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— Marla Friedman, PsyD, PC, board chairman, Badge of Life
What if you could stop panic by tapping into a different part of your brain? Through natural stimulation of your vagus nerve, you can end panic and anxiety, and this book can show you how. After years of working to help sufferers of panic and anxiety, licensed therapist (and pilot) Tom Bunn discovered a highly effective solution that utilizes a part of the brain not affected by the stress hormones that bombard a person experiencing panic. This “unconscious procedural memory” can be programmed to control panic by preventing the release of stress hormones and activating the parasympathetic nervous system. This process, outlined in Panic Free, sounds complicated but is not, requiring just ten days and no drugs or doctors. Bunn includes specific instructions for dealing with common panic triggers, such as airplane travel, bridges, MRIs, and tunnels. Because panic is profoundly life-limiting, the program Bunn offers can be a real life-changer.
— Marla Friedman, PsyD, PC, licensed psychologist and Badge of Life board chairman
“Moving beyond traditional CBT approaches to panic and utilizing the latest in neuroscience, Tom Bunn offers a very creative solution to panic attacks.”
— Edward H. Plimpton, PhD, research associate, department of psychology, Smith College
“A superb resource for those suffering from panic and for therapists seeking a more effective way to treat panic, Panic Free delivers. This remarkable book combines usable examples, insights, and skills to allow the reader to control panic . . . in twenty minutes a day.”
— Joseph Indelicato, PhD, coordinator of undergraduate social sciences, Touro College School of Health Science
“Tom Bunn uses his decades of flying experience and advanced education in clinical social work to provide an all-encompassing approach to panic. Bunn’s holistic approach precisely addresses the biological factors involved in the panic response and provides tools to regulate the intensity of feelings and overcome their effects. This is a must-read!”
— Donald Arthur, MD, vice admiral, US Navy (retired), and 35th Navy surgeon general
“A treasured gift for sufferers of anxiety and panic, with detailed techniques supported by proven science, Panic Free takes readers by the hand to help them successfully triumph over feelings of anxiety and panic.”
— Athena Carr, school psychologist
“Tom Bunn’s program is remarkably effective and liberates anyone suffering with panic and anxiety. His versatile ten-day program is anchored in physiological and psychological research and can be applied to any of life’s panic- and anxiety-inducing events.”
— Walter A. Figiel, MBA, SOAR program graduate
“I am both a fearful flyer and a practicing psychotherapist, and I have found Panic Free to be extremely helpful in both arenas. As a psychotherapist, I recommend the book for my patients with anxiety of any kind, and we practice the techniques during therapy sessions with highly effective results. I especially appreciate that Panic Free is based on the latest brain research and understanding of how the human mind works. My patients and I both thank you, Tom Bunn!”
— David Lundin, MA, LLP, LPC
“Thanks to Tom Bunn’s teaching, I can control my panic anxiety without medication for the first time. Bunn’s clear and vivid explanation of how our brains, hormones, and conditioning create panic and how we can use vagal braking to control panic provides clear steps for positive change.”
— Morra Aarons-Mele, author of Hiding in the Bathroom and founder of Women Online
“Provides a method for overcoming even extreme anxiety that works. I know from personal experience.”
— Carole, whose story about going through tunnels is included in Panic Free
“Captain Tom’s unique capacity to use clinical examples and simple analogies allows him to render even the most complex neuroscientific information in a way that is both comprehensible and fun to read.”
— Judith Pearson, PhD, director, International Masterson Institute
“A reader-friendly guide to becoming anxiety free using an innovative, scientifically sound, and experience-tested method. Moreover, this approach is very simple to implement. I have used this technique both in my clinical practice and personally, and found it very useful and effective. Anyone who is suffering from anxiety should read this book.”
— Olga Savina, PhD, psychotherapist
“Through Captain Tom’s fear-of-flying program, I was able to overcome my phobia of flying, which I had for forty-one years. Captain Tom’s book Panic Free expands upon his proven technique to help others with a variety of anxiety-producing fears and panic.”
— Wanda Dougherty, SOAR program graduate
Part One – Introduction
Chapter 1. Your Panic Free and Claustrophobia Free Future
Chapter 2. The Part Of The Brain That Doesn’t Panic
Part Two – Situational Control Of Panic And Claustrophobia
Chapter 3. Carol’s Lincoln Tunnel Challenge
Chapter 4. How A Memory Automatically Calmed Carol
Chapter 5. How Emotional Regulation Works
Chapter 6. Situation Control Of Panic And Claustrophobia With Vagal Braking
Chapter 7. Situational Control of Panic And Claustrophobia With Oxytocin
Part Three – Regulation Of Arousal
Chapter 8. Accepting Arousal As Normal
Chapter 9. Two Adults
Chapter 10. Arousal Regulation Systems
Chapter 11. The Arousal Regulation Hierarchy
Chapter 12. Your Stress Hormones Level Sweet Spot
Chapter 13. Triggering Panic
Chapter 14. Ending The Panic Attack Domino Effect
Chapter 15. Alarm Attenuation
Chapter 16. Why We Need Automatic Alarm Attenuation
Chapter 17. Establishing Automatic Alarm Attenuation
Chapter 18. The 5-4-3-2-1 Backup
Chapter 19. Strengthening Executive Function And Reflective Function
Chapter 20. Embracing Conflict
Part Four – Your Ten-Day Plan To End Panic And Claustrophobia Forever
Chapter 21. Step-By-Step Instructions
Chapter 22. Nine Questions About Your Ten-Day Plan
Chapter 23. Summary
Acknowledgments
Annex 1. Research
Annex 2. Preparing for a MRI
Annex 3. Preparing for a visit to a high place
Annex 4. Preparing for passage through a tunnel
Annex 5. Preparing to cross a bridge
About the Author