A national study of 1,000 panic attack sufferers conducted by bcalm, found that crowded rooms are even more anxiety-provoking than spiders, snakes or flying.
Over a third of participants said that crowded rooms were their top trigger, with men being almost 20% more likely than women to be panicked by one.
Other triggers included:
- Being in bed
- Being in a car
- Getting in a lift
Additionally, 28% of those requestioned said that their attacks had no obvious cause. Geoffrey Wold, co-founder of bcalm said: “This can be a problem in itself, as without a known trigger, sufferers are left open to the possibility that an episode could happen regardless of context.”
According to Everyday Health, the way to overcome future panic attacks is by learning how to control your anxiety so that if you do start to notice symptoms of a panic attack, you can calm your mind and body until the symptoms fade.
“People who experience panic attacks have to learn how to cope with their feelings of panic,” says clinical psychologist, Dr Martin N. Seif. “It involves recognizing that the panic-producing process is fueled by future-oriented, catastrophic thinking.
“People with panic disorder have to become aware that their thoughts trigger a physical reaction, which results in a panic attack.”