

🧨 “Emotions repressed in the past become the anxiety of the present.”

2. Compound Trauma

• Repeated negative messages during childhood (e.g. “You’re not good enough”)
• Becomes internalised belief
• Leads to chronic worry and low self-esteem
• May present as free-floating or generalised anxiety

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🌀 How Anxiety Morphs Over Time

A real case study:

1. Panic attack on a plane
2. Avoided flying
3. Then anxiety spread to trains → buses → small spaces → social settings → health worries
4. Result: GAD

Anxiety will always find something to attach to if the underlying emotion is unresolved.

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🔧 Treatment Options

🔍 Hypnoanalysis

• Helps identify and release the original repression
• Brings subconscious emotion to light
• Allows for resolution and emotional freedom

🧠 BWRT (BrainWorking Recursive Therapy)

• Changes emotional response to triggers
• Rewires the subconscious pattern
• Fast, structured, and effective

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✅ Conclusion

Without intervention, GAD can last indefinitely.
But with the right approach, it’s entirely treatable.

You’re not broken — you’re just running on old emotional code.

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[Title]: Why Generalised Anxiety Disorder Happens

🧠 Repressed Emotion → (arrow) 🔁 Subconscious Storage → (arrow) ⚠️ Triggered Later
🪨 Compound Trauma → (arrow) 🔁 Internal Beliefs → (arrow) 😰 Chronic Worry

🔁 Anxiety Morphing Timeline:
Plane Panic → Travel Anxiety → Small Spaces → Social Anxiety → Health Fears

🧯 Treatment Paths
→ 🔍 Hypnoanalysis (Find Root)
→ 🔄 BWRT (Change Reaction)

Firstly, Hypnoanalysis, as seen in the client study above. Analysis allowed the opportunity to find the originating trigger to all the problems and remove it. Once repression is exposed and dealt with usually the client returns to full health over the following weeks and months. This can take between 6 and 12 sessions to complete. For more information on Hypnoanalysis click here.

Secondly, BWRT. A specific protocol for working with GAD has been created. This is where we look at all the triggers and work at them one by one. Because many triggers overlap a list of 10 might easily fall to just 4 or 5 when worked through. Depending on the amount of triggers GAD can usually be treated in 2-4 sessions. For more information on BWRT click here

To book in for a 30 minute consultation please contact me here.

Random panic attacks are probably the worst symptom of anxiety that a person can suffer. I don’t think many people who have had one will disagree with that opening sentence. It can feel like you are about to die. It is responsible for many 999 calls for people falsely believing they are having a heart attack.

What could be worse than a Panic Attack? Well, Random Panic Attacks!

The triggered panic attack at least gives you some warning. That might be of little comfort, but you are at least able to employ avoidance techniques.

If we know why a Panic Attack happens, we can then further understand the Random Panic Attacks.

Panic attacks happen because your psyche believes that you are somehow in danger. At some point in your past, usually childhood, you have incorrectly believed you were in danger. From that moment on your brain was using that rule to attempt to keep you safe. The issue here is that, this rule is almost 100% likely to be incorrect. Consciously you go to do something. Subconsciously it believes it puts your survival at risk. To make sure you are aware that you are in danger, your brain release chemicals to change your physiological make up. These changes are then seen as the symptoms you experience i.e. heart racing. It is impossible to ignore these so you are primed to react. Unfortunately it was a false alarm and now you are left with these crippling symptoms.

If you ever find yourself in a real life or death situation these symptoms actually help you. But if they are present when it is a false alarm they are very unnerving.

Why do we pick up incorrect beliefs?

As children we have little frame of reference as we are still learning. In these years it’s easy for us to mix up real threats from perceived threats. These incorrect entries early on can then have devastating effects later on in life. We live adult lives, with adult wants and needs but these are governed by rules we created as children.

Are Random Panic Attacks, Random?

I believe they appear random from a conscious point of view. I once treated a lady that had one when driving home. She had to pull over and compose herself before being able to continue. Consciously she was unaware of why it had happened. She couldn’t put her finger on why it had happened.

When we create a belief it has many facets connected. It can have connections to Touch, Sight, Hearing, Smell and Taste. This means that anyone of those senses has the potential to trigger a panic attack. Going back to the lady who have a random panic attack in her car. One of those senses was triggered. Maybe she saw something that didn’t register. A shape or colour of a car was enough for her psyche to believe she was in danger so went off.

A hypnoanalysis case study.

Let’s look at another case. It was discovered via hypnoanalysis (more information here) so we know for sure the root issues. A soldier had returned from fighting abroad and had settled back to family life. Around a year after returning home he was in the shower. Following the same routine he had always done and suffered his first panic attack. Because he had a panic attack in the shower he then avoided the shower. He started to wash in a different bathroom and this time started to have baths. He then proceed to have a panic attack in the bath. So, he then stopped having baths and just used the sink, but again had a panic attacks. This made no sense to the man at all. He had fought in wars yet was now having panic attacks whilst using the bathroom and washing.

The solder undertook Analysis which unearthed the repression. The analysis had shown that when he joined the army at a young age he suffered a repression in regards to a bomb going off nearby when he was applying his deodorant. In that moment of the repression his psyche connected the smell off his deodorant with something bad happening. Fast forward a decade. He had been back enjoying family life for around a year when his wife changed shampoo brands. The new brand smelt exactly like his deodorant and was enough of a trigger to set off a panic attack. This incorrect entry in his subconscious believed he was once again in danger yet he was only in the shower.

My beliefs

My theory is that this is how random panic attacks occur. They are consciously random but subconsciously not. They follow a pattern, but this pattern is not available to us. A sense is triggered but we can’t join the dots up to its cause. Our minds are more likely to look at the situation than the potential of a sound/touch/smell. Random panic attacks are rarer to suffer from so there is the assumption that the other senses don’t get repressed and triggered as easy.

It could then be argued, most, if not all Panic Attacks start of random. Then we learn the trigger so they become triggered panic attacks. Random panic attacks are when we can’t fathom which sense is being triggered in a certain situation so appear random.

Treatment.

When treating panic attacks I have two highly effective solutions. Hypnoanalysis and BWRT.

My preference is to go with Hypnoanalysis because we are able to go to the root cause of the issue and flush it out. I have written a detail blog on Analysis here

Saying that, BWRT is not ineffective it just works in a different way. With BWRT we work on the feelings and known triggers. With BWRT we are not working on the root because we are working on the presenting problem. This means it is usually a quicker therapy.

For the sufferer of Random Panic Attacks I hope this give a small insight to your problem. That it helps you understand a little of what is going on behind the scenes and a solution to your problem.

To book an initial free consultation click here.

The AHA! Moment – A 3-Step Technique to Handle Chronic Worry

If you struggle with persistent, intrusive worry, you’re not alone. Worry often shows up uninvited, lingers too long, and tries to convince you it’s protecting you. But the truth is, most worry is noise — not signal.

That’s why I want to introduce you to a simple but powerful technique: AHA!

This isn’t just a feel-good acronym — it’s a practical three-step method that consolidates core ideas from two of my recent posts into an actionable strategy.

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AHA Stands For:

• Acknowledge and Accept – Become aware of the worry, name it, and let it be. [Read more on presence here.]
• Humour the Thought – Don’t take the worry so seriously. Treat it like your annoying neighbour – persistent, but harmless. [More on this idea here.]
• Activity – Carry on with your day, doing what matters most to you, while taking the worry along for the ride.

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Step 1: Acknowledge and Accept

When worry hits, your instinct may be to push it away, resist it, or distract yourself. But the first step is simply to acknowledge it.

“Ah, here it is again — that same old worry.”

This doesn’t mean you like it. It doesn’t mean you approve of it. It just means you see it for what it is: a repetitive, automatic thought loop — like spam email for the brain.

Think of It Like Rain

Let’s say you planned a trip to the beach, but the forecast predicts rain. Pretending you didn’t hear the forecast won’t change the weather. You can either reschedule, or bring an umbrella. You acknowledge the forecast, and you adapt.

Worry is similar. You’ve heard the thought. Now accept it’s here — and move on with your plan.

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Your Thoughts Are Not Your Fault

You didn’t choose the thought, and you can’t stop it just by wishing it away. But you can choose your reaction. Just as you would acknowledge a headache and wait for it to pass, you can acknowledge a worrisome thought without engaging with it.

A simple internal response like:

“Oh well.”
can be enough to keep you from falling into the worry trap.

You are the reader of your thoughts — not the author. You don’t need to edit the book. You just need to not believe every line.

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Step 2: Humour the Thought

If a neighbour knocked on your door every day to tell you the world was ending, you’d eventually smile and nod, knowing not to take it seriously.

Worrying thoughts are just as repetitive and dramatic.

Try humoring them instead of fearing them. Respond with something like:

“Ah yes, here’s my brain trying to protect me again.”
“Thanks, mind — noted. Carry on.”

You’re not mocking your anxiety — you’re disengaging from it. This subtle shift allows you to stop feeding the thought with emotional energy.

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Ask Yourself Two Grounding Questions:

1. Is there a problem right now in my external world?
2. If so, can I do something about it right now?

If either answer is no, then your worry isn’t rooted in reality — it’s bait. Don’t bite.

The true discomfort isn’t the problem your thoughts describe —
it’s your reaction to them.

And when you stop reacting, the worry loses its power.

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Step 3: Activity

This is the crucial final step: carry on.

Your worry wants to hijack your day. Don’t let it.

Go for your walk. Clean the house. Work on your project. Meet your friend. Your thoughts can come along — they don’t get to drive.

Even if the worry is present, you can still live your life. It may be uncomfortable at first, but like a muscle, your ability to act despite anxiety will grow stronger with practice.

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In Conclusion: Let Your AHA! Moment Begin

Use the AHA! technique as your go-to response to chronic worry:

• Acknowledge and Accept – Notice the thought. Name it. Let it be.
• Humour It – Treat it like the overly dramatic, noisy neighbour that it is.
• Activity – Keep going. Choose your actions, not your thoughts.

You may not stop worry from appearing — but you can stop it from taking over.
Let this simple strategy help you reclaim your peace of mind, one thought at a time.

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