What Triggers Panic Attacks?

Panic attacks are something which occur all of a sudden, and mostly the sufferers have different triggers. Each person therefore has his/her own set of triggers, which are variable from person to person.

However there are some panic attack triggers which are common, and these are what we shall look at in this article.

(This article was written by Kim)

A. Past Events Triggering Panic Attacks

Past events, which contain haunting memories of certain events or the tragic loss of a relationship may trigger panic attacks.

When a sufferer is re-introduced to a situation, which somehow resembles their past situation, a panic attack may get triggered.

It is interesting to note that those past situations are also a factor of panic attacks in which the individual had no control upon the circumstances and their consequences.

Now when they are introduced to any situation in which they feel lack or absence of personal control, it triggers an attack.

In order to overcome panic attacks related to past memories, the person needs psychological therapy and self-talk to stop the attacks from occuring.

B. Medications Triggering Panic Attacks

Certain medications in the SSRI class of antidepressants are also a contributor of panic attacks. When a person starts to take them for the first time, or they are being weaned off them, this can trigger a type of drug induced panic attack.

Marijuana, psilocybin, nicotine and caffeine intake may also trigger attacks. Parasitic infections, e.g. those that are mostly caused by tapeworms are another important cause of such attacks.

C. Classical Conditioning May Trigger A Panic Attack

Suppose a person was in certain area or room and they developed a panic attack for some reason. If this happens very often, then there is a good chance that even entering a similiar room will trigger a panic attack.

Another kind of classical conditioning having memories associated with a certain area/object.

For example, a person experienced a tragic elevator accident in the past, and now whenever they enter in an elevator they develop a panic attack.

In this example, classical conditioning will be associated with an elevator and could therefore be classed as an elevator panic attack.

The panic triggers which are caused due to classical conditioning, are very common and should be treated quickly to stop panic attacks, otherwise they may lead to agoraphobia.

D. Panic Attacks Triggered By Stressful Life Events

Panic attacks are often triggered in individuals very often who experience a depressed and stressful life. Childhood issues also seem to be an important factor in this regard.

Studies have shown that many sufferers report a history of childhood abuse and half of all sufferers are able to recall experiences of panic symptoms from their childhood.

This evidence strongly suggests that a stressful childhood memory contributes significantly in triggering attacks. Cognitive and behavioral psychotherapies should be considered of extra importance to overcome such attacks.

E. “Out Of The Blue” Triggers

Some people complain that they developed a panic attack almost out of the blue. There seems to be no objective reason behind them, and it confuses the sufferer when they try to identify the trigger.

Surprisingly, the identification of triggers themselves is a trigger in this case. Basically, what happens is that when a person feels that certain reasons can trigger a panic attack, then the mere thought of those triggers can actually trigger a panic attack itself.

For example, a person feels that entering a dark room with little ventilation may trigger a panic attack for him. Just as they imagine this trigger, the body actively responds to this visualization and a panic attack is triggered.

This means that thinking or visualizing these triggers are themselves a trigger for some people. Therefore, it is best to avoid such thoughts / visualizations to stop panic attacks.

(This article was written by Kim)