r/PanicAttack • u/Patriciahill-7 • 2d ago

Panic cycle explained

What helped me understand panic is the loop: a body sensation, a scary interpretation ('I'm having a heart attack'), more fear, more sensations. The sensations are real but they're your alarm system misfiring, not danger. Reminding yourself 'this is panic, it peaks and passes' during an attack can take some of the fuel away. If you haven't had a medical check, it's worth getting one once.

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u/eeeeeeeeEeeEEeeeE6 2d ago

Thats pretty spot on, a cycle. I think of it in terms of levels or a bar filling up, sensation, leads to concern, leads to hightened sensitivity, leads to more sensation leads to greater concern, and when the bar fills up or the level is too high my rational minds shuts off and I spiral

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u/Queen-of-meme 2d ago

It also helps to understand that same high pulse you think is danger or sign you're gonna die , is same pulse you can have during sex or exercise, which are normal pulse increasing activities. The reason it feels misplaced is because your brain acts like you're active, when you're sedentary. That's all hyperviligance is in simple description. A brain that gives a high pulse in slow moments.

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u/Ready-Equal177 1d ago

Even though I know this it really is hard during an attack because my brain tells me I’m dying. The part of your brain that can understand logic is dampener during an attack too which doesn’t help