Who gets panic attacks?

The answer is, of course, anyone. We are all potentially susceptible to the panic attacks. Not everyone gets them and many sail through life unaware that such uncomfortable experiences even exist.

That said some personality types seem, in my personal experience as a counsellor, to be more likely to experience panics at some stage in their lives.

Strong copers

People who, on the surface, appear to be able to cope with just anything - who appear be very strong and capable. People who, again on the surface, appear to be calm and fully in control of their emotions.

Emotional controllers

Another likely group consists of people who believe that it is important to be emotionally in control at all times - and who prefer to ignore ‘weak feelings’ such as anxiety, stress, sadness, etc.

Controlling or suppressing or denying one's emotions is unhealthy and there is an eventual price to pay - and this price sometimes manifests itself as a series of panic attacks.

However these people are also likely to be the most determined to stick with a programme of eradicating the panic habit. Given the right methods they will apply themselves to sorting things out, providing that months or years of panicking has not so undermined their confidence and self esteem that they are demoralised.

People-helpers

Another group who are susceptible to panics are those who are great at supporting and helping others in distress. They often do this at the expense of their own needs.

Often they will have learned as quite young children to suppress their own needs to look after their brothers, sisters, or even their parents. Years later they are so immersed in their unconscious crusade to help other people and protect them from pain and suffering that they have forgotten how to look after themselves.

Older siblings

This is simply a curious observation of mine - and, like the others, has probably no scientific basis. It arose out of the number of people who came to see me over a 22 year period when I worked as a counsellor.

Because one of my specialities was stress-caused symptoms I saw a lot of people with panic symptoms and was amazed at how many of them, when they were children, happened to be either the eldest child in their family or the most responsible child.

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Whoi can get panic attacks