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Build up of Stress and Panic Attacks

Q: Hi, I'm 27 years old and I am suffering from Anxiety-Panic Attacks! At least this is what I believe is happening. These attacks have been happening for about 7 months now, of course I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want anyone to think I was losing It!!! Which I have to say was a HUGE mistake, it just added to the stress I was going through. I went for a check-up just to rule out the physical aspect of it and of course nothing was wrong with me.

I have a question, since you really have no warning when these attacks are going to happen and you don't have any idea why they happen, is it possible for stress, to build up so much over a long period of time ( 7 months) and then manifest itself into these attacks!! Does that make sense???

I want to know if all of the stress I have been going through finally came to a head and is releasing itself now!? I've recently gotten a new job and that has kept my mind off of the attacks, because to be honest I feel I was worrying about them so much I was bringing them upon myself, I have accrued some fears. I have never been afraid of flying, or being on a bus or being in a elevator, but now sometimes I feel afraid of these things. Can you give me some advice and please answer my question, It's very important.

A: Re stress, yes this is what happens. The attacks don't usually happen during the stressful times but happen 6 - 12 months after. It seems as if there is the particular stress and then the day to day stress adds on and we reach the point when the body says enough and we have the first attack.

The problem is the fear and stress of the attack only compounds the overall problem. Recovery for many of us means we need to lose the fear of the attack. We need to go from 'What if' to 'So what'. Easier said than done but there are many many people that can now do it, including us! And there is nothing we can't do now, including flying etc. Even if we have an attack it is over in 30 seconds, because there is no fear or anxiety about it.

With experience you actually pinpoint it when it is about to happen. Some people dissociate first and then panic other people trigger it by the way they are thinking, Once you have a full understanding you are able to either stop it before it starts, or stop it within seconds. It is all to do with how with our thinking and our the way we think about the attacks per se.

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