derails their social life. Panic is a disorder of perception. Internal sensations such as difficulty breathing, a racing heart, dizziness, or feeling hot and sweaty are misread by those who panic as dangerous and life-threatening. Some believe they are about to collapse from a heart attack, brain tumour or stroke. Others fear insanity, that they will lose control of their mind or go mad. Physiologically, panic is a high adrenaline state. Once set in motion, the cascade of adrenaline molecules, known as fight or flight response, rises to a crescendo and slowly dissipates. But what has gone wrong when the very urgent fight or flight response takes off in the supposedly safe environments of the supermarket, cinema, one's home or even bed? What triggers the adrenaline cascade in such neutral settings? How can it be avoided in the future? When Panic Attacks answers such questions. It explains the psychology and physiology underlying panic. It makes sense of why a sufferer is radically altered after their first panic attack and how they come to inhabit a new world full of threats both from without and within. Aine Tubridy gives an understanding of the innermost thoughts of those who panic. She documents their deep sense of alienation from others, and how they feel split off from their body which they are unable to control. There is an indisputable link between high levels of adrenaline and panic - no adrenaline - no panic. Grounded in years of clinical experience and research, Dr Tubridy teaches the reader specific adrenaline lowering techniques which have been scientifically validated. She includes muscle relaxation exercises, thought management, changing avoidance behaviours, exercises targeting the chakra system, homeopathic remedies and psychotherapy. This book calls for a change in the way society looks at a subject which has been medicalised for too long, rather than seen as a personal dilemma within which lies a unique solution.

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