The Difference Between Public And Private Panic Attacks

By Author: Salome Delport
Total Articles: 15
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In a lot of instances, your panic attacks will occur in public places. For many people this can be disconcerting, and also a big factor in the reoccurrence of another panic attack.

This is because once you have experienced those feelings in a certain place; you will associate the same, or a similar place with that same event. Perhaps you had your panic attack whilst driving, then you will be too afraid to drive again. If you had your panic attack in a grocery store, then you will probably be avoiding grocery stores at all costs! Even the knowledge that you need to go to a grocery store the next day will send your head into a spin, and your heart pounding.

Now of course there are lots of cases where you have experienced your panic attack at home. This may seem better, because at least you had privacy, although it can be very frightening in its own way too.

There is a difference between panic attacks experienced in private and public places. There is only one thing that is constant - you are in no physical or emotional danger, and are certainly not going to die. When you have a panic attack in a public ...
... place, it can be worse, mainly because of the embarrassment of revealing your lack of control to other human beings. Society abhors weakness, and a person suffering from a panic attack in public will feel ashamed, and will feel like everyone is looking at them like they are crazy. This can aggravate the panic attack, and these feelings will certainly not help the circumstances much. The best thing to do when you are experiencing a panic attack in public is to move into a space where you feel you have a bit more privacy, and perhaps feel less claustrophobic.

On the other hand, you may have had your panic attack at home, or somewhere where you were all alone. This may seem better than having a panic attack in public, but for some people it is not! When you have a panic attack you feel like you are going to die. No one wants to be all alone with these feelings, and some sufferers will even phone an ambulance, because there is no one around to reassure them that "everything is going to be ok." Although hearing that from someone may not help much, it can be a small reassurance. Having people around may even provide some comfort in the fact that you have the knowledge if you were to suffer grievous bodily harm; there are people around to get you the help you will need!

If you suffer from panic attacks, you may find that they recur in the same sort of environment. This is because you have instilled it into your mind that you are in danger of having a panic attack in the grocery store, or car, or bank etc. Doing thorough research and seeking help in combating your panic symptoms will go a long way in helping you overcome this fear. You do not want to have to eliminate certain public places for the rest of your life because you are living in fear.
For more information on panic attacks and panic attack treatment visit http://www.panicsymptoms.org