Don’t Panic! It’s Not Just A Panic Attack Panic attacks are surprisingly common. Up to 40% of people experience one at least once in their lifetime and While there’s no reason to question how often people are having these ‘attacks,’ what is worth questioning is why we are having them and whether we are actually under attack at all.
If it happens in a situation where you actually might die, it makes sense - panic is a normal, healthy defence response that mobilises our fight and flight reflex with super-human intensity to overcome threats that would otherwise overwhelm us.
If you’re reading this article, you probably already know what a panic ‘attack’ feels like. The racing mind, pounding heart, sweaty palms, gasping breath and the overwhelming fear that you’re possibly going to die.
It’s precisely this element, when we seem to be having these experiences for no apparent reason that separates what we deem as a healthy, lifesaving response from a liferuining panic ‘attack’ instead.
But what about when it doesn’t make sense and you What if panic ‘attacks’ were not just a problem, but aren’t really under threat at all? Shopping centres can definitely be overwhelming for example, but we part of the solution as well? know they’re not going to kill us – it just feels like it inside. Pushing The Panic Button
But what if they weren’t just a ‘random mistake’ or a mental health ‘disorder’? What if it was a re-ordering reflex that if fully embraced, releases the build up inside us, and at the same time builds our resilience and copingcapacity as well? 5% have them so regularly they are eventually labeled with a ‘panic disorder.’ Would that help you panic less the next time you felt a panic discharge arising? 35
