Panic Proof: The New Holistic Solution to End Your Anxiety Forever

by Dr. Nicole Cain

A revolutionary new approach to managing panic disorders starting with the body, from a clinician who has helped thousands of people overcome panicPanic Proof offers a holistic approach to dealing with panic disorders, amounting to a personalized path to freedom for the millions of people who have had panic attacks. While other books have focused on the thoughts that contribute to panic, Panic Proof is the first book to teach the body that it’s safe in order to prevent panic before it attacks, with remedies ranging from probiotics, herbal remedies, and adaptogens targeted for your anxiety type to healing practices for releasing trauma stored in the body.In a warm and approachable style, Dr. Cain shares her personal story of managing panic, examples from the patients she’s helped, and her science-based protocol derived from a decade of working with clients to manage their own panic disorders. Guiding you through the eight types of anxiety that Dr. Cain has identified, the book includes quizzes, worksheets, and self-reflection checklists to guide you along your journey to panic freedom.In Panic Proof, you’ll to shift from asking “what’s wrong with me?” to “what is my body telling me”How your endocrine system may be a root cause of your panic, and how shifting one hormone may affect your entire mind and body.How to retrain your stress responses by recalibrating your autonomic nervous system so that it is primed for calm, not panic.The latest research into holistic supplements, herbs, and psychobiotics for stopping panic and creating calm.With its research-backed, body-based solutions for preventing panic, Panic Proof will guide you to decode what your panic is trying to tell you and help you resolve the root causes so that you can finally achieve deep healing.

Genres: Psychology, Self Help, Nonfiction, Mental Health, Health

432 pages, Paperback

Published October 8, 2024

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very methodological approach with clear steps to take to manage a specific type of panic-based anxiety, but I must admit I was pretty disappointed by the repeated theme of cause.

Just about every single chapter described a story of someone who had dealt with anxiety or physical symptoms of anxiety, went to a new doctor, and was diagnosed with a specific health problem (thyroid, vitamins, gut, metabolic) that, after a month of specific supplementation or treatment, was magically cured of their “anxiety” symptoms!

Of course, this is very important and miraculous, but in the same breath the author references those afraid of health issues to be comfortable ascribing their issues to the symptoms of just anxiety. It’s inspiring, but difficult to fold into a self-soothing lifestyle.

[Kirsten J · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I myself don’t struggle with panic issues this book was beyond informative and something that I can use when interacting with friends and my spouse that do struggle with panic attacks. Having a better understanding on things they may be experiencing and tools to help them through those moments.

Also the narration was phenomenal the cadence and tone in which the book was read, was so easy to listen to, and it made the book that much more enjoyable.

[Nato Lagidze · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve ever felt like anxiety was something you’d never escape, or that it would always control your life, ‘Panic Proof’ by Dr. Nicole Cain offers something truly rare: hope.

I could never imagine a book about anxiety resonating with me the way this one did. I’ve read plenty of books about anxiety, but most of them teach you how to live with it instead of showing you how to end it and heal. This book is different. It doesn’t just give you tools to “manage” your symptoms — it helps you see it in a completely new light.

Dr. Cain reframes panic as your body’s way of trying to protect you. The idea that my anxiety isn’t my enemy and my body is actually trying to protect me changed everything for me. Instead of fighting against my symptoms, I learned to see them as signals, cues, a language my body developed to communicate with me.

The writing is so accessible and clear, even though it covers the foundations of anxiety — how the nervous system works, what neurotransmitters do, even tips on lab testing — but it never feels overwhelming. Reading it felt like having a conversation with someone who’s walking beside you, guiding you through every step. It’s the kind of book you can’t put down because you’re excited to see what’s next — almost like reading a great mystery, but about your own mind and body.

I loved the fact that the author is not just a doctor — she’s a panic survivor herself. That personal experience adds so much depth and makes the book feel deeply relatable. That’s probably why I enjoyed those self-reflection exercises that I encountered throughout the book so much. Now I realize the book even sparked my creativity — I decided to experiment with creating herbal tinctures, which I never thought was even possible (the fact that Dr. Cain is also a Naturopathic Doctor makes her holistic approach even more unique).

As a self-compassion researcher, my favorite take away from the book is its importance: “By changing our perspectives from being at war with our bodies toward having self-compassion and love, miraculous things will happen.” That shift from seeing my body as the problem to seeing it as a partner changed everything.

If you’ve ever felt like anxiety would always control your life, trust me, this book will change your mind. It’s practical, inspiring, and full of hope. And by the time you’re done, you’ll feel ready to take on Dr. Cain’s 90-day challenge to become fluent in the language of your body, end your anxiety forever, and maybe even start enjoying the process of healing.

[Hisgirl85 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars with the potential of being higher only that the audiobook format by itself didn't work for me as much, especially towards the end (though there is a helpful pdf packet and links to check out).

This book offers so many possible solutions to panic and stress ailments to try with reasonings and plans behind them. I am hoping to try a couple things and organize more for the coming year.

I thought it was informative and offers more than one way to try and figure out what is wrong by having more agency than what is offered at medical offices where they are trained for life-threatening instances or broken bones instead of stomach aches with numerous possibilities...so just take the meds for the symptoms.

Since I go to a naturopathic doctor, a lot of this felt validating. The author even provides suggested tests to get a clearer picture of what may be happening. I am hoping to pick up a physical copy from a local bookstore and possibly amend my rating to a higher one.

[Cee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read! Our body/brain/mind are truly awesome! There is a feeling of calmness in the writing style that I found relaxing. There is quite a bit of information that I have not seen before in other anxiety books. And there are so many easy to do & effective actions to bring down panic.
Here are some specifics. I am definitely not a journaler but the section on writing about your “house” was eye opening and proved invaluable! The anxiety stoplight exercise too is amazing. The Notice Your Body’s Communication section is absolutely game changing. And thats just the beginning. There are numerous more wonderful ideas.

[Nick Kondyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the helping professions, anxiety is seen as a prevalent and common symptom of a larger issue. Many times, worry is just kept at bay and seen in even the medical field as something to manage. To tear down the veil a little, I’m a counselor with anxiety myself who never thought anxiety could be largely resolved, only managed. Dr. Nicole Cain boldly lays down in her book detailed and practical ways you can be your own healer and by breaking down many myths. She is a gifted writer and storyteller and expert on the mind body connection for autonomic anxiety: as so much of it can arise and manifest in a unique way depending on the individual. There is something here for everyone!

[Gwen G · Rating 5 out of 5]

**As featured on Minnesota Public Radio!**

“Panic Proof” by Dr. Nicole Cain is a delightfully relatable read that starts with compassionate reassurance that anxiety is a nearly universal human experience and that it is also a powerful tool in your own path to healing and finding balance and health in your life. What an empowering message to launch your journey! On these pages, you’ll learn about the Nine Types of Anxiety and find out which type/s are predominantly impacting you. Each has its own messages it’s sending you and Dr. Cain helps decode these by explaining the biological origins and the emotional impact. It’s not “all in your head” at all- it’s all over your body, and it can be healed! You’ll meet real people who have struggled, just like you, and follow their healing through the book to learn how to apply the steps as you learn them yourself. There’s humor, empathy, and plenty of “sounds familiar” experiences! Through exercises you can do any time, self-reflections, and easy next steps, you’re guided through REAL solutions that work RIGHT NOW to stop panic. Then, it’s time to become Panic Proof. With your personal anxiety type identified, you’ll be empowered to utilize an incredibly effective evidence-based holistic approach to using your anxiety’s decoded messages to test, treat, and overcome obstacles to curing what ails you. You’ll learn WHY all this happens so you can talk to your doctors about your health needs in new ways. After all, YOU are the expert on your body because you live in it every day! This isn’t another- “breathe deep and chill” -book. This is a- whole health makeover in little doable steps you can totally conquer and rewrite your own story with the astonishing adventure you totally deserve -book! So stop wondering if you should, or could, or ought to, and Go For It! Every quiz and worksheet you need is in this book. Get your life back, meet the new you, and get “Panic Proof”!

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sooooo much information! But it's all there if you're struggling with anxiety, ADHD and other issues that affect our mental health. My advice is to read the opening chapters explaining the "whys" and "hows." Then focus on the things that apply to your situation. In each part of each chapter, there are TDLR (too long didn't read) which are very helpful to get a gist on the subject. Very helpful!

[Snarkyshark · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Body Keeps the Score" of books on Anxiety!!!
So I preordered this book after hearing Dr. Nicole on a podcast last month. I have only had my hands on this book for 4 days, but I can already tell you that this IS the book for anyone suffering from anxiety because it does something all of the other books I have read don't= It aims to help you figure out the root cause of your anxiety, and does so brilliantly with Dr. Nicole Cain's unique and researched approach of the "9 types of Anxiety." For once, you can actually figure out what type of anxiety you have beyond the basic "Generalized Anxiety" or "Panic Disorder." One of the reasons I am so passionate about imploring people to get this book and share it with friends and relatives is because I have been a Therapist for the past 12 years! Over and over again, I see clinicians arguing over the "best" approach for treating anxiety and many doctors even saying "you'll just have to cope with this fear and panic for life...the best we can do is "CBT" "meds" etc. But PANIC PROOF is different! SO different! Yet, it's not dogmatic or preachy or promising things that her approach to anxiety can't deliver. What I got was, Dr. Nicole Cain is a passionate educator who believes that with enough work and introspection, you can not only figure out what subtype of anxiety you are suffering from (see the "9 types")---you can actually determine the etiology (how and when it began), and the connections to multiple systems through the mind-body connection (Did it begin with high histamine? Is this a gut issue? Did trauma cause my anxiety? Is this genetic? Is this a result of overworking?)--YET the BEST part (for me) is part 3 of the book where she lays out the multiple ways to actually treat and eradicate the anxiety (through training the mind and body to understand what you are experiencing differently, so that you don't view it as overwhelming Generalized Anxiety or life sentence of Panic. I know, I know! I was skeptical to! But here is her trick! This is why this book is so special: While she is an advocate of the holistic, she is not biased in the way she approaches treatment and self-help! She lists, compares, and contrasts different solutions--from things you can do at home "the natural way", to ways to survive social situations and travel (see the "Panic Pack"), to different types of Psychotherapy, EMDR, Advanced EMDR, IFS, Ego State, Polyvagal approaches, to Integrative Medicine, Holistic Approaches, Neurofeedback, Biofeedback, Neurology, and even traditional Psychiatry (though she favors the highly discerning Psychiatrist), etc etc.. She discusses everything from herbs to medications. It's COMPREHENSIVE. This is why this book will likely be huge for both your average reader and clinicians alike--because Panic Proof is looking at a customized path for everyone to become their own advocate, learn their options, and follow through! If that wasn't enough, she includes real patient stories, useful illustrations, charts, and places for self-reflection. AND my last point! UNLIKE most SELF-HELP books...Dr. Nicole Cain includes research-based references from reliable sources in the index. Wow. All I can say is buy this book.

[Nalyjah-Jamal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried when I finished this book - it showed me so much that I need to work on WITHIN myself - not only just the outer layer. I cannot recommend this book enough.

[Liz Faucher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a thorough and accessible overview of the causes and mechanisms of anxiety. For anyone just beginning their journey to manage anxiety, it serves as an excellent primer. However, I would have appreciated more examples illustrating the Panic Proof Protocol. Including specific scenarios for each of the six example individuals would have made the concepts more relatable and practical. Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to understand their anxiety and take the first steps toward managing it effectively.

[craftysmutstudio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anxiety has been a passenger with me on my life journey for many years, with panic joining somewhere along the road as well. As a mental health professional, I struggled to accept this for a while, but ultimately took the steps to address my symptoms. I wish I had this book available all those years ago when I first started to experience the intensity of anxiety and panic. Dr. Cain's "Panic Proof" is a comprehensive, relatable, informative and realistic analysis of anxiety/panic and how to overcome it. I also enjoyed that it centered the reader as the expert on our own body. It also included a TL;DR section at the end of each chapter - a quick, bite sized summary of the concepts mentioned. The first part of the book focuses on what anxiety is communicating to us, panic’s protective role, and how we can in fact rescue ourselves. Dr. Cain provides language to help us categorize types and severity of anxiety. She also thoroughly explains anxiety/panic and the brain, the gut, nerves, neurotransmitters, and hormones. She discusses the impact of food, supplements, and psychological vulnerabilities/obstacles. She then spends quite a bit of time on functional, practical strategies to retrain the nervous system. I also really enjoyed her focus on internal family systems. At the end, she helps you compile all of these concepts and strategies into a personal trauma-informed holistic protocol. I value the holistic approach, and I understand the complicated impact of Big Pharma, but I do also wish there was some focus on the role of medication and how it can be a part of the picture, especially when symptoms are severe. Overall, I can’t say enough about this book - it’ll be a resource that I go back to often as well as recommend to friends, colleagues and clients.

[Makayla Paasch · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this in the slightest. There were a lot of stories from patients that I just didn’t find the least bit relatable so I would’ve rather them not been there. Should you bring in other peoples storylines? It should be relatable.

Apart from that, there’s nothing I learned in this book that I didn’t already know I’m doing online research. Anyone with any type of mental health challenges that has done any kind of research on their own is gonna know 90% of this there really wasn’t anything I didn’t no. I had my husband to read it and ask someone who doesn’t believe he has any mental health issues himself and hasn’t done much research. He also felt like he learned nothing new from this book.

Really disappointed I hoped to have new tools in my back pocket after reading this book. Rather, I’ve just been reminded that I need to eat good foods and sleep well because of course I assumed that I should eat like trash and not get any sleep while I’m anxious.

Also, there’s a part in the book where she dragged someone for drinking a stress relieving tea and then she spends the end of the book talking about all the supplements and herbs. You should take very contradicting.

[Elizabeth Guthrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an herbalist and natural wellness practitioner, I love this book!

Instead of pathologizing anxiety, Dr. Cain recognizes its place as a natural response to danger and stress, and then discusses different ways of supporting the body to reduce the anxiety response.

This books helps readers to dissect the different ways panic manifests and what might be the best way to tailor a solution to what each individual reader is feeling. Definitely a must-read for anyone who has struggled with anxiety in any of its forms!

[Catherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pseudoscientific content that is dressing in science-sounding language and a sprinkle of science to give her pseudoscientific program the illusion of evidence. She also misrepresents how evidence-based treatments for panic work in order to make her pseudoscientific treatments sound better. For example, CBT Exposure Therapy for Panic does not just focus on thoughts.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a comprehensive, helpful book. It’s loaded with assessments to find the root of your anxiety and specific protocols for all different ways of eliminating it, from recommended supplements to parts work and so much more. Highly recommended.

I read a digital review copy of this book via netgalley.

[Jimmy Posso · Rating 5 out of 5]

All patients with panie attacks :

I strongly believe that all patients with panic attacks will change for the better after reading this book. Its professional and packed with info. Please tell your friends to!

[Robbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Resourceful

[Kellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really education!! Used a lot of the resources.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had some really helpful strategies and tools however it’s quite scientific at times and includes a lot of alternate medicines and therapies.

[Melissa Lim]

Reads like a textbook. I think it’s a great resource for someone with anxiety. I picked this up hoping to learn more about anxiety in general and definitely did so. I did tune out on chapters discussing on anxieties I didn’t connected with. I also didn’t quite buy into the herbal/non clinical approaches and felt that more information could be shared on how it worked.