Edmonton Anxiety Clinic | Calgary Anxiety Clinic
Supporting a loved one with an anxiety disorder can be difficult. They may suffer from an obsessive compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder or social anxiety – all of which can make their behaviour difficult to understand. Worse, their anxiety and panic attack can impact your relationship and your life. Consequently, supporting them can involve a delicate balance of your needs and theirs during treatment. Below are some helpful tips:
- Keep the illness separate from the individual in your mind. It can be challenging, but this creates a more objective perspective and negates the need for you to understand fully.
- Help them apply new skills. Ask them how you can assist with their treatment – it may be with reminders, practice or allowing them to master tasks on their own.
- Allow some time. New habits, anxiety treatment and even medications take time to implement.
- Unless you are a professional or are working with theirs, be cautious about giving advice. It can quickly become incorrect or dismissive.
- Set strong personal boundaries if your loved one wants to involve you in their anxiety in an unhealthy way. Remember – enabling isn’t helpful either.
- Help them to seek anxiety treatment. Treatment modalities like the one we offer can effectively treat anxiety – not just manage panic disorder – getting it out of your life for good.
Shift 101 – Learn The Language for a Panic Attack
“I am at Risk”
This is the classic anxiety, paranoia or worry-inducing cognition. The one that gives rise to all kinds of things: obsessive worry, checking, feeling unsafe or vulnerable, and a lot more. And it isn’t just triggered by physical danger. It can even generate physical symptoms like chest pain or excessive sweating just to name a few. It could create fear of looking stupid in social situations, worry about bad things happening to loved ones, or a panic attack before a presentation at work. Far-reaching and diverse in its expression- this internalized belief can have a great, global impact when removed.
Panic attacks are spontaneous bursts of acute fear that provoke serious physical reactions when there is no immediate danger or recognizable trigger. The manifestation of these attacks is rapid and intense, leaving one drained and weak when they dissipate. Symptoms encompass a pounding heart, excessive sweating, trembling, breathlessness, a looming sense of catastrophe, and feelings of detachment. These attacks can strike randomly, causing immense disruption and potential interference with everyday life.
Understanding Panic Attacks:
The experiences of panic attacks can vary greatly from person to person in terms of their frequency, intensity, and duration. What remains common, however, is the significant distress they cause. Individuals often fear losing control, going mad, or even dying during these intense episodes. Consequently, many people will attempt to avoid scenarios that could induce a panic attack, leading to an increasingly restrictive lifestyle.
The ShiftGrit Core Method™ Approach
When someone experiences panic attacks—or other recurring challenges—they’re often dealing with more than just isolated symptoms. These experiences are influenced by a mix of psychological, physiological, social, and environmental factors. Our approach is designed to make sense of that complexity and provide a structured path forward.
Step One – Mapping the Pattern
Therapy begins with a clear assessment. Instead of only focusing on surface-level symptoms, we look for the underlying loops that drive them:
- What beliefs about self or the world are being triggered?
- What situations or contexts tend to activate those beliefs?
- How do behaviours and coping strategies reinforce the cycle?
By identifying the onset, frequency, and triggers of panic responses—and linking them back to deeper limiting beliefs—we can create a clear, individualized game plan.
Step Two – Pattern Theory™
At the heart of our framework is Pattern Theory™, which maps out how limiting beliefs give rise to dysfunctional needs and, eventually, to maladaptive behaviours or reactions. For example, a belief like “I am at risk” can fuel an ongoing need for safety or control, filling what we call the pressure cooker. When that pressure becomes overwhelming, it often releases in ways that reinforce the original belief—such as avoidance, withdrawal, or a panic episode.
Step Three – Reconditioning
Once the “why” is clear, we shift into Reconditioning, a structured five-step technique that uses safe imaginal exposure to target and dissolve limiting beliefs at their root. Rather than coping with panic, the goal is to change the lens through which threats are perceived. When that belief no longer bins everyday situations as “dangerous,” the automatic spiral into panic is disrupted, allowing the cognitive mind to remain in charge.
The Outcome
With the threat brain regulated, emotional and physical reactions no longer hijack the system unnecessarily. Instead of being pulled into a cycle of panic and fear, clients can stay in their logical, evolved mind—capable of planning, problem-solving, and engaging fully in their lives.
the ShiftGrit Core Method™ recognizes the value of a supportive network in the individual’s journey.
The protocol works with the life analysis portion to ensure emotional support and practical assistance are available when managing panic attacks.
To conclude, the ShiftGrit Core Method™ tackles panic attacks by addressing their root causes rather than merely managing symptoms.
Its comprehensive, multi-dimensional approach equips individuals with the skills and understanding required to manage their anxiety effectively. Over time, the aim is not only to control panic attacks but also to boost overall well-being and life quality. As with any treatment, results will vary, but many have found significant relief and regained command over their lives through this methodology.
Identity-Level Therapy for Panic disorder
Identity-Level Therapy targets the belief patterns and emotional loops driving automatic reactions—not just the surface symptoms. By working at the identity layer, clients shift how they interpret safety, regulate threat, and relate to themselves and others. The result: reconditioning at the root of shame, self-sabotage, reactivity, and overwhelm.
It’s organized around three pillars:
ShiftGrit Core Method™
Our structured framework for breaking outdated identity patterns.
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The Pattern Library
Real-world examples of loops like perfectionism, procrastination, and shutdown.
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The Glossary
Clear definitions that keep the language sharp and the process transparent.
Learn moreLimiting Beliefs Commonly Linked with Panic disorder Therapy
These identity-level patterns frequently show up for clients seeking panic disorder therapy. Explore the beliefs to learn the “why” and how therapy can help you recondition them.
“I Am In Danger”
Even when everything’s quiet, your body stays braced. The belief “I Am In Danger” forms in environments where trauma, chaos, or emotional instability made safety feel impossible. It…
Explore this belief
“I Am Not in Control”
When “I Am Not In Control” is running the show, everything feels like too much. You either grip harder—rigid routines, hypervigilance—or give up entirely. Underneath it all is…
Explore this belief
“I Am Weak”
When the belief “I Am Weak” takes hold, it can drive avoidance of vulnerability, overcompensation through perfectionism, and deep fear of failure. Learn how this identity-level pattern is…
Explore this beliefWant to see how these fit into the bigger pattern map? Explore our full Limiting Belief Library to browse all core beliefs by schema domain and Lifetrap.
