“Panic attacks are a lot like being drunk in some ways, you loose self-control. You cry for seemingly no reason. You deal with the hangover long into the next day.”
― Sara Barnard, A Quiet Kind of Thunder
When Fear Floods the Body
Panic is not “in your head.”
It is a full-body storm — a sudden flood of fear that overwhelms the nervous system.
Breath collapses or fragments.
Fascia tightens or freezes.
The heart races.
The chest constricts.
The body prepares for fight, flight, or freeze — even when there is no visible threat.
In Core Strokes™ and the Neurofascial Transformation Process™, we understand panic as a disruption of the Energetic Breath Cycle™ — a deep survival imprint held in:
- Breath
- Fascia
- Autonomic nervous system
- Relational field
What Is Panic Disorder?
Panic Disorder arises when the body’s ability to regulate fear is compromised.
Panic attacks come:
- Suddenly
- Without clear external cause
- With intense physical symptoms
Over time, this can create a “fear of fear” cycle:
- The person begins to fear having a panic attack
- Anxiety grows even between attacks
- Avoidance behaviors emerge → withdrawal from life
- Autonomic flexibility diminishes
Common Symptoms of Panic Disorder
- Rapid heartbeat
- Chest tightness
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Shortness of breath → breath fragmentation
- Trembling, shaking
- Sweating
- Nausea, stomach upset
- Headaches
- Feeling of unreality → dissociation
- Fear of losing control, going crazy, or dying
How Panic Is Embodied
In the Energetic Breath Cycle™, panic typically presents as:
- Fragmented Breath → disorganized pulsation
- Breath trapped in hyperarousal → no return to baseline
- Fascia encoded with freeze-survival patterns → Neurofascial Encoding™
- Autonomic system oscillates wildly → sympathetic flood → dorsal shutdown
Relational field becomes unsafe:
- Hypervigilance
- Isolation
- Fear of relational contact
Developmental Roots of Panic
Panic is often rooted in:
- Attachment trauma → early experiences of overwhelming fear without safe co-regulation
- Developmental trauma → chronic dysregulation in early life
- Relational ruptures → loss of trust in others as sources of safety
- Neurofascial Encoding™ of unprocessed early terror
Why Body-Centered Work Is Essential
Cognitive approaches alone often fail with panic — because:
- The body holds the imprint of terror
- The autonomic system has lost flexibility
- The Energetic Breath Cycle™ is disrupted
- Fascia carries freeze responses
Healing panic requires restoring:
- Breath flow
- Fascial fluidity
- Autonomic flexibility
- Relational trust
- The capacity to feel safe in one’s body
Therapeutic Pathways
Individual Therapy
- Explore embodied origins of panic
- Unwind Neurofascial Encoding™ of fear
- Restore Energetic Breath Cycle™
- Rebuild autonomic resilience
- Repair relational trust → support co-regulation
Body Awareness, Breathwork, Grounding
- Restore full breath rhythm
- Soften fascial armor → especially chest, diaphragm, pelvic floor
- Build capacity for safe embodiment
- Support gradual exposure to triggers with body-centered tools
Relational and Family Therapy
- Address relational dynamics that may reinforce panic cycles
- Support family members in becoming sources of co-regulation rather than triggers
Group Therapy (optional)
- In selected groups → practice relational presence
- Break isolation → normalize experience of panic
- Develop shared regulation in safe social field
The Healing Path
Panic is not a personal failure.
It is a survival imprint — a bodymind adaptation to overwhelming fear.
Through Core Strokes™, the Neurofascial Transformation Process™, and integrative bodymind work, clients can:
- Release panic imprints from fascia, breath, and autonomic system
- Restore a flexible, resilient nervous system
- Rebuild trust in their own body
- Re-enter life with greater freedom and aliveness
When breath flows, when fascia softens, when the nervous system remembers how to rest — fear loses its grip, and life can be lived again.
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