We all panic when we don’t find our keys or forget to check if we’ve switched off the electrical appliances at our house. However, Pradeep* found himself with palpitations and checked himself into the ER after having severe difficulty breathing. The physician had referred him since he couldn’t find any medical explanation for his symptoms. On speaking with Pradeep*, we found that he was struggling with the same thing for the past 6 months.

Whenever he felt panic, he also had heart palpitations, chest pain, sweating, and shortness of breath. Constantly getting worried, he tried to avoid things that triggered his fear and significantly impacted his life by turning down social invitations, making excuses to stay at home whenever possible, and relying on his wife for any outdoor activities for his kids, Although she was understanding initially, she had become frustrated by his “irrational fear” of panic attacks.

After coming to our center and speaking with our psychologist, Pradeep* was given a thought log which helps identify situations in which the possibility of panic was high. He was also taught progressive muscle relaxation techniques (JPMR) which helped him become more and more relaxed as the sessions progressed. He was also taught applied relaxation where he was taught to relax in the presence of panic cues and also in real-world potential situations where panic is likely. To help him modify his catastrophic thinking in potential panic situations, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) was implemented. Within 6 sessions, Pradeep* reported significant improvement and had follow-up sessions to terminate.

(*name changed for anonymity)