What type of professional do I need to seek out to work through anxiety and social panic attacks?

My doctor advised that I need to seek "therapy" for Anxiety and Panic Attacks but I do not know what that entails or how to properly ask for the help
Asked by Court
Answered
10/19/2022

Hello, thanks so much for reaching out!  I'm glad your doctor is recommending therapy for your anxiety and panic attacks.  

Although therapy will look a little bit differently for each therapist, the general idea is that you and the therapist will come together to talk about how your anxiety and panic attacks are impacting your life.  When folks come to me with this presentation, I will start by asking them to pay attention to the anxiety to start to gain an understanding of any themes or patterns.  I ask people to look for certain situations that may cause anxiety or panic and to pay attention to what the anxious thoughts are saying.  Often times, the anxious thoughts are irrational, meaning sometimes if you pay attention to them you can notice if the thoughts are inaccurate or disproportionate to the situation (like being afraid telling someone you love "No" will result in them never speaking to you again).  I also ask people to notice what the thoughts might be saying about that person, because I find that a lot of folks can be really harsh and mean to themselves in their heads, in a way they would never think or speak about someone else.

After starting to get an understanding about what your anxiety might be saying to you, I would start to introduce skills, techniques and coping mechanisms to help manage the anxiety and panic.  Breathing exercises are commonly recommended for people who struggle with panic, because sometimes the panic can lead to breathing so quickly and shallowly that sometimes people lose consciousness.  Then there are other techniques, such as relaxation, to help calm the anxiety.  There are thought controlling techniques to introduce the idea of trying not to think the anxious thoughts that are making you feel uncomfortable.  And there are also behavioral suggestions that can help, such as exercising and meditating.

This attempt to understand the connection between your thoughts and your actions and how you feel is called Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and it's been shown to be very effective at helping folks to manage their anxiety, because at its core, anxiety is a thought disorder.  Trying to help you find ways to pay attention to your thoughts and notice when they are being irrational or unhelpful is the first step, and then trying to help you implement skills to manage the anxious thoughts after you notice them spinning out of control is the next step.  

Hope this has been helpful!  I wish you huge success in your journey of trying to manage your anxiety and panic.

(LICSW, LADC)