Panic attacks are intense. They are difficult. They can be so powerful and so immense both physically and mentally that many people start to fear them.
They are also very hard to stop without help, and one of the reasons they are so difficult to stop is because panic attacks – and the fear of having another panic attack – cause a cycle that makes it very difficult to stop future attacks without the support of an experienced therapist.
The Cycle of Panic Attacks
All anxiety has physical symptoms, but panic attacks are specifically physical events. Although they do trigger symptoms that affect thoughts and emotions, it is their physical symptoms that are most disruptive:
- Rapid Heartbeat
- Chest Pain
- Trouble Breathing
- Weakness
- Sweating, and More
The cognitive symptoms also are connected to the physical ones. People experience “feelings of doom,” for example, that enhance the effects of these physical symptoms. There is a reason that many people seek out medical professionals when they have panic attacks, because it can be hard to believe something like anxiety can trigger that type of reaction.
Because panic attacks are so physical, we start to fear them. And like most things we fear, we become both:
- Easily triggered when we think a panic attack is coming.
- More likely to monitor our bodies for signs of an attack.
These have names: “hypersensitivity” and “self-monitoring.” We see them with most people that have frequent panic attacks. When we struggle with panic attacks and panic disorder, we tend to be more sensitive to sensations our bodies experience and more likely to notice them. Once we do, they can trigger more anxiety.
Finally, panic attacks are also stressful on the body. Over time, they can cause physical symptoms related to chronic stress, and chronic stress itself causes a variety of physical symptoms – including strange ones that may not normally be associated with stress.
So what typically happens when someone has panic attacks is the following:
- Person experiences a very minor sensation of some kind, possibly caused by stress.
- They notice the sensation immediately due to their self-monitoring.
- They immediately react with fear as though a panic attack is coming.
- Their hypersensitivity means their anxiety symptoms feel more pronounced.
- Their fear that a panic attack is coming increases, causing more anxiety.
- Their anxiety triggers a panic attack.
It’s also not a cycle that is easily in someone’s control. It is very hard to talk yourself out of it without help. Because the person is also living with frequent stress, they are likely to always have triggers – for example, the stress from recurring panic attacks can lead to breathing poorly, blurry vision, a jump in one’s heartbeat, and all of those trigger the fear that a panic attack is coming.
People with panic attacks may also develop health anxiety and other challenges as a result of these attacks, leading to even more anxiety-related triggers.
Stopping the Cycle
It is for these reasons that panic attacks often benefit from and require professional help. It is very, very difficult to stop this panic attack cycle without support, because your body is essentially primed to experience panic attacks. The work that is required to stop this cycle takes time – it requires retraining your mind, teaching yourself to relax, helping you cope with stresses, and more.
During that time, a person may still have panic attacks – although hopefully much less frequently. But with a therapist there with you, it’s also possible to address those without struggling with setbacks and gain those reminders that all the effort you are putting into reducing the attacks is worth your time.
Working with a therapist that specializes in anxiety is one of the best ways to make sure that you can stop that cycle. At Flourish Psychology, our therapists can make sure that you’re getting the support you need for panic attacks, anxiety, stress, and more, all with evidence based techniques. Get started today in NYC with Flourish Psychology, a boutique private practice.