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What triggers random anxiety and panic attacks when nothing is going on?

235 Answers
Last Updated: 08/13/2023 at 9:01pm
What triggers random anxiety and panic attacks when nothing is going on?
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I know how overwhelming it can feel when you're having a tough time. I offer clients a space that is non-judgemental and empathetic whilst navigating these times together.

Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
December 5th, 2019 4:26pm
sometimes, what triggers random anxiety and panic attack are our own memories, memories live within our mind, the mind that produces thoughts, and we cannot run from our own thoughts. When people intentionally/unintentionally recalls a traumatic memories, how the self responses is inevitable. even though memories is something we cannot see, but the imagery of a traumatic memories can be so vivid that a person can experience the traumatizing moment as intense as the real moment took place back then. these kind of memories triggers anxiety, which gives a huge amount of energy so the 'self' in a tense mode, and can't contain it in a long period of time that it burst in to a panic attacks.
Anonymous
January 2nd, 2020 12:10am
Anxiety and panic attacks can be caused by stress, anxiety disorders, genetics, traumatic events or even environmental factors. There are certain triggers that can cause the anxiety and panic attacks that are being experienced such as health issues, having caffeine that same day, medications, skipping meals, concerns, parties or social events and conflict. Negative thinking and situations that make one nervous are big factors and triggers to endure an anxiety attack or a panic attack. These are completely up to weather you have a diagnosis or not. But what had been mentioned are common triggers for people who get anxiety and panic attacks.
BundlesOfLove93
January 3rd, 2020 1:46pm
Panic attacks are almost always spontaneous when nothing is going on in your life at that moment. You might of thought about your anxiety and panic attacks, worrying that they would come up again and hence, it happens. It can be a scary moment when you suddenly panic over nothing, but note that this is normal for those suffering with anxiety and panic attacks and this can be treated. While in the attack, find a way to do an activity that calms you down or something that makes you happy, like watching cat videos on YouTube, or playing your guitar. Whatever you feel is best, go for it! We can all beat anxiety and panic attacks, at whatever pace we want to do it in!
Emily4326
January 10th, 2020 1:46am
I think my mind and endless amounts of thoughts is a really big trigger for anxiety and panic attacks. As my mind races, so does my heart and then causes my stomach to get upset. After my stomach gets upset, I get nauseous. Then further the nausea gets me even more anxious. I think i get more anxious because I do not like throwing up and the feeling of having to really worries me. Overall random anxiety just creates a bad cycle and therefore worries me more. Also I think when nothing is going on then it worries you more when you think about past mistakes or things that could possibly happen in the future.
Anonymous
January 19th, 2020 5:45pm
Just the fact of remembering something, like a fear you have or a traumatic past experience, can lead to random anxiety and panic attacks. It can happen to anyone, anywhere and at any moment of the day and there is not necessarily a reason of why those thoughts are coming back. But for example, low self-esteem can sometimes be responsible of those sudden events. Some details, which may seem innocuous in the first place, the person can notice around them can also remind them of a traumatic event and thus trigger them. There's a lot of factors and it's most of the time related to past or self-esteem.
SpaceDino
January 30th, 2020 8:39pm
It could be a number of things. Sometimes our central nervous systems are just faulty and they tell us their is danger when there isn't any. Other times we might not think there is going on, but we actually have triggers we do not realize we have. Triggers do not always have to be bad things. Sometimes feeling safe or happy could be a trigger, because we associate feeling good with their being a crisis right around the corner. So it would be good to keep track of where you are and what you're doing when an attack hits to see if you can notice any patterns. It might also not be a particular event, but rather a time in life overall with increased stress. If that isn't the case, it could just be your brain and central nervous system misfiring. In either case, you can control how you respond how you react when you get anxiety and panic.
sunshineMelody2530
February 12th, 2020 11:01am
Our brain works like a computer sometimes when a computer is running it does not mean programs have to be open. The same goes for our memories, sometimes an event stored in the subconscious will affect the conscious behavior. Many times it is unnoticed but general health affects us. Did I sleep, eat, or drink enough? Is something stressing me out. I hope that helps a little.
Anonymous
February 15th, 2020 2:44pm
Sometimes, just being where you are triggers old memories you didn’t even know were there, or something is going on in the back of your mind you may have not even realized. You just need to take deep breathes and count your blesssings for all the things you have and even if you think so many people have more than you which is so true but there is SO many people with less than you, thankful for clear drinking water, a house over your head, food , warmth, health. Focus on something , anything it helps so much , hope this helped x
bountifulDreamer46
February 28th, 2020 10:09am
This is one of the most difficult things to experience. We think life is going great, nothing is going on and then ...BOOOM... out of nowhere, anxiety rears it's ugly head. As much as it sucks to go through it, it's actually a good sign. It's most often when we get comfortable and happy that deep seated issues feel they have room to come up. The best thing you can do is take some time and think. Why am I anxious? What am I worried about? More often than not, you'll eventually find a reason based on things that happened earlier in your life. For most of us, we just weren't ready to deal with them at the time or they've just been eating at us forever. Acknowledge what's bothering you and try to work your way through it. The more anxiety causing triggers you can think through and resolve, the less you eventually have.
Anonymous
March 6th, 2020 7:57pm
Panic attacks are usually caused by fear stress and anxiety. But sometimes they can happen when nothing is going on. This could usually be something along the lines of bad memories or thoughts. This tends to happen as there is an absence of distractions which could potentially just heighten the chances of a panic attack. The absence of a distraction tends to give the mind more freedom and time to think and wander, which eventually leads to anxiety and in some cases an anxiety attack. They may also be triggered by not being occupied physically or mentally (by either doing some exercises or maths, for example). For example: If you drive a vehicle and not steer it, it will go out of course, so similarly with our brains, we have to keep ourselves occupied to prevent unnecessary thinking.
peacefulforest42
April 2nd, 2020 12:01am
Too much caffeine seems to prime me. When mixed with my past and constant undercurrent of anxiety, it can ignite my panic attacks from out of no where. By too much I mean a cup or two of coffee. I need more green tea. When I drink green tea, it helps reduce that priming. It also isn't so helpful for getting a lot done quickly. My anxiety is also randomly activated by the emotions of people around me. As an empath and HSP, I can quickly and easily absorb another person's emotions and internalize it to take on their state.
URawesome22
April 8th, 2020 1:28pm
From my experience with panic attacks and anxiety, it is usually my own thoughts that trigger it. I'll have a worry in the back of my head, and then I'll try to find a way to reassure myself that I don't have to worry. But then after I think about it, and I think that I have reassured myself, but then I start to get doubts about it, and then I get so freaked out about it that I panic and feel like I cant outthink the issue so I have to getaway. In a panic attack, it's like I want to escape my mind. The key in all of this is to find help, and not combat the issue on your own. When the worry is in your mind, finding someone else you calms you down from this can make a world of difference.
Anonymous
April 24th, 2020 12:36am
It could be a thought process, but usually there are triggers, even if you are unable to identify them
Emmawinn
April 29th, 2020 6:21pm
After a stressful period of time, you might not have anything going on at that specific moment, but you are always thinking ahead (even when you don't realize it). Having too many expectations for yourself can cause anxiety and panic. You have to remember that nobody's perfect and to take it one day at a time so that you won't overwhelm yourself. Your mind could also be thinking about the past and how something didn't quiet go your way causing more anxiety. You just have to remember, what's done is done and you have to look forward for chances to improve yourself.
MiraclesHappenNow
May 7th, 2020 8:11am
In my experience, seemingly random anxiety can sometimes be caused by intrusive thoughts. Negative thoughts, to be specific. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help with catching those negative thoughts, identifying distortions (what's wrong about this thought?), and sort of rewording it so that it more closely resembles reality. For instance, if I have anxiety at the grocery store while putting my change in my wallet, I may find this to be odd. There's nothing going on. I'm just putting change in my wallet at the register. But what's going on in my head? Thought: YOU'RE TAKING TOO LONG! People are staring! Reality: Everyone needs a few seconds to get their cards/money put away before picking up bags. No one is noticing me struggling with the zipper on my wallet. Negative thoughts can be distracting so they aren't easily caught when trying to figure out a specific trigger for anxiety. Figuring out what your negative thoughts are when having these feelings of anxiety may help you to realize that the symptoms are being caused by something specific that can be worked on by learning important skills.
paigeybaby
May 10th, 2020 1:59pm
your fight or flight response is all out of whack thats all. your brain is just getting mixed up about whats happening with all these thoughts and senses all overloaded it goes into flight or flight mode and adrenaline hits u with sweats and fast breaths and a tight chest and all those yucky feelings. see a doctor if it gets bad you may have panic attack syndrome ive had it my whole life its possible to control if you learn breathing techniques and confront your fears all those good things. a therapist or doctor can help you with that
Anonymous
May 21st, 2020 12:12am
Personally, sometimes my mind will wonder and start thinking about something in the past that was anxiety-inducing. Sometimes, I also have small things that trigger a train of thought. For example, I see a pencil, which leads me to think about something embarrassing that happened to me in class, and then I start feeling anxious. It's little things like that. Other times, an attack will be triggered because of repressed feelings. I have a tendency to push down feelings, so when something happens that makes me feel those feelings, even if it's just a minuscule amount of feeling, I will have an attack.
Anonymous
May 21st, 2020 7:44pm
When nothing is going on, people are more likely to think about stuff that they've avoided thinking about for a long time. Sometimes the seemingly most harmless things turn into a big problem and source of depression. It is actually really common to always search for something that's wrong. And if there isn't one huge problem your whole life sometimes seems like the biggest mess of all and everything feels wrong. So when you're searching for bad things, you'll probably find some. They mostly aren't even that bad, but in that moment, it feels as if you have been betrayed by the universe because you have been living a lie. At least your mind thinks that.
Anonymous
June 25th, 2020 9:03pm
Sometimes when you experience something that you once experienced and it was bad, bringing back memories creates anxiety as it reminds you of bad experiences. You may not be doing anything but your mind may wander and take you to a different state of mind. It can be one thought after another in which it adds to your anxiety. May we think what could we have done differently? Also, or actions on such events may trigger panic attacks or the way we perceived the situation. Random anxiety attacks and or panic attacks can cause a lot of stress. Learning to cope is good.
Anonymous
June 26th, 2020 5:29pm
Random anxiety and panic attacks without an obvious current cause are usually, a projection of past traumatizing experiences in a similar actual context. This means that, although the present situation is not entirely the same with the past one, it still causes a reaction of fear and potential lack of emotional control. One of the most common approaches to identifying the actual cause of anxiety or a panic attack is exploring the past traumatic experiences of the person experiencing the symptoms, in order to determine what is the actual they are facing, if it has real grounds or is an extension of on emotion that was not acknowledged and dealt with previously, when the traumatic event took place.
Anonymous
July 17th, 2020 11:40am
I believe the main triggers around anxiety and attacks is over thinking, when I over thing it causes me to become increasingly anxious which leads to a panic attack. Anxiety is very good at convincing you theres some thing wrong, or taking some thing minor and blowing it well out of proportion.
Anonymous
July 18th, 2020 2:05am
I have dealt with this for over 15 years. From my personal experience it's usually racing thoughts of things that I'm afraid of or situations I'm afraid of happening. Sometimes it can even be that I've had too much caffeine or not enough sleep. I would recommend keeping a journal and writing down everything! That may help you to determine what your anxiety triggers are so that you can avoid them. I personally have to avoid caffeine because it causes me to have panic attacks and anxiety because it makes me feel jittery. It takes a lot of trials and errors, but I promise you can get through this.
Lovingpalm6021
July 18th, 2020 1:46pm
For me, it would be when I start to overthink on the littlest of things. This would happen most especially when I am trying to deal with a stressful situation and then I find myself in a space where I am completely isolated with no one to turn to. What happens in my case is that i suddenly have a "feeling" if you will that the world starts to collapse around me and I am unable to control the situation, therefore a random anxiety feeling arises. Most of the time it is controllable given the situations, i guess it comes out to the "uncontrollable" aspect of it. Being the unknown makes me realize that maybe sometimes there are things are beyond my control and that is probably why I kind of panic even when I am not supposed to.
anistene
July 23rd, 2020 6:19am
personally, i feel that feeding my negative thoughts just send me into a spiral that inevitably lead me to having anxiety and panic attacks. when i recognize these happening, i find that putting a stop to these destructive patterns by reaching out to loved ones prevent me from going to a darker place. It is important to understand yourself by taking notes on patterns and finding ways to intercept them before it starts getting bad. It's definitely a lengthy process but i believe in the power of being self-aware and how it is able to transcend both self-love and self-care
boxcard
August 28th, 2020 2:52am
Triggers can be mysterious and often pass beneath the limit of consciousness. A smell, sensation, or pattern that you don't even notice can start an emotional reaction without conscious thought. Often times, these subconscious triggers are things that have a root in association with a past emotional experience that we are avoiding. If there is a thing or things in your past that you actively avoid thinking about, remembering, or feeling, that focused avoidance leads us to be constantly reminded of that thing. Anything our brains can associate with that averse memory or emotion will, consciously or unconsciously evoke the memory and trigger that fight or flight response. Emotions travel faster than thoughts do- just think about how anger arises before you ever even have the chance to think through the exact situation. Anxiety is even faster, and unlike anger, we tend to panic when we are faced with emotional that we are unable or unwilling to face.
Anonymous
September 3rd, 2020 3:24pm
We may not know what triggered us, it could have been something from our past, a conversation or situation we didn't think had such an impact but it shows up later. Trauma or issues can be stored in us and come out when we don't expect it. It helps to know that anxiety is normal and a part of many peoples lives. I would look back at my conversations and environment, where I was and who I might have talked too and take some notes and see if there is a pattern. You may find it was something small or something you didn't expect but knowledge is power and can help you in the future.
CalmingVoice991
October 22nd, 2020 9:42am
It happens if I am under some kind of inner preessure. When something bad from the past like flashback occures. Sometimes inner voice is telling me that I am gay. It must be becouse I was violated once while beeing on 3MMC. It is like some kind of deep trauma. Also I have issues with my right eye condition. But I hope that they are going to perform operation on me. Often I have that felling that I am not going to be good student. I do not take care of my teeth enough and sometimes I think that I am going to loose some teeth.
Anonymous
October 28th, 2020 5:56pm
Triggers are extremely different and random for each one of us as it relates to the trauma we might have experienced. There are a few types of triggers: smell, sound, situation, taste, media and words. We might forget a trauma but our brain never does, so when a familiar sound for example is heard, our brain takes itself back on that particular moment when the trauma happened, which triggers the panic state. I am not a professional health care profession and all the information on this answer I've learned from reading and watching videos. I hope it can help answer your question even just a little. Take care!
Helpful12
November 1st, 2020 9:29am
Well there still can be many reasons, it can be due to mood swings, hormonal changes, also overthinking is a main cause sometimes when you are maybe just sitting and you start thinking about something different but end up thinking something triggering and that can cause anxiety or panic attacks.sometime incidences happened in past which are similar to current situation or same scene viewed by you recently can be a reason too. It’s sudden but dangerous at the same time. Sometimes you might be missing someone,a old memory can cause anxiety. A sudden urge of happiness or sadness are the quiet similar reasons..
softSunrise1596
November 20th, 2020 5:45pm
In life, there are some things that keeps going inside our head even if that event or situation happened a long time ago. I think random anxiety panic attacks are caused by triggers on social media or around us. There are times when we see triggers around us that ofcourse doesn't have a trigger warning so we weren't able to brace ourselves for panic attacks or anxiety that it may cause. Another thing when nothing is going on in ourlives we have more time to overthink things until we hit a spot that could give us an anxiety trigger.