Anxiety and Panic Attacks: It's About Trying to Feel Safe

Anxiety is a universal human experience, the function of which is to facilitate our survival by warning us of approaching danger so we can protect ourselves - generally through "fight or flight." Anxiety is like an internal smoke detector, but instead of warning of only smoke, it warns of any perceived threats.

If a smoke detector is calibrated incorrectly, however, it might falsely  "perceive" steam from a shower as smoke, thereby triggering the alarm. Similarly, if a person has an "incorrectly calibrated threat detector," it might produce anxiety or panic attacks by falsely perceiving danger where none exists. Thus, anxiety disorders and panic attacks are like smoke detectors run amok. Except worse - much worse!

Living with anxiety and panic attacks is not easy. In fact, it can be an ordeal. Alarms are triggered everywhere as the sufferers struggle to feel safe. Have you ever felt in serious danger - in combat, escaping a fire, being assaulted, during a car accident, or enduring a hurricane? If so, and if you can remember what that fear feels like, you might begin to grasp what sufferers of chronic anxiety and panic attacks experience on a daily basis.

What causes some individuals to have incorrectly calibrated threat detectors? The answer falls within two areas: genetics and environment. From my years as a therapist, I have observed two things about sufferers of chronic anxiety and panic attacks: First, they usually have other family members with anxiety disorders; and secondly, they frequently grew up in alcoholic, abusive, or other dysfunctional family systems. Thus, it is clear that anxiety is being passed down from generation to generation, but the question remains the same: Is it through genetics or the environment? I believe that both factors contribute to the problem in most cases.

How does the environment produce anxiety disorders? In an experiment, rats were put in two cages where painful electric shocks were delivered. In cage #1 the rats received shocks exactly on the hour and half hour. In cage #2, the rats received shocks that were random but no more frequent or intense than the shocks in cage #1. So, what happened over time? In cage #1 the rats quickly learned the schedule of the shocks, and, thus, at the hour and half-hour would brace themselves, endure the shock, and then relax and go about their business. In cage #2, where the shocks could not be predicted, the rats all developed anxiety disorders . Growing up in the chaos of addiction, abuse, or other severe family dysfunction is similar to the conditions of cage #2, and many survivors of such environments develop anxiety disorders.

How can counseling help? First of all, counseling does not transform an individual with an anxiety disorder into a laid back person. It just doesn't work that way. Counseling can, however, help the person improve awareness, acceptance, self-care skills, and coping skills to the point that anxiety and panic attacks become annoyances rather than crises. And for most sufferers, this is a welcomed and empowering relief.

As the counseling progresses, clients become more confident in their skills, their functioning improves, and their self-esteem rises. Anxiety disorders can be disabling, but they are also quite treatable. Are you ready for the challenge? If so, I am here to help. Click on the picture below to begin.