How the panic habit begins

The ‘panic’ habit often begins with an unexpected and apparently unexplainable surge in adrenaline - an ‘anxiety rush’. Because we do not understand what is going on or why it is occurring we `panic'. We lose confidence in our ability to manage the situation. And this causes more adrenaline to be released which causes even more fear. And so the state becomes more and more intense.

After our first ‘panic’ we become more aware of, and apprehensive of, our body sensations and begin to carefully monitor ourselves for any feelings of excitement. This increased attention soon produces the evidence that it dreads - sensations of arousal. Our fear of another `panic' is maintaining the pattern.

The connection with agoraphobia or social phobia

The panic habit is not the same as agoraphobia or social phobia. However unless we deal with this ways of reacting to stressful situations it can develop into agoraphobia or social phobia.

This tends to occur when we repeatedly experience panic in certain situations, particularly when we are not at home, and then begin to fear these situations because we believe that they are responsible for our panics.

In reality the anxiety reaction can be provoked by just about any situation that is a little unusual or challenging. Trying to avoid such situations rather than deal with the thinking and feeling pattern the produces the panic misses the point.

More significantly if you begin trying to avoid such situations you could end up fearing any unfamiliar situation - and then you are into the agoraphobia or social phobia pattern. It is more useful to deal with the internal way in which the panic occurs rather than the multitude of eternal stimuli that provoke the internal activity.

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How the panic habit begins

The connection with agoraphobia or social phobia

How panic attacks begin