One day while she was in a mall, she suddenly developed an “overwhelming” sensation all over her body. She was sweaty and tremulous and felt that her heart was pumping so fast. Within a few seconds, she also suffered from chest pain and shortness of breath. This episode lasted for about 10 minutes but she felt that this was her worst ten minutes of her life.

Overwhelmed by her experience, she has stayed away from malls and has avoided being in a crowd of people. Because of frequency of attacks, Jill can’t anymore function normally. She is afraid to leave house and go to work.

Jill’s experience is typical of someone with Panic Disorder. A person with panic disorder develops anxiety attacks associated with thought that he or she would die or develop a stroke or heart attack. Physical changes such as fast heart beat, shortness of breath, fainting episodes, sweating and tremulousness are some of accompanying symptoms.

A typical episode usually comes “out of blue” and not precipitated by any triggers. It can therefore happen any time and anywhere. An attack can last for a few to several minutes.

Your family is your first and most influential bond. What you learn from them colors the way you see yourself and world. As a child, your physical helplessness makes you dependent on people closest to you for survival. Too often those relationships are destructive instead of supportive. The family you join already has tendencies: patterns, beliefs, and attitudes which they expect you to share. Going along gets you what you need, so you adapt to fit in. But when you ignore your instincts, you don't feel right. You create opposite of what you intend.

The good news is you don't have to be a victim of your upbringing. Although patterns learned in your family can crush your self-esteem, confuse you, and wreck your relationships, distortion of your natural instincts can be reversed. Your problems can show you what you don't want and inspire you to go after what you'd rather have, so you can set yourself free to become person you want to be and create life you dream of.

You make peace with past by treating difficult situations, thoughts, and feelings as opportunities to unravel knots in your heart and mind that keep you from realizing your dreams. You create a new future by drawing on your innate wisdom to help you overcome obstacles and achieve your goals. When you do your best, you tap into a power that's been within you all along, in even worst circumstances, even when you weren't aware of it.

No matter what happens, trust that what you go through will enlighten you. Don't be discouraged. The most important thing is dedication to trying new things and learning from your experience. Change doesn't happen overnight—it comes little by little, more and more, deepening your ability to love, create, and make a difference personally and in society.

So how do you go about doing this? Here are ten ways to spark change in your life and relationships: 

1. SET A NEW COURSE Finding your own preferences

Your new course is first an internal one, which paves way for external changes. If you're not satisfied with your life as it is, start by imagining that it can get better. What happens in your life is largely up to you, so make it a priority to figure out how to create what you want. Take time every day to think about what you want. Be willing to try new things. Pay close attention to ideas and feelings that light you up. Courage is accepting reality as it is and working with it to create what you want. Allow yourself to feel excited about your possibilities. What you dedicate yourself to, you can create.

2. TRUST YOUR INTUITION Tapping into your inner wisdom

When you hear "little voice of wisdom" inside, listen. Within you is a guidance system that makes itself known through your ideas and emotions. Trust it. Life can be confusing, and some people do try to manipulate you in devious ways. If something doesn't feel right, it may mean that it's not for you. Wonder about why not, and what you'd like instead. Give yourself benefit of doubt. Your instinct leads you to where you need to go at perfect moment for best results. Stand your ground. Believe in yourself in face of criticism. No one else can tell you what you need or want. Have good intentions. Don't second-guess yourself. Do what you think is best at moment.

3. LOOK FOR A SILVER LINING Developing a positive attitude

Spirit underlies everything. You are part of universal creative energy. You didn't come here to prove your worth or to find a problem and fix it. You came to express your talents and abilities, to realize your dreams. What you experience depends on how you look at it. How you interpret things plays a large part in shaping your behavior and how others treat you. Search for positive. Focusing on negative dulls your energy and ability to cope. No matter how bad a situation seems, find something in it to appreciate. Ask yourself, what good could come from this? What can I learn here? The answers you get show you what to do next. You already have inside you resources to make peace with past and create a new future. You just have to learn how to use them.

4. TAKE A STEP BACK Separating motivation from unconscious patterns

Be on lookout for destructive habitual patterns. Noticing is first step to breaking them. Don't fight them, just observe your thoughts and feelings. The deeper you go, more you unravel stuck places in your heart and mind. Bring spirit into process by inviting metaphysical help in any form that works for you. Be influenced by others' opinions only if they inspire you. Criticism may be only an automatic response based in critic's own fears. You don't have to convince anyone of your right to have your life as you want it.