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    • Mar 25, 2023
    • 3 min read

Why Do We Panic?


Written by Bedirhan Atabay

Panic is an undeniable part of human nature. In fact, when there is something very dangerous and risky, people choose to panic instead of acting like there are normal circumstances on most occasions. It is supported by the statistics that up to 35% of people experienced a panic attack at least once. However, have you ever thought about the reason why we panic on some occasions? Panic is dependent on the stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol release, and this means that panic is a hormonal activity. When we panic, we mostly sweat. This is due to the fight and flight effect, which happens when we are in stressful situations. When panic attacks happen, it causes breathing shortness. This is again a consequence of the fight and flight response, as the person tries to increase his amount of breathing. Another side effect of panic is a high heart rate, which is an effect of the adrenaline hormone. The panic attack itself is a result of the aforementioned fight and flight response. Therefore, understanding this response holds prominence to explain the concept of panic.




Fight and flight response can be summarized as our body’s reaction to stress. When we are stressed, our body simply attempts to take precautions, resulting in side effects. Fight and flight response is divided into 3 different phases (2). The first phase is the alarm stage, this stage is when our body prepares itself for the next two stages (2). Second is the resistance stage, this stage is when our body tries to stabilize the situation (2). Third is the exhaustion stage, this stage is when our body starts to get tired, and eventually be damaged from the immense amount of stress. This phase's possibility heavily depends on the repetition of the stress (2).


There are many methods to fight against panic. Some examples are breathing in from the nose and out from the mouth, breathing slowly, etc. Those briefly show us that the most effective thing to do is to remain calm and focus on your breathing instead of other issues.




Although panic is already a concerning issue itself, there is another thing to be worried about: Panic disorder. Panic disorders are frequently happening and destructive panic attacks. People with panic disorder suffer from panic attacks at the highest level possible. If the patient feels constantly anxious, then the patient might be suffering from a panic disorder. Panic disorders are in fact classified into 6 groups: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Phobias Social Anxiety Disorder, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (1). Just like normal panic attacks, there are many ways to fight against panic disorder. Some of the more known ways are psychotherapy and medications.


As panic attacks are reducing the life quality and work efficiency of many people, this problem is still pretty concerning. However, anyone can resist them, and if accurate precautions are taken, then an ordinary panic attack will probably not be an issue.


References:

  1. Types of panic disorder. symptoms, causes and effects explained. PsychGuides.com. (2023, January 12). Retrieved March 19, 2023, from https://www.psychguides.com/mental-health-disorders/panic/.

  2. Cherry, K. (2022, November 7). The fight-or-flight response prepares your body to take action. Verywell Mind. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-fight-or-flight-response-2795194.

  3. Are you having panic attacks? NHS inform. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/mental-wellbeing/anxiety-and-panic/are-you-having-panic-attacks.

  4. Davies, D. E. (2020, April 15). Why do we sweat when we're anxious? BBC Science Focus Magazine. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-do-we-sweat-when-were-anxious/#:~:text=This%20is%20part%20of%20our,handle%20emotional%20and%20social%20signals.

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