Our brain has one main system to respond to danger and this is called the “Fight or flight” response. As humans evolved we had to respond to regular threats, forcing us to scan our environment for potential danger and then reacting very quickly in order to run from the threat or fight it. Upon recognising danger our body releases chemicals to assist us to act quickly, such as cortisol and adrenalin. We experience hormonal changes and physiological responses. Our heart beats faster, pushing blood to the muscles. Our pulse rate and blood pressure increase. We start to breathe more rapidly, beads of sweat can appear, or we may feel nausea. All these reactions are there to help us survive. Running from the danger or preparing to fight.
If these physiological responses sound familiar, that is because they are the same as those that occur when we experience panic, or what can be called a panic attack. A panic attack is just our body responding to threat. Our bodies only have the one system, not one for actual danger and one for perceived stress, like worry about exam performance, or worry about a job interview. So every time our brain thinks there is a threat, it sends out the same messages even though we may not need to run or fight. What we need in an exam is to concentrate, too much chemicals telling us to run or fight can interfere with our capacity to concentrate. The good news is we just have to let the body and brain know we are safe, there is no threat, and chemicals like cortisol and adrenalin decrease again, as do all the physiological responses.
It is possible to learn mindfulness techniques that can help to restore a sense of safety, calm, and ease. This can support the recovery from feelings of panic more quickly. Just by understanding why we have these physiological responses we became less afraid of the symptoms commonly associated with panic.