Does it go once it's rationalised?

[ana]

You know how sometimes you can have a really bad panic/anxiety episode seemingly out of the blue and caused by nothing, but then you realise that there actually is a reason as to why you feel the way you do?
Panic attacks appear to be random for me, or they used to feel random, but once I've identified the cause, the anxiety seems to lessen or even go away at times. However, this doesn't always happen. I wonder what other people's experiences is like when it comes to this. Do you go 'oh I'm having a really bad anxiety episode because of stress at work/family life/illness' and start feeling better once the realisation hits?

[Stecakes]

I suppose it depends on just how anxious you are at a given time.
normally I'd expect it to calm as you say.but then anxiety can be at work subconsciously too, so you're not aware that there's
something that needs rationalisation.

[brucealmighty]

understanding the nature of panic and anxiety certainly helped me to a point, but not enough to fix everything if that makes sense. I could rationalise adrenaline, perception and all that sort of thing but random events like being asked to fill in a form in a queue would send me haywire, or missing a turning so my routine was out, there`s always something that could trip me up,
all I know is there`ll always be something new or different around the corner, but I find keeping a mild attitude of `lets just see how it goes` usually helps. If I try to 100% guarantee no panic, then I`m setting myself up for a fall.

I know my triggers these days but I also know I`m generally a fairly anxious person by nature so I am happy to be who I am and learn as I go.

[Catherine S]

Hi ana,
My experience of panic attacks are connected to my extreme claustrophobia and usually happens if i'm on crowded public transport...particularly trains. Anywhere I feel trapped with no easy escape really, on motorways for example. Also in lifts, cinemas and theatres..no sitting in the middle of a row, only at the end and near an exit. It's so severe that I can't even sit in the back of a car with only 2 doors, and feel very uncomfortable with high neck tops and necklaces that sit close around my neck.

But it's been lifelong for me (i'm 63 now ) so I've learned to accommodate it. Planning around it is just part of my life and I guess what makes me who I am to a certain extent. My children, now in their 30s and 40s have grown up with my panics and witnessed my meltdowns over the years. We laugh about it now.

But I consider myself lucky because I can plan around this and avoid it happening, i'm now retired so I can choose less busy times to travel for example, whereas those who have panic attacks coming out of the blue never know when they will happen and that must be horrible. In the 80s I bought all the books written by Dr Claire Weekes about anxiety and how not to avoid panic but to let it do its worst and 'float' through it. Yeah right, I've floated off many buses and trains in the middle of a panic attack. I did love her books though and mostly they were a great comfort to read them.

My pattern of panic is first with the 'what if' thoughts, which leads to the shallow breathing, which then leads to the thumping erratic heartbeats, then trying talk myself down, then that not working followed by escape!

The thing is, anxiety cannot be taken away completely, our nervous system is programmed to either run or fight so there will always be that surge of adrenaline to cope with. It's when our reactions to that become a problem and makes our nerves jangle for the smallest stimulant and that's when it can spiral to a place where we question every heartbeat and every twinge and every breath. My HA is virtually none existant these days...she says with her fingers crossed, but the panics in crowded places and small spaces will probably stay with me. So like Mary Poppins, i'm only practically perfect in every way :D

ISB x

[Sparkling_Fairy]

For me it's like Stecakes says, it depends on how anxious I am at the time.
I can always tell myself it's anxiety. I've come to learn that it just is, and that it's nothing dangerous.
However when my anxiety isn't high, I can feel it calming me down. But when my anxiety is really high, I can rationalize it all I want but it doesn't get through. Sometimes I feel like my mind is caught up. But my body just won't listen.

[ana]

Thank you for your replies, everyone. I've found that, if I pay attention to what's going on in my body and try and see it as 'just panic', it makes the symptoms worse as I draw my attention to them. What I am curious about is whether or not knowing the real cause as to what made the panic so bad at a particular point in our lives actually helps make the panic go away. Say for instance, I had a really bad panic episode 2 days ago which was brought on by an X event..