Why the panic habit begins
Because panics commonly begin for no apparent reason the question Why is this happening? is a common initial response to them. Understanding how and why they begin certainly helps in dealing with them because we then have a rationale for their occurrence.Panic - a delayed reaction
Panics commonly begin as a delayed response to how we have been living our lives in recent months or years - how we have been responding to everyday stressors, adjusting to significant life changes, and dealing with our emotions.The reactions can occur during the period of stress but they often occur quite some time afterwards, just when we thought we had put it all behind us.
This is can be extremely disquieting because there is no apparent connection between the reaction and what is currently, or has recently been, occurring in our lives. So recognising that they are frequently a delayed reaction explains the apparent lack of cause.
How long can this delay be? As long as a few months or as little as a few days. For example, when assisting someone in resolving the panic habit I generally ask them about life events in the six to twelve months prior to the onset of the reactions.
A delayed reaction to...
The follow are three of the more common categories of contributory causesEveryday stressors
How we deal with life's challenges and hassles affects our feelings towards life, towards other people and towards ourselves. If we have not been handling things effectively this can cause a lowering of confidence and self esteem and a buildup of underlying mental and physical tensionLife Changes
Major changes in our living patterns require us to re-adjust to new situations. The more common changes include moving house, financial pressure, serious illness or operation, setbacks or alterations in working life, relationships ending or beginning, problems in a relationship, bereavement, accident, etc.This readjustment calls for considerable mental and behavioural flexibility, rather than a conservative attitude that wants things to remain as they were. Such flexibility is common in children and teenagers but frequently diminishes as we progress into adulthood.
Lacking this flexibility we may find these life changes extremely stressful – even if the symptoms do not immediately appear. Often, in the midst of the crisis or upheaval, we can appear to be managing effectively, because we have things read more
