Introduction
Panic attacks can arise suddenly and intensely, leaving individuals overwhelmed by fear, breathlessness, agitation and a sense of impending doom. Homeopathy offers a personalised and holistic approach to managing panic states by selecting remedies that match the emotional triggers, physical sensations and psychological patterns of each patient.
This guide presents the most important homeopathic medicines for panic attacks, including Aconitum Napellus, known for its rapid-onset terror and fear of death; Arsenicum Album, with its characteristic health anxiety and night-time panic; Kali Arsenicosum, marked by fears related to heart disease; Nitric Acid, for hypochondriacal anxiety and nihilistic moods; Argentum Nitricum, famous for anticipatory anxiety and impulsive thoughts; Phosphorus, with its many fears relieved by company; and Stramonium, suited to panic following trauma and terrifying nightmares.
By understanding the distinct features of each remedy, individuals and practitioners can make informed decisions when addressing panic disorders and acute anxiety episodes in a natural and supportive way ( Dr. Hussain Kaisrani ).
Homeopathic Remedies for Panic Attacks | Complete Guide to Anxiety & Panic Symptoms
PANIC ATTACKS
ACONITUM LAPELLUS
Keywords: RAPID ONSET, INTENSITY, AGITATION, FEAR OR PRESENTIMENT OF DEATH.
Reoccurring panic disorders or outright panic attacks. Ailments from fright.
Panic states appear suddenly, with great intensity and most always follow a shocking event such as an accident or a natural disaster (e.g. an earthquake or a car accident).
The patient is agitated, restless and tremendously fearful of death (Ars.).
They can think they are about to die and may even predict the exact age or time of their death (Arg-n., Agn.).
Other symptoms may include: dry skin and mouth, thirst, violent palpitations, marked flushing and shortness of breath.
Aconite can also be thought for chronic psychological conditions, such as ongoing anxiety, deep phobic states etc., caused by a past traumatic event.
Fears: DEATH, narrow or open spaces, earthquakes, flying by airplane, being in a crowd, of death during labor.
ARSENICUL ALBUM
Keywords: FEAR OF DEATH, ANXIETY ABOUT HEALTH AND SECURITY, FASTIDIOUS, CHILLY, RESTLESS, <12-2 AM.
The Arsenicum anxiety focuses on issues of their health and their sense of insecurity esp. about money matters. Marked FEAR OF DEATH.
Panic attacks appear mostly at night (esp. 12-2 AM) when they even wake up in fright and jump out of bed. At that point, there is anxiety accompanied with restlessness forcing them to pace up and down, change position, move from bed to couch etc.. At that state patient might also have thirst for small sips of water.
They need a strong support network i.e. their family, close friends or the doctor to make them feel secure and reassure them constantly. This is the reason why they are in such a need of company and also anxious about the well-being of those people who provide their security base.
Arsenicum is chilly and better in warmth.
Fastidious with desire for control, stingy and selfish, are characteristics that complete the image of the remedy.
Fears: death (esp. when being alone), robbers, of losing self-control, poverty, solitude, about his health.
KALI ARSENICOSUM
Keywords: ANXIETY ABOUT HEART DISEASE < AT NIGHT, CHILLY.
Sudden fear and panic attacks of the worst type.
Anxiety about health, especially ABOUT HEART DISEASE; hysterical “ heart attacks”.
The patient fears of death when heart symptoms appear and especially when he is alone (Ars., Phos.). Marked restlessness (Ars.).
Panic attacks make them sleep on the left side with their hand over their heart, as if protecting it.
He fears that something bad will happen (Phos., Caust.), like a catastrophe concerning life and death. As all the potassium salts, Kali arsenicosum is chilly and worse at night. They may have delusions that their tongue or head is enlarged.
Fears: heart disease, heart attack, cancer, hospitals, when alone, in a crowd, at night.
NITRIC ACID
Keywords: HYPOCHONDIACAL ANXIETY, NOT REASSURED EASILY, NIHILISTIC, MISERABLE WITH SUICIDAL DISPOSITION.
Tremendous anxiety about health; the type of patient with the most hypochondriacal anxiety often leading to panic attacks.
The patient is afraid of fatal diseases, cancer (Agar., Calc., Plat.), greatly out of proportion to his state of health, age or family history.
The patient is anxious about trivial health issues and thinks that his condition is very serious; if the doctor tells otherwise he won’t be covinced and will blame the doctor for misdiagnosis.
In Nitric acid patients we find a miserable, dissatisfied, nihilistic attitude that may even progress to suicidal thoughts but they also lack the courage to do so.
Irritability in the morning, great DESIRE FOR FAT, strong offensive urine odor (like a horse’s urine), or inability to forgive are some of the most characteristic complementary features of this remedy.
Fears: fatal disease (e.g. AIDS, cancer), impending disease, death.
ARGENTUM NITRICUM
Keywords: ANTICIPATORY ANXIETY, ANXIETY ABOUT HEALTH, IMPULSIVE THOUGHTS, <WARM.
Anxiety states from anticipating an appointment, an engagement etc.; they walk rapidly in anxiety which makes them walk faster; great hurriedness to arrive on time.
Anticipation affects mostly the gastrointestinal and neurological systems causing diarrhea, distention and characteristically loud eructations.
Anxiety about health worse when alone, with heat, in a crowded place and better with company (Ars., Phos.).
In panic states they may think they are about to die and may even predict the exact age or time of their death (Acon.).
Superstitions, marked IMPULSIVENESS and strange compulsive thoughts to do dangerous, foolish things such as to put their finger in the electric socket or to throw themselves from a height.
Warm blooded patients with great desire for sweets and mostly sugar, although aggravated by them.
Fears: Heights, bridges, to be late, narrow places, crowded places, airplanes, diseases.
PHOSPHORUS
Keywords: MANY FEARS AND ANXIETIES esp. ABOUT HEALTH OF LOVED ONES > WITH COMPANY, SYMPATHETIC, SUGGESTIBLE , EASILY REASSURED.
Many fears and anxieties but especially fear of being alone.
Communicative, extremely sympathetic patients, highly suggestible that are oversensitive to all external impressions and thus, easily started.
There is great anxiety about their health and also anxiety about the health of their children and loved ones; they are also easily reassured and ameliorated with company.
Fear of the dark, ghosts, thunderstorms, that something bad will happen and many other fears might take the form of debilitating phobic state.
Phosphorus patients are generally chilly; they desire cold drinks in large quantities, sweets (esp. chocolate), ice cream and spices.
Fears: something bad will happen, thunderstorm, being alone, about their health and health of loved ones, dark, death, heart disease, earthquakes, any fear.
STRAMONIUM
Keywords: NIGHTMARES, VIOLENCE, FEAR OF THE DARK.
Stramonium panic state is often the effect of a violent, frightening, or even life-threatening experience.
Panic attacks usually occur at night, when the patient (esp. the children) wakes up in tremendous terror due to NIGHTMARES. This is an agonizing state where the person does not recognize anyone and needs time to come to his senses.
States that might trigger panic attacks are darkness, narrow places, being under running water, observing shining objects or surfaces.
There is a tremendous FEAR OF THE DARK and this is the reason why the patient needs to keep lights open while asleep and prefers not to be alone at night.
Stramonium is strongly related to the elements of violence and aggressiveness whether as a tendency to practice them (e.g. violent behavior with desire to bite, strike or even kill) or with being remarkably afraid of them ( e.g. a man avoids giving strong handshakes with fear of getting hurt).
Fears: dark, being alone at night, dogs, shining objects, tunnels, running water