Panic attacks - can homeopathy help?

I have suffered with anxiety and panic attacks since I was a teenager. I have had Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) which helped for a while but sometimes I still find I will have panic attacks for no apparent reason other than I notice that my breathing has quickened.

I try to do the deep breathing exercises I was taught but these don’t always work. I only ever feel relaxed at home. Is there a homeopathic remedy I can take whenever I feel a panic attack coming on? I am worried that I will start to avoid leaving the house again.

Dr Keith Souter replies:

Fear is a universal emotion. Everyone experiences it at some time or other. Indeed, about five per cent of the population suffer panic attacks, so it is important to understand that you are not alone.

CBT has helped you, but clearly the emotion is still powerful enough to override your logical self.

It may well be worth seeing a professional homeopath in order to see whether a constitutional remedy would help with your generalised anxiety. In the meanwhile, I find that many people will benefit from one of the remedies below. It is a matter of spotting the pattern that suits you.

•  Aconite is the remedy that I choose when someone experiences the panic out of the blue, of such intensity that they get breathless, experience palpitations, and most significantly, feel that they could die during the attack. 
•  Gelsemium is the main remedy for the stage fright sort of panic. The whole body may feel weak and there is an inability to move, yet there is a noticeable tendency to tremble.
•  Kali phosphoricum is for the generally chilly, “nervy” type of person who is easily startled and full of dread. They may get panic attacks on hearing of bad news or when they ruminate about world events. 

A version of this article appeared in the winter 2007/8 issue of Health and Homeopathy. To find out more about homeopathy visit www.trusthomeopathy.org

Keith Souter MB ChB FRCGP MFHom MIPsiMed DipMedAc is a part-time GP in Yorkshire and has a private holistic medicine practice and is a newspaper columnist as well as the author of Homeopathy for the Third Age and Homeopathy: Heart & Soul.