Subtle things you’re doing that are making your panic worse ✨
Action > Understanding.
Temporary discomfort for long term relief.
🧠 Understanding panic disorders: The hallmark of a panic attacks is that it comes out of the blue, meaning there is no way to “control” or “prevent” them from happening. But, if you practice living your life versus trying to control what may or may not happen I think you’ll find your panic significantly reduces/ goes away.
🚫 Things to avoid: Trying to get rid of your sensations, excessive google / ChatGPT, reassurance seeking, body checking.
👍 Helpful actions: Get rid of that “just in case” bag, seek exposure therapy and practice those interoceptive exposures. I also find that people with panic often need to work on emotion identification and needs expression.
From my personal experience dealing with panic attacks, I found that the little habits we develop often unintentionally reinforce our fears and make panic symptoms worse. For example, carrying an "emergency bag" filled with calming items like essential oils or medications might seem comforting, but it actually teaches our nervous system to expect panic as a dangerous event. Letting go of this crutch was uncomfortable at first, but it helped me retrain my brain to handle panic sensations without fear. One game-changer I discovered was practicing interoceptive exposures, which means intentionally recreating the physical symptoms of panic—like increased heart rate or dizziness—in a safe setting until these sensations no longer triggered overwhelming anxiety. It was challenging but incredibly empowering because it shifted my mindset from trying to avoid or escape these feelings to accepting them as harmless. Another subtle but impactful pitfall is reassurance-seeking behavior. I used to frequently Google my symptoms and ask friends or doctors for constant validation that everything was okay. While this gave temporary relief, it actually reinforced the cycle of panic by signaling to my brain that the symptoms were real threats. Reducing this behavior and focusing on managing emotions and expressing needs more openly allowed me to build resilience. Avoidance of feared situations also kept me stuck for a long time. Rather than just talking about facing fears during therapy sessions, engaging in exposure exercises during the sessions helped me make true progress. Understanding that panic attacks cannot physically harm me and reframing the nervous system’s overactivity as something to work through, not fight against, made a huge difference. If you’re struggling with panic, know that recovery is possible but requires leaning into discomfort rather than avoiding it. Combining professional exposure therapy with personal efforts to change subtle habits can significantly reduce or even eliminate panic attacks over time.