Jeff had tried to control his panic attacks by avoiding places and situations where he'd previously experienced them. By doing so, his world was getting very small: he stopped going to restaurants with friends; he seldom went to a movie theater; he was afraid to travel out of town; he rarely went to parties. The only problem was, Jeff still continued to suffer from panic attacks, and they were getting worse.

Several strategies helped Jeff reclaim control over his life.

When we started working together, Jeff was in a constant nervous condition. So we began with deep, soothing relaxation sessions. I made CDs of the relaxation techniques so Jeff could practice at home.

He began to develop a calmer way of feeling. That started to give Jeff the hope and optimism that he was going to be helped in our work together.

We worked on changing his behaviors: taking small steps to return to normal activities. One by one, we increased his outings into the world. With each new success, he felt stronger and more confident that he could master situations without having a panic attack.

I helped him change negative thought patterns that produced anxiety. Jeff began to feel more secure by learning to think constructively about himself and the world around him.

He became more self-assured and capable, and panic attacks decreased significantly. He was truly happy to be alive and involved with life again.