If you have ever had a panic attack, you know it is not fun. It is essentially the “tsunami” of anxiety. It might build slowly or hit you suddenly. But either way, once this process starts, anxious thoughts and symptoms multiply and intensify until pop! You are in the midst of a full-blown panic attack and are engulfed by racing thoughts, a rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, sweaty palms. And during these episodes, you can’t dismiss the fear that you are going to have a heart attack, suffocate or somehow go crazy.
It may help to know that there are common characteristics of panic experienced by those who deal with this type of anxiety. Understanding these common characteristics is critical to reducing or eliminating panic from your life. In this post, each of these four characteristics will be discussed briefly.
1. Specific situations trigger panic symptoms. Although some panic attacks happen suddenly and without warning, many individuals are triggered by certain situations or experiences. They might be triggered by enclosed spaces (e.g., an elevator, crowded spaces), feeling hot or certain social situations. Once people who experience panic symptoms identify what triggers their panic, they will quickly learn to avoid such situations.
What situations trigger your panic symptoms?
2. Panic leads someone to become hypervigilant about physiological symptoms. In addition to avoiding situations that trigger panic symptoms, people begin to fear the physical sensations of panic. As a result, they are constantly focused on their physical state and become overly focused on any potential unexplained physical symptoms as they move through their day.
What are your most feared physiological symptoms? Which symptoms do you look out for because you worry that they indicate a panic attack is on the horizon?
3. Catastrophizing is the key ingredient of a panic attack. People who suffer from panic believe that panic attacks or panic symptoms signal a potential catastrophe. They often fear they are dying from a heart attack, suffocation or something else. They might fear they will “lose control,” “go crazy,” or humiliate themselves. Or they might fear that their panic attacks will become more frequent, unmanageable and uncontrollable. Ultimately, the core issue that needs to be addressed in panic attacks is the catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily sensations. In other words, because people believe that their panic attacks are potentially dangerous when, in fact, they are not, it is critical to modify this thinking in treatment.
When you experience panic attacks, what is the worst possible outcome you think could happen? What catastrophe do you envision happening? Dying, humiliating yourself, going insane?
4. Certain strategies that are used to prevent panic begin to take over one’s life. Of course, because the experience of panic can be so uncomfortable and scary, people start to engage in certain safety-seeking behaviors to stave off the panic symptoms. For example, they might escape or avoid the situations that bring the feared symptoms, such as elevators, planes, heights, bridges, driving, social situations or crowded spaces. Although the avoidance or escape might reduce anxiety in the short-term, it ultimately makes the anxiety worse. As a result, the person’s involvement in the world grows smaller and more limited. They might go out less and less, avoid traveling or avoid social events.
What do you avoid or escape to reduce the chances of having panic symptoms?
You might be saying to yourself, 'Ok, this all makes sense to me, but now what?' When I am working with a client with panic (whether panicky symptoms or full-blown panic attacks), we start by collaboratively gathering data on their “panic profile.” This allows us to figure out the thoughts and behaviors that need to be targeted in treatment. Once we identify the problematic thoughts and behaviors, we can address them through cognitive restructuring, behavioral experiments and exposure tasks.
