Panic Away – My Personal Opinion
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I bought the Panic Away Program and this is my personal opinion and review. I have been a generally anxious person most of my life and recently it’s gotten worse with panic attacks coming on. I decided that I didn’t want to live in such pain and dread all the time. If you have panic attacks you know what I’m talking about.
The author of Panic Away, Joe Barry, says that he is a former panic attack sufferer. He’s used this method himself, refined it, and taught it to other people. Fair enough.
He starts off by briefly discussing some theories about the causes of an anxiety disorder. He proposes that it’s a result of physical, mental, or emotional exhaustion, or some combination of those.
Then the author talks about the physical and mental components of anxiety and panic attacks. (By the way, a more detailed rundown of symptoms comes later in the book.) This is quite interesting, but I want to get to the good part! He made a promise – let’s see if he’s going to keep that promise.
Ah, here we go. The first stage of the Panic Away Program is about eliminating panic attacks with what the author calls “The One Move Technique.” I won’t go into too much detail, but basically he advocates a method of acceptance and directed thinking instead of “fighting” the panic attack. To some people, it might sound a little strange or simplistic. As the author says, the technique is subtle.
I’ve seen something a bit like “The One Move Technique” in other self-help courses (not anxiety-related), and I believe that it’s psychologically sound. In other words, it’s harmless and it’s based on an understanding of how our minds operate. Most important, it really does work when done properly.
The nice thing about the method is that it’s very easy. You don’t have to perform elaborate breathing or physical exercises or memorize some complicated mental process.
It’s also compatible with anything else you may be doing to combat your anxiety, such as medication, diet, or therapy.
After explaining “The One Move Technique” in detail, the author offers some additional guidance and tips for individuals who are getting stuck or having trouble making the technique work.
This is followed by some case studies, which are examples of real life situations where the technique can be used.
If that was all there was to the Panic Away Program, it would still be a valuable resource. But we’re only a third of the way through the book!
In the next section, the author talks about ways that you can become calmer and less anxious. Since panic attacks are an offshoot of anxiety, lowering your general level of anxiety is obviously going to be beneficial.
The author covers a number of interesting topics. There are supplementary breathing and visualization exercises, diet and fitness suggestions, tips on getting to sleep and dealing with phobias, alternative methods of coping with anxiety such as Thought Field Therapy, and so on. There’s plenty of meat here, so you’d probably want to refer back to it later and pick up some new ideas.
You don’t have to do the supplementary exercises from this section for the “One Move Technique” to work. But some of them are pretty easy to try because they don’t require a lot of time or patience.
In the final section of the Panic Away Program, the author talks about how to deal with anxiety setbacks. He also explains where the symptoms of anxiety and panic come from, and why the sensations are nothing to be afraid of. It’s actually quite reassuring to learn why your body seems to be freaking out. When you know what’s going on, it’s a lot less scary.
One of the things I liked about this program is that it was thorough but not overwhelming. The author obviously knows his stuff and is sincere about sharing this knowledge, but he doesn’t get carried away with more detail than is needed. Another good point is that the writing style is clear and easy to read.
Joe Barry makes the “One Move Technique” sound easy, and really, it is. This is basically an unusual method for stopping, coping with, or preventing a panic attack. It can be done by just about anyone, and it works, plain and simple.
To sum up, I found this book helpful and I believe others will too. I would even feel comfortable buying it for a friend or family member who suffered from panic attacks. So if what you’re doing now for anxiety and panic isn’t working, then you might want to check out Panic Away.
Here’s the link if you want to find out more: Panic Away Program