Panicking for no reason

@Tamakisriot

Hey there

Well I can completely relate to what you mean it happens a lot with me too and it's not great

When sometimes we think we are panicking for no reason there usually is a reason deep inside if us that makes us panic, do you think that's the case with you? What's deep inside you that makes you panic?

Feel free to share it here, we all are here to help and support you 😀

@Tamakisriot can definitely relate. It sucks.

@Tamakisriot: U're kinda preaching to the choir since m in a constant state of panic attacks...it sounds worse than it is.a

(*Trigger warning* because I describe panic disorder, but then coping methods) Hello, I thought I'd share some thoughts. Therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been helpful for me to drastically reduce panic attacks frequency and severity. So I'd recommend that. Now personally, I've come to think of things this way: panic is a normal thing our bodies can do. Its like a "mode". We have modes to help us better perform in different situations. Just like sleeping is a mode, being alert and vigilant is a mode, exercising, relaxing, being angry, being happy and social, being listless, being focused, etc.. Our bodies are continuously optimizing our traits to best fit our currently perceived situation (if we are vividly thinking of something we might trick the body into optimizing to the imagined situation). So there are several different traits that go along with these modes, there's the positive or negative feeling, the physical level of alertedness, the mental level of focus, agression, fear, affection, etc. So its emitional, cognitive, and physical. And that makes sense that the body would try to always give us an edge by tuning these things. So for panic, it's a negative feeling, it has high physical alertness, it focuses the senses and the mind (thoughts are less wondering and more of a greedy-problem-solving nature). All sound familiar? Well that's all it is. The body just tweaked it's traits a little bit in various ways to try and give you an edge. It can seem overwhelming, but you can wrestle you reason awake and take a big step back and just observe each of these traits during a panic attack. Try to not cast any negative judgements, don't label things as bad or unwanted, just observe and see if you agree with my description of things. Okay. Now switching a bit. How to fix panic disorder. Here's my own 2 cents, I am not a therapist but have thought a lot about the topic. It seems that panic is turned on in response to the perception of a currently ongoing threat to an important goal. Each part is important. The perceived threat is occuring now or seems very likely imminent. The threat is being judged relative to an important goal. So the body optimizes for physical-minded problem-solving and labels it with a negative feeling so we can learn to avoid the same situation in the future when we make future plans. Makes sense. The problem people run into is that they confuse panic itself for a problem, instead of as a general purpose solution to many problems! They make a goal of not to panic, so then when they think they are about to fail that goal, they might naturally start to panic to try and rescue the goal. It's ironic. Now because the goal is cognitive and the panic is automatic it causes confusion. We wind up behaving ironically and don't understand why (i.e. because part of it is automatic). So how do we fix this situation? We correct our goals and our model of panic to be closer to reality. If "not panicing" is not a goal, you don't get panic attacks. And if you panic for another reason, the panic goes away quickly after the situation is resolved. So stop casting a negative judgement as much as possible on panic itself. If anything, think positively on it. Its a systematic optimization. Its a good thing. Its even a good thing that you feel bad during panic. It's what's supposed to happen. It's good. It's fine. You can laugh at it. It's just proving that things are working correctly. Like a fire drill. Okay the second part, besides working on goals and judgements, get a clearer picture on the real properties of panic. A real property of panic is that it goes away. That is intrensic to all emotions. No matter what emotion, the possibility of it changing to another emotion is always, always there. Think about what that means. It means that any panic, ever, can always be let go. You can always relax and be happy (or any other emotion) in the future. Now panic, like most all emotions, is linked or driven by perception. So if you start thinking of something positive, imagining the positive situation visually, then your emotions will begin to change accordingly. That is intrensic to emotions. It's how the body works. So coupling that panic can always end and that focusing/imagining positive situations and outcomes will modulate your emotions - so panic is no longer a threat. It has a solution. A problem with a solution is no longer a threat. So not only is panic a wonderful problem solving ability we have, but if we concieve of all of its properties then we always have a way out of panic and it ceases to be a threat in the first place. And things that are not threats don't cause panic. Panic disorder solved. Just need to practice to make it second nature and a life long skill. Hey super long post but I truely hope this can help you. Wishing you happiness and good things ahead.

What I do in this situation is sit down with my head in my hand eyes closed. Breath in think 1 breath out and think relax continue up to 10 :)