Treating Panic Disorder: Our Client Success Stories

A 41-year-old physician sought treatment after experiencing a recurrence of panic attacks. She had previously taken a very low dose of Lexapro, which had helped manage her symptoms. After stopping the medication, she felt well for about a month before another panic episode occurred. She restarted the medication but remained overwhelmed by the intensity and duration of her symptoms.

She struggled to eat, lost eight pounds in one week, experienced episodes of depersonalization, and felt disconnected from activities she normally enjoyed. Although she worried she was becoming depressed, she recognized that her loss of interest was tied to anxiety rather than depression. She was married with two children and had a history of CBT treatment, but questioned whether she was applying the techniques correctly.

Her greatest fear was not the panic itself – it was the belief that treatment would fail and she would remain trapped in a panic cycle forever. Although she had practiced CBT strategies and exposure exercises, it became clear in therapy that a persistent fear narrative was keeping the cycle alive. She would become absorbed in thoughts of never recovering while her body responded with increasing tension, rapid breathing, and escalating anxiety.

Over the course of 12 sessions, treatment focused on breaking this cycle by increasing awareness of bodily sensations, changing her relationship with anxious thoughts, and learning that panic symptoms, while frightening, were temporary and manageable.

A 43 year old creative director sought therapy for panic and performance anxiety after years of believing he should be able to manage it on his own. He had built an impressive career in advertising, earning a leadership role where he guided teams, presented ideas to clients, and managed high-stakes creative projects.

Outside of work, he was a confident performer who had done stand-up comedy and spoken in front of large audiences. He was known for his humor, creativity, and ability to connect with people. Yet despite these accomplishments, certain professional situations triggered intense anxiety.

When speaking with recruiters, senior colleagues, or important stakeholders, he sometimes experienced a trembling voice, racing heart, difficulty gathering his thoughts, and a fear that others would notice his nervousness. He worried that visible anxiety was unacceptable for someone in a leadership role and feared disappointing others or jeopardizing his career.

Through treatment, he learned that anxiety was not evidence that he lacked confidence or competence. He developed a better understanding of panic symptoms, reduced avoidance and reliance on alcohol, and practiced responding differently to anxious thoughts and sensations.

He learned that effective leadership and creativity do not require the absence of anxiety – only the ability to move forward despite it.

A woman in her mid-30s sought treatment after experiencing panic attacks over the past year. With a family history of anxiety, she had always understood anxiety intellectually, but the intensity of her own symptoms was frightening and unfamiliar.

After being laid off from her job, she began experiencing episodes of feeling completely detached from herself and the world around her. She described feeling as though she were “in a fishbowl” or separated from reality by a glass wall. At times, everything felt dreamlike, and she worried she was losing her mind. For a long time, she struggled to describe what was happening until she learned about depersonalization and derealization.

These sensations occurred unexpectedly, including during brunch with friends and after physically intense experiences like a polar plunge in the ocean. Although she did not drink heavily and had never been in therapy before, she became increasingly fearful of the sensations and what they meant.

She initially wanted to manage anxiety naturally and felt hesitant about medication or exploring other treatment options. Over the course of 13 sessions, therapy focused on understanding panic, reducing fear of the symptoms themselves, and learning that feelings of unreality, while distressing, are common anxiety responses and do not mean she was losing control.

Through treatment, she developed greater confidence in her ability to tolerate these experiences and regain a sense of connection and control.

A 20 year old college sophomore presented with acute panic disorder after a series of life altering events. Within one year, she was involved in 3 car accidents, had two young friends die of unrelated health issues, struggled with complications of an elective surgery, and broke up with a boyfriend. She complained of several physical symptoms of anxiety including heart palpitations, difficulty taking deep breaths, anticipatory fear of a heart attack, etc. Within 3 CBT sessions, she was able to get her anxiety under control and stop her panic attacks.

A 25 year old web developer developed recurrent panic attacks after experiencing difficulty breathing, dizziness and faintness after a work out at the gym. Her hypothyroidism, chronic inner ear maladies and tinnitus exacerbated her panic symptoms and her concerns about more serious health threats. In addition to her underlying medical issues, she had recently come out to her family that she is gay. Psychoeducation, relaxation therapy, cognitive restructuring and exposure exercises proved to be extremely effective in stopping her panic attacks in 8 sessions.

A 39 year old manager of a Graphics Design Department reported having recurrent panic attacks for the last four months. With the help of short-term CBT, she was able to decrease multiple work stressors and relationship struggles and improve her overall quality of life. Within a handful of sessions, she learned how to better manage the physical symptoms of her anxiety and ultimately reached her goal of being panic free.

A 55 year old woman presented with recurrent panic attacks that had started to wake her out of her sleep. Heart palpitations, hot flushes, fear of losing control, chest tightness and hyperventilation were causing her significant distress. Four sessions of psychoeducation, relaxation therapy, and cognitive restructuring allowed her to handle her life stressors in a much more manageable way and allowed her to be panic free within a few weeks time.

A 50 year old woman with a fear of becoming reliant on Xanax for recurrent panic attacks wanted short-term CBT to help her manage her distressing physical symptoms which included heart palpitations, light headedness, tremors, and the urge to escape her own body. She obsessed over these somatic discomforts and sought frequent reassurance from doctors that she was healthy. She had several life stressors that perpetuated her anxiety such as a mother with Alzheimers, relationship difficulties with her daughter, and turmoil with her sister. Within a short period of time, her health concerns were mitigated, her panic attacks were under control, her relationships were improved and she had no further need for Xanax.