Unexpected Panic Triggers

People who experience panic attacks often do not know why they occur. Panic attacks are called attacks because they always come on without warning. They cause people to shake, sweat, and have rapid heartbeats.

Often a panic attack is an unknown reaction to a situation that has happened or is about to happen. It is usually caused by something that may not be a known source of anxiety for the person. That is what a panic attack is: an extreme attack of anxiety in reaction to an event in their lives that they may or may not outwardly perceive as threatening.

Examples of Unexpected Panic Triggers

Below are several examples of reasons people have panic attacks without even knowing why they occurred.

1. Money — Trying to save for a wedding, a house, or a family on top of regular monthly bills can sometimes seem unattainable. The constant stress of thinking about trying to do all of these things can spontaneously bring on an attack, even though it’s an ongoing worry.
2. A child’s struggles in school — Trying to help your child succeed when you don’t even quite know the answers can be extremely trying.
3. Noise — This can sometimes be overwhelming, especially when too many people are trying to speak to you at once, and too much noise can cause an instant panic attack.
4. Being away from home — Anyone can get homesick. When you are in a place far from home, where the traditions and languages may be different, it can make you feel isolated and alone. That can bring on an attack.
5. Trying anything new, or going anywhere alone — Like homesickness, experiencing new territory on your own can be somewhat scary. While you are thinking that you are about to do something fun and exciting, your underlying feeling is that it might not turn out well, spurring a rush of anxiety.
6. Crowds — Even if outdoors, being in a big crowd can trigger anyone’s radar at the thought of not being able to escape if necessary.
7. Performance at work — Feeling as though you are “faking” your authority as a leader at work can cause trepidation, even though you are capable of doing everything that is expected of you. This is sometimes called “Imposter Syndrome”.
8. Hearing an emergency vehicle — The tragedies we hear about on today’s media can cause a spark in our minds when we hear a police car, a fire truck, or an ambulance go by. These triggered fears may cause a panic attack.
9. Meeting new people — This can be stressful for almost anyone. Remembering new names or what you talked about, especially when you see these people again after a long time, can catch anybody off guard.
10. Not living up to the high expectations you place on yourself — Many times, we all place responsibilities on ourselves that are overtaxing. We struggle with them and sometimes fail at achieving them. Taking on the responsibilities in the first place makes us think that we are definitely capable of achieving our goals. When we fail, the anxiety can prove to be too much.
11. The world is too busy and overwhelming. —Keeping up in today’s go, go, go society can be very stressful. You are expected to maintain speed with life’s ever-increasing demands, and sometimes it is just too much to handle.

Do any of these situations sound familiar to you? If you are susceptible to panic attacks, try to take some time to anticipate some of these events in your life. Work them out when you have the time to think about them and figure out why they are causing anxiety. Be proactive when it comes to your own well-being.