Causes of Panic Disorder: Four Panic Attack Triggers

If you are like over 5000 of my panic disorder patients, then your
first panic attack struck you "Out of the Blue" with no apparent
reason. An unexpected onslaught of intense heart pounding, shallow
breathing, head pressure, weakness, hot/cold flashes and rubbery legs
can be so frightening that you are convinced you are dying or losing
your mind. Immediate medical attention is often the first option. When
you learn there is no medical cause for these powerful physical
symptoms, you want an answer.What Is Happening to Me?My patients
wonder:
Why am I feeling this way?
Why me?
Why now?
What is causing me to feel this way?
What if the doctor missed something?
When will these symptoms go away?
Will these symptoms ever go away?Uncertainty and doubt leaves you
confused and shaky. Learning that your heart pounding and shallow
breathing is not a symptom of heart disease is only half the battle.
The major challenge you face is to convince yourself that the heart
pounding is a natural normal sensation of adrenaline.You can
strengthen your understanding of the causes of panic disorder and
enhance your control of panic attacks as you begin to identify your
four triggers for panic attacks.The Four Triggers for Panic Attacks1.
Panic Trigger One: Anticipatory Anxiety (AA) The thought "What if I
have a panic attack..."You have to drive into Manhattan at rush hour.
You think "What if I get caught in traffic and can't get out and I
faint at the wheel!" The AA thought (the fear of a panic attack) can
send an alarm message to the brain and activate the fight or flight
response, producing adrenaline. Even before you get into the car, you
can feel heart pounding and lightheadedness.2. Panic Trigger Two:
Trapped situations, where you cannot immediately escape to a place of
perceived safetyCommon trapped situations include waiting at the
doctor's office, hairdresser appointment, heavy traffic on the
highway, far from an exit, and a long line in the marketplace. If you
rely on escape or avoidance of trapped situations as your primary
method of panic attack relief, then trapped situations will be a
reliable Panic Trigger.3. Panic Trigger Three: Panic ImitatorsIf you
are a panic attack sufferer, you can become afraid of your own natural
bodily reactions. Normal physical feelings can fool you into thinking
something is wrong. For example, you bend down and get up quickly and
feel the sudden rush of dizziness like we all do....but you think "Oh
no, what if I faint?" Normal feeling of dizziness due to exercise can
intensify. You can have a panic attack on top of the normal physical
feelings associated with bending over and getting up quickly. Common
panic imitators include caffeine, humidity, and a hot stuffy room.4.
Panic Trigger Four: Blocked Strong Emotions associated with
Loss/Separation, Illness, Sickness and Chronic Interpersonal
ConflictThis core panic trigger four is the most important trigger to
discover and the most difficult to identify. It is a very complex
trigger that involves understanding your four factor pre panic
personality profile. See the Out of the Blue Blog title "Causes of
Panic Disorder: Separation Anxiety" for more information on your four
factor pre panic profile. Panic Trigger Four is usually the underlying
trigger for the First Panic Attack "Out of the Blue" and the trigger
for The Recurrence of panic attacks, after living panic free. This
Trigger is the link to maintaining a panic free life.It will take time
and personal research to see the triggering contexts for your panic
attack symptoms. As you make the link, the physical symptoms of a
panic attack become understandable and blend into life.