There's a difference between people who have panic attacks and those who don't. Individuals who are prone to panic have a chronic tendency to interpret slightly unusual or uncomfortable bodily sensations in a catastrophic way. For example, they might think a racing heart means a heart attack is coming, or that a tight chest and shortness of breath mean they're about to suffocate. Dizziness might make them think they're going to faint. People who don't have panic attacks might notice these symptoms and not enjoy them, but they don't see them as a big deal or dangerous.
Phase 1 – Initiating Circumstances (internal or external).
Phase 2 – Slight Increase in Unusual or Unpleasant Bodily Symptoms (e.g., heart palpitations, shortness of breath, faintness or dizziness, sweating, etc.).
Phase 3 – Internalization (increased focus on symptoms makes them more noticeable and easily magnified).
Phase 4 – Catastrophic Interpretation (telling yourself the symptom is dangerous: “I’ll have a heart attack,” “I’ll suffocate,” “I’ll go completely out of control,” or “I must leave at once!”).
Phase 5 – Panic.
The good news is that it’s possible to intervene at any point in this sequence.
Source: The Anxiety &Phobia Workbook-Edmund J. Bourne.
Picture by Joice Kelly on Unsplash
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