Recently, a friend said to me, “I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. They’re just an excuse to judge myself.” I really liked this insight because I see the negative effects of resolutions in my clients all the time. It reminded me of a client I had a few years ago. She was in her twenties and came to see me after having a series of panic attacks followed by severe anxiety. She proceeded to tell me about all the things she should be doing but was “too lazy” to do. Her to-

Friends and family mean well when they see you in the throes of a panic attack. As scary as a panic attack is to experience, they can be just as scary to watch: a fun-loving person turned into a terrified, hyperventilating mess in a split second. So our loved ones want to fix it, and fix it fast! But if they've never experienced a panic attack, they most likely won't understand what is happening and may even get frustrated when their attempts to talk you down don't work.