When Thoughts Lead to Panic Attacks 

Do you have an inner dialogue? What relationship do you have with your thoughts? Your thoughts can lead you down a rabbit hole in the blink of an eye. You know that familiar persistent inner voice of doubt, insecurity, stress, or the negative thought patterns that can lead you down an unsupportive path. One day, you’re happy and content about your career or a romantic relationship yet the very next day, though nothing has changed or happened, your thoughts suddenly turn negative or even tragic about your career or relationship. These negative thought patterns can send your mind racing and your body into a state of panic.  

Panic attacks are physical in nature, but can often be generated as a result of persistent negative and anxious thinking. Your mind and body are intimately connected and when your mental health is suffering it will translate physically. You can send yourself into a full-blown panic attack with your thoughts alone. If you do not deal with what is unsettling in your mind, it can come back to bite you tenfold.  

It is human nature to avoid pain. The true challenge however is what you do in an effort to ignore emotional discomfort or even just avoid the things you do not want to do. When you are at home procrastinating on a project staring you in the face, do you pick up your phone and play games or scroll through social media instead? When a difficult conversation is looming with a long-time friend, do you try to distract yourself from your troubled thoughts by grabbing a sugary snack and binge-watching Netflix? When you finish a rough day of work, do you uncork a bottle of wine to wash the stress of the day away? Eating, drinking, electronics, exercise, over-working… these are some of the tactics we use to numb and avoid feeling uncomfortable.  

While happiness and calm may not feel second nature to you when your body or thoughts resort to panic, you have the ability to rewire your brain. Your brain is like a muscle that you can make stronger with practice. Through neuroplasticity, it is possible to reorganize and regrow the physical matter, more specifically the  neural pathways and synapses ,  in your brain even into old age.  

If doing this on your own feels a bit overwhelming, that is what counseling is for! While coping with discomfort in a healthy way may not come naturally, a counselor can help you relearn and practice skills to live a happier, calmer, more connected life. If you find yourself struggling request a free consultation with a member of our team. All you have to do is complete the form below to start the process. We look forward to speaking with you soon! 

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