Hi everyone. My name is Ryan and this is my story in working with Dr. Inz through my experience with panic disorder. I hope that my story allows others to know they are not alone and there are ways to take back control in your life.
My story begins back in college where I experienced my first panic attack…
I was never exposed to what panic attacks are. So, when I was on a bus trip in college, I got this sudden urge that I was having a heart attack.
I felt my heart beating out of my chest.
I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
I felt like I lost control of myself.
I felt like I was dying.
I rushed myself into the emergency room (ER) because I was convinced it was over for me. The ER ran multiple tests and after spending those long, dreadful hours, I was sent home only to be told that I was experiencing panic attacks. As a result of being turned down at the ER, these panic attacks kept recurring. My visits to the hospital turned from a one time occurrence, to multiple visits. After each visit to the ER, the nurse kept repeating to me that I was having panic attacks, but I was convinced it was something more. Each time I found myself in the ER, I felt more and more hopeless for help. I remember saying to myself, “Why aren’t they helping me? Why don’t they believe me?”.
These feelings of constraint started taking over my life. I had a constant fear of being trapped. My world began to get smaller and smaller. I started putting boundaries on my life so I wouldn’t feel this dread and panic experience. I avoided any space where I felt constrained. I stopped contributing at work. I stopped going on trips that required travel in a car and plane. Even traveling on the highway brought these awful feelings of fear and panic. I felt stuck and the anxiety was not going away.
I was destroyed…
My work with Dr. Inz has helped me separate my experience with panic…
The feeling of hopelessness in the ER is what led me to work with Dr. Jonathan Inz. Within the first six months I saw a drastic change in my well-being. During that initial meeting with him, I explained my experience around my symptoms. We talked through many situations in my life that have been debilitating and found the best approach in creating control in my life.
We first started with a technique called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This therapeutic approach allowed me to focus on my thoughts and how they influenced my behaviors. These thoughts of feeling stuck and trapped really inhibited me from my day to day life. Dr. Inz took the extra step in my recovery by accompanying me in these situations that aroused my panic to incorporate in field experience of techniques to relax myself. This was truly a huge moment in my recovery.
In the past, I was restricting myself from flying on a plane because of that stuck notion I was feeling. Everytime I would enter a plane, my heart started beating out of my chest, my breathing was unsteady, and I felt out of control. Dr. Inz not only worked with me on breathing techniques to overcome this, but he came with me on a plane ride to work side by side through the anxiety. He gave me real time visual feedback on my breathing and heart rate throughout the experience from a wearable device . Through that, I could see in action how my body was reacting towards being on my plane and learn to control my mind working with my body.
Over time, the boundaries that kept me confined started to dissolve. As I started managing my anxiety and understanding myself, I was able to expand my world and do things I couldn’t before. Instead of being convinced I was dying, I started accepting my experience which separated my outcome of fear. I can now approach these situations with a different mind set and it has allowed me to approach new occurrences with confidence. The work with Dr. Inz has been more rewarding and meaningful than I could have ever imagined.
During my work with Dr. Inz, I remember feeling that this was the right path for me. He is someone that truly cared about my experiences with panic. I am forever grateful for all the time and effort he has put into working with me to overcome that dreadful time period in my life. I never believed it was possible to end my panic, until now.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel…
I would not be where I am today without the help of Dr. Inz. His work with me has been life changing and I can now say I have all the techniques and tools to guide myself through anxiety driven moments.
I am beyond excited for the future launch of Ziva™. The techniques of real time visual body feedback is one that I can attest towards working through panic. I believe this application will create such a positive impact on other individuals who suffer as I once did. Learning how your mind and body interact can be very impactful towards recovery.
Everyone has a story and if mine is one that you resonate with, my hopes are that it will guide you towards the Ziva™ methodology. It has been a pleasure working with Dr. Inz over the years, and although he is passionate in his patients’ recovery, time constraints can definitely be difficult. Ziva™ will allow users to have 24/7 access to control their panic with techniques and tools that have been created by Dr. Inz that I used on myself.
You are not alone. You are not crazy. You are worth more than what your anxiety is telling you. It’s okay to not be okay and ask for help along the way.