A panic attack can ruin not just your day, but your entire week. While you may be able to pinpoint the cause, such as losing your job or getting a divorce, a series of seemingly harmless habits can also trigger an attack.
Everyday activities, from making a cup of coffee in the morning to checking the news, can push anxiety-prone people over the edge.
Even stepping out into the cold winter air can cause panic. Actor Elizabeth Olsen recently revealed that changing from hot to cold temperatures triggers panic attacks.
These anxiety attacks can sometimes be confused with heart attacks because the symptoms often overlap. Both can cause hyperventilation, which can lead to chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, and nausea.
Approximately 1 in 10 Americans experience a panic attack each year, and approximately one-third will experience at least one panic attack at some point in their life.
For many people, panic attacks seem to come on suddenly, but experts warn that certain daily habits that we think of as mundane and harmless may be putting people in danger. I am.
Elizabeth Olsen, pictured in September 2024, detailed her struggle with anxiety, saying she had seizures almost every hour. It can occur even when the temperature changes from high to low.
Approximately 1 in 10 Americans have a panic attack each year, and one-third will experience at least one panic attack in their life.
Elizabeth Olsen has opened up about her battle with panic attacks in her 20s. It rang every hour.
She said: “It was literally like when something changes: from hot to cold, from hungry to full. I thought, ‘Oh, is this okay?’ Then it spiraled and it became a habit.
“I used to live on 13th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. I used to cross 6th Avenue at 14th Street and realized I couldn’t cross the street. I stood against the wall and thought I was about to fall to my death.”
In a panic attack, symptoms begin suddenly, reach a peak, and then gradually disappear, sometimes for what feels like an eternity.
There is usually a trigger, such as stress or fear, but they can also occur without an obvious cause. At this point, the body’s fight or flight response becomes active.
Next, physical symptoms appear, such as tightness in the chest, increased heart rate, hyperventilation, dizziness, and tremors.
Feelings of panic and rushing thoughts intensify. The person may feel a sense of impending doom or feel like they are going to die. I often feel like I’m suffocating.
The after-effects are similar to a hangover, causing fatigue, headaches, and feelings of emotional and physical exhaustion.
Experiencing a panic attack once is enough to convince a person that they never want to experience another panic attack, and they try to examine their life to identify stressors that could lead to the next panic attack. There is.
But if you’re hyper-focused on uncovering repressed trauma, you may not be looking for the little things you do every day.
One of the triggers for panic attacks is the fear of having another panic attack.
Atiyah Awadalla, a New York-based certified therapist who primarily treats Millennials and Gen Z, told DailyMail.com: Clients often have panic attacks simply because they are afraid of having one.
“This anticipatory anxiety prompts the body to react to the smallest discomfort, and escalates into a full-blown attack before the person even realizes what’s happening.”
Fear of a panic attack, or a perceived threat, triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, which starts producing the hormones adrenaline and cortisol, as well as the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin.
Avoidance behaviors and procrastination are often ways for people with anxiety to avoid situations that trigger panic attacks. But experts say this strategy always backfires and ends up causing more panic.
Once the fight-or-flight response kicks in, physical symptoms reinforce the anxiety, making the symptoms worse and starting a feedback loop. Fear of an attack triggers a panic response, and anticipatory anxiety escalates into a full-blown panic attack.
Awadalla said leaving her apartment in the winter can cause panic.
A sudden change between cold and hot environments can increase your heart rate and cause physical discomfort. For people with heightened anxiety, these physical sensations can be misinterpreted as the beginning of a panic attack, resulting in a self-actualization cycle.
Having an attitude of “why do something today that can be postponed until tomorrow” is also known to cause panic. But one in five Americans is a chronic procrastinator.
“Avoiding difficult or unpleasant tasks may provide temporary relief, but anxiety builds up in the background,” Awadalla said.
“Every time you’re late for work, your anxiety gets stronger, until the mounting pressure explodes at an unexpected moment and you panic.”
Many people take avoidance actions or procrastinate to avoid situations that can trigger a panic attack, such as avoiding the subway, crowded shopping malls, or music venues.
At the same time, we may overcommit ourselves to activities and responsibilities to counter our natural tendency to isolate and avoid public gatherings. Keeping busy can help distract you from anxiety, and being around friends can sometimes reduce symptoms.
But agreeing to too many social engagements or taking on too much responsibility at work can backfire, says Dr. Danneel Taylor, a licensed therapist in Chicago.
Dr Taylor told DailyMail.com: “I would like to add to this discussion about overscheduling and overcommitting, because we fill up our calendars so quickly that we have time to rest and recuperate. Because it’s often gone.”
“You can unknowingly cause anxiety and panic.”
The fear of having a panic attack itself can cause a panic attack. Experts say this creates a feedback loop, where fear of an attack stimulates an actual panic response and anticipatory anxiety turns into a full-blown panic attack.
Panic attacks can last between 10 and 20 minutes. It often causes shortness of breath, racing heart, chest pain, and sweating.
She also warned against skipping meals, known as “intermittent fasting,” a popular practice among health gurus, celebrities, and biohackers.
Dr. Taylor says, “I think most of us know the importance of eating well and getting proper nutrition, but neglecting nutrition can lead to hypoglycemia, which can lead to anxiety symptoms and panic. There is.”
When you don’t eat, your blood sugar levels plummet, causing dizziness, irritability, and mental fog. Skipping meals triggers the release of stress hormones, which increases feelings of anxiety.
Even our everyday conversations can become panicky. Awadalla says that when you label yourself as an anxious or stressed person and apply that to a part of your personality, anxiety becomes a core part of your identity.
If you expect yourself to be anxious in every situation, you’ll become hypervigilant and overly sensitive to stressors like people or loud noises, leading to even more anxiety.
“Encourage a more neutral or compassionate view of self,” she says, when you help clients reframe their words (e.g., “I feel anxious” instead of “I’m anxious”). ), creating distance between the individual and the emotion, reducing its impact. ”
Experts also advise putting down your cell phone.
“Technology can overstimulate the brain, especially when combined with doomscrolling and constant exposure to negative news,” Awadalla said.
“A relentless influx of information, especially catastrophic or fear-inducing content, keeps the brain in a state of high anxiety.”
