Greetings! Welcome to the "Mind Trek: My Journey from Panic to Peace" Blog:
Dr. Carl J. Mattina shares his personal journey from severe panic disorder and agoraphobia to peace and joy. Join Dr. Carl as he shares valuable insights and strategies for managing anxiety and overcoming panic. Gain inspiration from his personal stories and experiences and discover the CHAANGE Program that helped him in his journey.
About the Author: Carl J. Mattina, Ph.D.
Mind Trek: My Journey from Panic to Peace is my 200-page autobiographical work. I invite the reader to explore the struggles I faced dealing with stress, severe anxiety, depression, panic and agoraphobia...yes, a 5-pronged threat since early childhood. I reveal how mental and physical abuse at home and psychological torture from members of the medical establishment aided in causing my self-esteem to plummet. Even at 7 years old, I was not allowed to take dance class. My father said that boys don't dance. "Dancing is for 'sissies'."
As a young adult, my conflicts with sex and religion forced me to come to terms with my own sexuality and religious belief system. In addition to panic, severe anxiety and guilt, am I now GAY? Of course, I am. God does have a sense of humor. Ongoing anxiety and panic attacks raged while I fought to make sense of my fragmented emotional state.
How can a person dealing with so much baggage earn a Doctorate in Natural Health, you may ask? I put into practice what I had learned in theory with emphasis on stress management and lifestyle changes which are vital to the healing process. The CHAANGE (Center for Help for Agoraphobia/Anxiety through New Growth Experiences) Program came into my life where I learned the various techniques necessary to overcome the symptoms of agoraphobia, as well as rebuild self-esteem. Yes, miracles to happen!
You will witness my triumphant victory over fear as I fulfill my most passionate dreams. The #1 dream was to participate in the performing arts where I sing, dance and act...yes, this time, I'm a triple threat (see photos).
The millions of you who suffer from severe anxiety and agoraphobia can now RELAX since we can put an end to abnormal fear. Anxiety is a learned condition, and it can be unlearned. Once unshackled from fear, you too can enjoy the freedom to live life without limits.
Ready to start your journey from panic to peace?
Explore Dr. Carl's book and take the first steps towards turning fear into love and finding inner peace. Find my book trailer at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ML9bpTQtHQ Books and eBooks are available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, from the publisher at www.outskirtspress.com/overcomingfearandanxiety as well as many other reputable bookstores found online and elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is Stress Overload? Stress can be simply day-to-day living. We try to cope with all kinds of demands physically and mentally. When the cup of life's stresses fills to overflowing, we are in stress overload.
What is Severe Anxiety? Severe anxiety describes uncomfortable, often limiting types of bodily sensations and frightening, negative thought patterns regarding real or imagined future threats or mishaps. Severe anxiety is preceded by stress overload. Body symptoms of severe anxiety can be smothering or claustrophobic sensations, muscle tension, heart palpitations, dry mouth, sweating and breathlessness. Negative thought patterns result in dread, worry, irritability and a sense of impending doom. Most people with severe anxiety have other forces besides stress overload. They are: a biological sensitivity to anxiety, and learned behaviors and beliefs. They also tend to be highly intelligent, sensitive people who were raised to be perfectionists.
What is a Panic Attack? For a period of time, you feel like you are losing control...feelings that you may go completely crazy, pass out or die while experiencing bodily sensations, such as crying, sweating, shaking and screaming. Soon all situations where body symptoms erupt are avoided since you are overwhelmed by fear of having a panic attack. Your life becomes immediately and abnormally restricted. When stress is heaped on top of more stress, it produces anxiety, and anxiety is heaped on top of more anxiety, it produces panic attacks. The body symptoms produced by stress and anxiety are warning signals for us to ease up. If we don't heed these signals, our body will send us stronger and stronger messages until one day a panic attack may hit like a thunderbolt...abrupt, intense and unpredictable. I was 14 years old when I had my first panic attack.
What is Agoraphobia? Agoraphobia is taken from the Greek word that translates, "fear of open spaces". Today, it is used by psychologists to mean, "The fear of having fearful feelings". It is an umbrella term for all phobias where avoidance behavior is present. So, with agoraphobia, the operative word is "avoidance". For example, If you are afraid of going over a high bridge and have panic going over it, you will most likely avoid going over the bridge again.
The CHAANGE Program:
CHAANGE (Center for Help for Agoraphobia/Anxiety through New Growth Experiences) is a program designed to set you free from the imprisonment of fear. Fearful situations may include driving, shopping, traveling, going to the movies, flying in airplanes, public gatherings or a myriad of situations including simply being alone. You may fear you are losing control, going insane, having a stroke or heart attack, fainting, or being embarrassed. You may experience all the body symptoms of stress overload, severe anxiety and panic attacks. You may avoid your fears by severely limiting your activities or even becoming housebound. Or you may be living what appears to be a normal life in fearful anticipation of the worst. How ever you deal with your anxiety, the truth is, your fears have imprisoned you.
The CHAANGE Program is based on the assumption that, with help, you can change the habits of thought, belief, attitude and behavior with all its limitations. This, in turn, will enable you to deal constructively with your anxious feelings and get control of our life again. Recovery happens one step at a time. All the tools needed are provided for the sixteen-week program.
CHAANGE was founded in 1979 by Ann Seagrave, Faison Covington and their therapist, Lou Owensby. CHAANGE provides hope and freedom.
The CHAANGE, Inc. Anxiety Treatment Program
is available online
The Current Directors of CHAANGE, Inc. are:
Dr. Charles Barr, Ph.D. and Erica Roth
To get started, go to: "Free of Anxiety Podcast"
(https://poscast.lifefreeofanxiety.com)
Then go to: "The CHAANGE, Inc. Anxiety Treatment Program"
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