Not following your dream, or worse still not having one, is one of many causes of panic and anxiety attacks. When we feel we have nothing to aim for or achieve in life, we can easily become overwhelmed.

What is your ideal dream of a life like? Where do you live and what do you do there? It doesn't matter whether it is practical or attainable at the moment, just acknowledge to yourself, out loud, what your dream really is. If you're lucky you may already have it, but in that case it's unlikely that you have been experiencing panic attacks. If not, what images come into your mind?

For some it might be running for President, for others it might be deep-sea diving, while someone else can see themselves living in the countryside, far away from their present city life.

It is important to acknowledge what your dream is; otherwise, as the song goes, how are you going to make your dream come true?

Knowing what your ideal is makes it easier to set your sights. And even if you can't reach your target, you will at least then be aiming in the right direction and be on your true path. If you really want to be an astronaut you will feel frustrated (perhaps without realizing why) if you choose to ignore your dream and go for a money-making job in finance. So you might be too old to go into space, but you could work in an allied field which keeps you in contact with your dream and on your chosen path. When you're on that path you can't go wrong. You're in tune with the real You.

When Carlos Castaneda asked the Yaqui Indian which was the right path in life, he replied that the right path is the path with a heart. I cannot for one moment believe that the path can be right for anyone if it leads them to experiencing panic attacks.

Is your present path the one with a heart?

• Panic attacks can affect your life, but your lifestyle can also affect your panic attacks.
• Spend some time finding out where there's room for improvement in yours.
• Work out what you'd like to change and how. Ask friends or professionals for help if you need it.
• It's your responsibility how satisfying your lifestyle is. You can make it as bad or as good as you like.
• Find out what other pleasures you can include in your life.
• Acknowledge what your ideal dream of a life really is.
• Discover your own 'path with a heart'.