In the past couple of posts, we have been talking about how some people are able to move past a panic attack experience, while others get stuck in the panic place. As a refresher, there are three reasons why someone transcends from having a simple panic attack to developing panic disorder: 1) Selective attention and hypervigilance; 2) Safety behaviors; and 3) Avoidance. This post is Part III of a three-part series. I will discuss how avoidance plays a role in the development of panic disorder.

In the last post, we discussed how some people are able to move past a panic attack experience, while others get stuck in the panic place. They begin to live in fear of their panic symptoms and their daily lives become consumed with attempts to prevent another panic attack. In these circumstances, an individual may have developed panic disorder. So, why does this happen?

There are many people who have had a panic attack at some point in their life. Some are able to move past this experience and get on with their lives. However, others get stuck in this panic place. They continue to have multiple subsequent panic attacks and begin to live in fear of their panic symptoms. Eventually, what they think and do begins to change in the attempt to prevent more panic attacks. Once you get to the place where your daily life looks different because of the fear of panic, it is possible that you have developed panic disorder.

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.