Not too long ago, we blogged about anxiety being more than just panic attacks. This article caught the attention of Jackie Edwards, a freelance writer who has suffered with crippling panic attacks and accompanying bouts of depression for years. They started when she worked in a high pressured job; the long hours and the lack of rest and relaxation led to a great deal of stress.
Prior to experiencing her first panic attack, she had no idea what they were. Now, she knows that they’re truly terrifying and leaves one exhausted and feeling overwhelmed.
Through the help of a brilliant therapist and the support and encouragement of her very understanding family, she can manage her panic attacks.
She recently collaborated on an article that explains the nature of panic attacks and how they are triggered: 4 Triggers For Panic Attacks.
Suffering from anxiety leaves you in constant fear that you will be confronted by one of your triggers. While some might be known, they cannot be predicted, and others might just come out of the blue and set off a panic attack before you know what’s happening. For those who know someone with anxiety, it’s even harder to predict and prepare for.
When considering these triggers, it is helpful to know the most common types. This will help you further understand yourself and your friend or loved one.
The 4 most common triggers, which we can shorten to EMLI, are:
- Events: Reminders of past experiences which lay at the root cause of the anxiety
- Meanings: Meanings taken from the event and sensory information from it
- Landscapes: How your body and mind change during panic attacks
- Inescapability: The feeling of being trapped in the situation or in your own body/mind
We cannot always avoid these 4 things, but we can prepare for them and learn a coping mechanism for each. For more information, take a look at this article which covers the 4 most common trigger types in more depth.