Area resident trying to find way to help panic sufferers
As a victim of panic attacks, Judy Schiffman established Panic Relief Inc.
BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer

SOUTH BRUNSWICK — Judy Schiffman knows about panic attacks.

The township resident who lives and works out of her home in Monmouth Junction endured panic attacks before she took on the challenge of helping others overcome them since 1994 as the director of Panic Relief Inc.

"I started having panic attacks in 1989, and I originally started working with these concepts in 1988, before I was having panic attacks," Schiffman said. "I had a lot of them. I was having panic attacks over several years constantly."

Schiffman started the nonprofit educational corporation in the interest of teaching people how to accomplish whatever they wanted to, regardless of the circumstances. She said that one of the first steps she took to help herself through panic disorder was to gain an understanding of what panic attacks are.

While Schiffman specializes in helping people with panic disorder, she does consultations with those who have generalized anxiety and who may suffer from uneasy feelings and chronic headaches. Those with panic disorders frequently have panic attacks or are concerned about having panic attacks.

A high level of stress or an experience that is physically or emotionally traumatic can lead to panic attacks, Schiffman said.

"Normally it has to be something that has to be building until all of a sudden someone can't deal with something and their body sends them the message that it's time to deal with it," she said. "We get into personality characteristics. Many strongminded people tend to put up with things and ignore it and it gets to the point where the body signals you to pay attention."

Schiffman said that her approach is not psychological, but instead abstract and logic based, in part because of her degree in mathematics.

"The concept I am teaching is unique and I don't think there are many people out there teaching what I'm teaching to the people with this disorder," Schiffman said. "The ideas are not new, but many are not aware of the concepts I teach."

She said that while other approaches to the problem of panic disorder focus on action, she said that context is an important element that is often missing from that approach. She said it is key that those trying to help themselves cope with this problem improve the context with which they perform the actions that would remedy their situation.

She noted that people who take on the program she directs need to be well enough to go through with it, and that she can refer them to professionals in the field of psychology, which she said works in conjunction with what she does.

"We're separate," Schiffman said. "We're not in competition. We're doing something else."

Part of the conversation she has with those who are in the program is finding out what the individual's attitudes and opinions are in respect to what is happening in that person's life. She dubbed the program IDEAL, which stands for identify, discover, empower, apply and learn.

Identifying the source of an individual's anxiety and panic is a key step in the process, Schiffman said, noting that people enrolled in the program are encouraged to learn more about themselves.

Schiffman's own struggle with panic disorder was made more difficult when she developed agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder related to the fear of being in places where the person may have a panic attack. This often leads to avoidance behavior, in which the person tends to avoid public places and becomes housebound.

Schiffman said she got better after meeting with a social worker and reading about panic disorder. She said she was then able to identify the problem and understand why she was getting panic attacks.

"Over time, I've felt better and better and better," she said.

Schiffman said she employs people nationwide to help those with the disorder through group sessions and more. She said the disorder has an impact on family and friends and it limits individuals tremendously, since their lives are confined to avoiding situations; their ability to participate in the world around them is therefore restricted.

As the program gains ground outside of New Jersey, Schiffman said resources are available at www.panicreliefinc.com, and she anticipates Webinars, or Web-based seminars, will be available online soon.

Schiffman said that those who know anyone with panic disorder should encourage their loved one to get help.

"People who have anxiety or panic attacks could have other things or mental health issues," Schiffman said. "Anyone who is experiencing this should seek help and a proper diagnosis."

Those interested in the program can call Panic Relief Inc. at 732-940-9658 and set up a session, which costs $20 along with a $10 fee for a workbook. Schiffman said workshops are held throughout the state, and she said telephone conferences are also available for $5 per session.

"In all of the years I've been doing this, I've really helped a lot of people," Schiffman said. "It's really good to know you're making a difference in someone s life in such a way that they're not sick anymore."
Contact Michael Acker at
macker@gmnews.com.