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<p>If you’ve ever stumbled across anything I’ve put out, whether a blog, an Instagram slide, or a life lesson disguised as an entertaining meme, you already know this: emotions aren’t just there for decoration. They’re the operating system running (not ruining) your life. And if this is your first time here, congrats! You’re about to realize your emotions have been puppeteering you like a Roomba stuck in an existential loop under your couch. Just like the Roomba isn’t making its own decisions and is following a preprogrammed set of rules, you’re also running on a program, an evolutionary one. And that program? It was written long before smartphones, grocery stores, or the concept of "self-improvement". This code is stored deep in the basement of your brain, in the oldest, most primal part of your neural hardware.</p><p>Deep in the basement of your brain, right where evolution left its first drafts, sits the brainstem, the oldest and most primal part of your neural hardware. It’s not there for deep thoughts or life reflections; it’s here to keep you alive. One part of this ancient command center are the core emotional networks, the factory-installed software you were born with, fully operational from day one. From these core emotions, your early experiences start tinkering with the wiring, shaping mid-level brain networks (aka secondary emotional mechanisms). As you grow up and become a fully developed human (or at least try your best), these primary and secondary emotional networks team up with the fancy, more complex tertiary brain centers. But if we had to name the MVP of core emotions, the one that fuels your entire psychical system like premium-grade motivation juice, it’s the SEEKING system.</p><figure id="figure-47vja5o3okm7itqhs5"><img id="47vja5o3okm7itqhs5" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1647940990395-967898eb0d65?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxyb29tYmF8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzQwMzg3MzkyfDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="Your emotions have been puppeteering you like a Roomba stuck in an existential loop under your coucha robotic vacuum is on the floor next to a couch." title="Your emotions have been puppeteering you like a Roomba stuck in an existential loop under your coucha robotic vacuum is on the floor next to a couch." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1647940990395-967898eb0d65?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxyb29tYmF8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzQwMzg3MzkyfDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h2>The SEEKING Network: Your Inner Bloodhound for Life</h2><p>The SEEKING system is a built-in treasure hunter that keeps you sniffing around for opportunities, rewards, and new experiences, whether that’s a job promotion, a new Netflix series, or the last slice of pizza before your roommate gets it. It stretches from your brainstem to your frontal lobes, making it the core driver of all your goal-directed behavior.</p><p> When it's active, you’re engaged, interested, and motivated: chasing ambitions, exploring new ideas, and passionately arguing on the internet about things that don’t really matter. Too much SEEKING, and you’re an impulsive maniac, clicking “Buy Now” on every online ad, jumping into projects you’ll never finish, or believing that yes, you absolutely need a pet ferret at 3 AM. At the extreme end, it fuels mania and psychotic delusions.&nbsp;</p><p>When it’s underactive, you feel like a deflated balloon in a room full of sharp objects: apathetic, drained, and about as motivated as a sloth on tranquilizers.&nbsp;&nbsp;Too little, and you might feel like a Wi-Fi router with no internet connection: disconnected from life, drowning in existential meh.</p><figure id="figure-dhtwqdldklm7itrseu"><img id="dhtwqdldklm7itrseu" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1483985988355-763728e1935b?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw0fHxvbmxpbmUlMjBzaG9wcGluZ3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3NDAzODc0OTR8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="Too much SEEKING, and you’re an impulsive maniac, clicking “Buy Now” on every online ad." title="Too much SEEKING, and you’re an impulsive maniac, clicking “Buy Now” on every online ad." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1483985988355-763728e1935b?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw0fHxvbmxpbmUlMjBzaG9wcGluZ3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3NDAzODc0OTR8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h2>Your Daily SEEKING Rituals: Welcome to the Dopamine Casino</h2><p>Activation of the SEEKING network is expressed as searching, wanting, desiring, being interested, longing, motivation, enthusiasm, anticipation, and excitement. On a behavioral level, it manifests as seeking, exploring, and trying things out. The SEEKING emotion maintains your curiosity and interest on all levels—from everyday grocery shopping and browsing TV channels or the internet to the most complex intellectual endeavors and problem-solving.&nbsp; Every time you search, explore, or investigate something, your SEEKING system fires up and gives you a dopamine treat. It’s the reason you:</p><p style="padding-left: 40px;" data-mce-style="padding-left: 40px;">- Check your phone the second you wake up. (Because, you know, something important might have happened overnight … like a new meme.)<br>- Open the fridge five times in a row, expecting snacks to appear magically.<br>- Keep scrolling social media, hoping the next post will be the one that brings you eternal satisfaction. (Spoiler: it won’t.)<br>- Binge-watch random documentaries on obscure topics, convinced that "The History of Staplers" is actually fascinating.</p><p>Your SEEKING system doesn’t bring you pleasure from having something. It brings you pleasure from wanting something. This is why a gambler isn’t thrilled about winning, it’s the chase, the thrill of almost winning, that keeps them hooked. It’s why addiction isn’t about enjoyment, it’s about pursuit. The primary neurotransmitter that fuels the SEEKING network is dopamine. Dopamine is released every time you explore your physical, social, or informational environment.</p><h2>SEEKING vs. Depression: When the Engine Stalls</h2><p>A shutdown of the SEEKING system is one of the core mechanisms of depression. When SEEKING is offline, life loses its spark, meaning, and momentum. Your brain is basically running the Windows XP shutdown sound on repeat. Instead of looking for opportunities, solutions, or new experiences, your brain decides: Screw it. Let’s do absolutely nothing.&nbsp;This isn’t laziness, it’s a biological defense mechanism. If you lose someone or something important, your brain doesn’t just randomly decide to take a sad vacation. The shutdown has a protective purpose. Losing a key attachment, whether a person, an belonging, or even a major life role, could mean losing protection, resources, or survival advantages. This might not be so obvious in modern society, where even if you lose all your relationships, you’re still physically surrounded by humanity: roads, buildings, running water, Wi-Fi. But in a natural environment? Being alone could mean a death sentence.</p><p>At first, your brain fights like hell to restore what’s lost. This is why, in the initial phase of grief, the SEEKING and PANIC/GRIEF systems work together in a frantic scramble: searching for solutions, trying to get the person back, replaying every possible scenario where things could have gone differently. But when the loss is irreversible, the SEEKING system shuts down. It’s safer to stop searching and conserve energy. This is where the GRIEF system takes over, like hitting a psychological safe mode.&nbsp;In evolutionary terms, curling up in a ball and doing nothing for a while makes sense. If you were lost in the wilderness, staying put might be your best bet. Either someone finds you, or the situation changes in your favor. Your system is essentially saying: Stop wasting energy. Just wait.</p><p>So, when grief hijacks your SEEKING system and leaves you questioning your existence, listening to sad music like it’s your full-time job, know that this shutdown isn’t pointless. It's an instinctive protective mechanism when your organism decides it’s better to vegetate and appear "dead". It’s an ancient way of keeping you safe until the world feels navigable again.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><h2>Hacking SEEKING: Can We Jumpstart the System?</h2><p>Science is getting pretty creative with depression treatments, and one of the newest approaches is deep brain stimulation (DBS), basically, a pacemaker for your SEEKING system. Electrodes are implanted in specific brain areas to reignite motivation and drive, kind of like hotwiring a car that’s been dead in the driveway for weeks. But DBS isn’t just a brute-force jumpstart anymore. Recent advancements are taking it to the next level:</p><p style="padding-left: 40px;" data-mce-style="padding-left: 40px;">- Personalized DBS: We are now mapping individual brain activity to fine-tune stimulation for each person, making it smarter, more effective, and less one-size-fits-all. Think of it like an adaptive playlist that actually matches your mood instead of blasting the same five songs on repeat.<br>- Biomarkers for Tracking Recovery: Specific brain signals that indicate depression recovery have been found, meaning DBS could one day be adjusted in real-time based on what’s actually happening in your neural circuits. No more flying blind.<br>- Smarter Stimulation Devices: The latest DBS devices use AI-driven algorithms to fine-tune stimulation on the go, responding to brain activity like a neural thermostat, keeping your SEEKING system in the sweet spot; not too flat, not too manic.</p><p>And here’s where it gets wild: Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques are also making waves, with research showing that people might soon be able to administer brain stimulation at home. Yes, we’re this close to having a brain-boosting headset that could help regulate motivation without requiring actual brain surgery.&nbsp;While DBS is still mainly reserved for severe, treatment-resistant depression, these advancements could mean a future where rebooting a sluggish SEEKING system is as easy as recharging your phone.</p><figure id="figure-1y69vlknmlm7ituy5m"><img id="1y69vlknmlm7ituy5m" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1597766325363-f5576d851d6a?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHwlMjBKdW1wc3RhcnQlMjB8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzQwMzg3NjM1fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="We’re this close to having a brain-boosting headset that could help regulate motivation without requiring actual brain surgery." title="We’re this close to having a brain-boosting headset that could help regulate motivation without requiring actual brain surgery." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1597766325363-f5576d851d6a?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHwlMjBKdW1wc3RhcnQlMjB8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzQwMzg3NjM1fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h2>TL;DR</h2><p>Your SEEKING system is the biological engine behind motivation, curiosity, and exploration. It keeps you searching for meaning, rewards, and stimulation, whether that’s learning new things, doomscrolling, or hunting for the TV remote like it’s a missing artifact. When it’s too active, you’re impulsive, restless, and possibly making terrible life choices at 2 AM. When it’s shut down, life feels like a blank, gray screen of meaninglessness. So, next time you find yourself mindlessly opening your fridge, scrolling your phone, or googling weird facts about deep-sea creatures at 1 AM—congratulations! Your SEEKING system is alive and well. Now, go forth and hunt down life’s dopamine-fueled adventures.<br></p><p>References</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Davis, K. L., Montag, C. (2019). Selected principles of Pankseppian affective neuroscience. Frontiers in neuroscience, 12(1), 1025.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; Badt, K. (2017). A Conversation with Neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp. Retrieved from HuffPost.</p>

Core Emotion: SEEKING

<p>You may know that a panic attack feels like a physiological train wreck. You may also know that, biologically speaking, it’s your nervous system playing whack-a-mole with imaginary threats. But the real question is: why does this happen to some people and not others? Why does one person shake off stress like a duck in the rain, while another gets body-slammed by their nervous system over an intrusive thought about leaving the stove on? Like most things in psychology, there’s no single villain behind panic disorder—it’s more of a chaotic group effort. For decades, researchers have thrown out different theories, each offering a piece of the puzzle. Some blame neurotransmitter imbalances, others point to overactive fear circuits, metabolic quirks, or deep-seated cognitive distortions. But none of these fully explain the bigger question:&nbsp;If panic disorder is so useless, why does it even exist?</p><p>Evolution doesn’t keep energy-draining, self-destructive traits around for fun. If panic attacks were truly a defect, natural selection would have yeeted them out of the gene pool long ago. Yet, here they are, affecting millions. So, if panic still exists, it must serve some kind of purpose—or at least, it did at one point. So, what’s actually going on? Scientists have been poking at this question for decades, dissecting the causes of panic disorder from every possible angle.&nbsp; And while they’ve uncovered some important clues, the full mystery hasn’t quite been cracked (yet).&nbsp;</p><figure id="figure-7rdqsv7wbm7iqtj2f"><img id="7rdqsv7wbm7iqtj2f" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1604450653975-45cc34388b8f?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyfHxyaWRkbGUlMjB8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzQwMzgyNTYyfDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="The full mystery hasn’t quite been cracked (yet)." title="The full mystery hasn’t quite been cracked (yet)." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1604450653975-45cc34388b8f?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyfHxyaWRkbGUlMjB8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzQwMzgyNTYyfDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h2>Theories of Panic: From Brain Chemistry to Evolutionary Quirks</h2><p> </p><p>Over the years, different theories have tried to explain why some people’s brains go into full-blown DEFCON 1 mode over minor stressors. Early theories of panic disorder laid the groundwork but didn’t fully explain its development. The biochemical theory linked panic attacks to imbalances in neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA, while the metabolic theory highlighted triggers like lactic acid, CO2, caffeine, and nicotine. These insights identified biological vulnerabilities but didn’t clarify why some individuals are more susceptible [1]. Psychodynamic and cognitive theories focused on unconscious conflicts or distorted thought patterns. Later integrative models combined these perspectives, emphasizing that panic disorder arises from genetic predispositions for a dysregulated nervous system responses and early stress [2,3]. Although these theories provided valuable clues, they often stopped at identifying correlations, leaving unanswered questions about how these factors interact to create chronic panic episodes. We must look at in evolutionary to understand why it exists in the first place. Anything that doesn't serve survival of your genes gets whiped out in the process of evolution. So panic disorder must bring something to the table.</p><p>First of all, panic itself isn’t a malfunction. It’s a survival mechanism that, in the right context, saves your life. Increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and hyper-alertness may be inconvenient, but they’re what kept our ancestors from becoming lunch. Imagine them in the wild, faced with an approaching predator. That same response can save you today: think of slamming on the brakes to avoid a car accident or dodging out of the way of a cyclist you didn’t see coming. The sudden burst of physical arousal we recognize as a panic attack is your body’s way of pulling the "escape now" lever. In panic disorder, however, this system misfires. Instead of activating only in the face of real threats, it’s triggered by harmless situations; a crowded room, a fleeting thought, or sometimes seemingly nothing at all [4]. Why? Let me explain.</p><p>It’s often due to a combination of genetic predisposition and early life experiences. And those life experiences don’t have to be objectively severe. It all comes down to how your child brain interpreted them. Not getting that lollipop could have felt catastrophic at the time. You don’t need to dig for brutal memories to understand this, it’s about perception, not reality. Most importantly, it’s a feature, not a bug. Evolutionarily, the ones who overreacted and escaped survived, while those who missed real danger were wiped out of the gene pool. This "better safe than sorry" wiring persists because it works. In fact, it’s those very genes, carrying the blueprint for a low panic threshold, that may have ensured survival, giving their carriers the edge needed to escape danger and pass those genes along. So, if you have panic disorder, it’s a testament to your body’s evolutionary programming—an ancient survival strategy that’s just trying a little too hard [4].</p><figure id="figure-jafxzjaqmm7iqxdb9"><img id="jafxzjaqmm7iqxdb9" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1528640936814-4460bc015292?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxidWd8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzQwMzgyNzE5fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="It’s a feature, not a bug." title="It’s a feature, not a bug." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1528640936814-4460bc015292?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxidWd8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzQwMzgyNzE5fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h2>Panic Disorder and the Fear of Disconnection: The Missing Link</h2><p>So, what exactly is the panic system trying so hard to protect you from? Panic disorder is often linked to fear of external harm, but a closer look at the brain’s activation patterns reveals a different story. Panic isn’t just about the predator (or the cyclist) lurking in the shadows; it’s about being left alone to face it. Humans are social animals, evolved to thrive in groups. Being part of a group offers safety, shared resources, and mutual protection. Isolation, however, amplifies vulnerability, making the fear of separation deeply ingrained in your biology. In panic disorder, this fear of loss—whether of connection, security, or belonging—takes center stage. Panic doesn’t just activate the brain’s general fear circuitry; it taps into the separation distress system. This system drives the intense emotional reaction tied to feelings of abandonment or isolation. It’s not the fear of a specific threat; it’s the overwhelming sense of being exposed, unsupported, and alone in the face of life’s challenges [5].</p><p>This underlying fear of separation explains why panic disorder is often triggered by major life transitions or losses—leaving a familiar environment, the death of a loved one, or other significant changes. These events can leave you feeling emotionally unmoored, heightening your vulnerability to panic. Early life experiences may also play a critical role. Childhood separation anxiety, emotional neglect, or feelings of loneliness can hinder the development of affective regulation, leaving you less equipped to manage distress later in life. Panic disorder often reflects unacknowledged or dissociated feelings of isolation and unmet needs for connection. But it’s not so much the events themselves that matter—it’s your experience of them. The same situation can have vastly different impacts on two people or even on the same person at different times. For instance, getting lost in a grocery store as a toddler might be a fleeting memory for one person but a lasting source of vulnerability for another [5].</p><p><img id="7345j71jkm7iq05jf" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1361690416/photo/amsterdam-commuters.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=odGmkqjYPYl1N-t9u1fyVJq80nFPnJdoQL_zuWrZoM8=" alt="Panic isn’t just about the predator (or the cyclist) lurking in the shadows; it’s about being left alone to face it." title="Panic isn’t just about the predator (or the cyclist) lurking in the shadows; it’s about being left alone to face it." class="object-cover bg-gray-100" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1361690416/photo/amsterdam-commuters.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=odGmkqjYPYl1N-t9u1fyVJq80nFPnJdoQL_zuWrZoM8=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" style="border-color: rgba(229,231,235,var(--tw-border-opacity)); --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(62,172,255,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-brightness: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-contrast: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-invert: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-saturate: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-sepia: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-drop-shadow: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-blur: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-brightness: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-contrast: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-invert: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-opacity: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-saturate: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-sepia: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-transform: translateX(var(--tw-translate-x)) translateY(var(--tw-translate-y)) rotate(var(--tw-rotate)) skewX(var(--tw-skew-x)) skewY(var(--tw-skew-y)) scaleX(var(--tw-scale-x)) scaleY(var(--tw-scale-y)); --tw-border-opacity: 1; --tw-filter: var(--tw-blur) var(--tw-brightness) var(--tw-contrast) var(--tw-grayscale) var(--tw-hue-rotate) var(--tw-invert) var(--tw-saturate) var(--tw-sepia) var(--tw-drop-shadow); --tw-backdrop-filter: var(--tw-backdrop-blur) var(--tw-backdrop-brightness) var(--tw-backdrop-contrast) var(--tw-backdrop-grayscale) var(--tw-backdrop-hue-rotate) var(--tw-backdrop-invert) var(--tw-backdrop-opacity) var(--tw-backdrop-saturate) var(--tw-backdrop-sepia); --tw-bg-opacity: 1; width: 640px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; caret-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); aspect-ratio: 16 / 9;"></p><p>Panic disorder might have gotten a head start, but it doesn’t have to be the boss of you. Sure, your brain’s ancient survival system is trying a little too hard to keep you safe, but with the right tools and a bit of practice, you can teach it to chill. Emotional fitness isn’t about striving for some unreachable state of constant calm; let’s be real, that’s not happening. It’s about learning to ride out the storms without losing your footing—and maybe even looking down on at the chaos now and then. Whether you’re mastering the art of a grounding breath, tweaking the settings on your inner alarm system, or rewiring those sneaky emotional patterns, every step gets you closer to feeling more in control. The journey from panic to power isn’t about erasing your alarm system, but about turning the volume down and learning to work with it. Think of it as upgrading your operating system: you’re keeping the parts that help you and letting go of the parts that hold you back. Panic might be part of your story, but it doesn’t get to write the ending. That’s up to you. Emotional fitness is your plot twist and it’s a good one. (Also, maybe just take the steps.)</p><p>[1] Ankrom, S. (2019). Biological theories of panic disorder. https://www.verywellmind.com/biological-theories-of-panic-disorder-2583924.<br>[2] Fava, L., &amp; Morton, J. (2009). Causal modeling of panic disorder theories. Clinical psychology review, 29(7), 623-637.<br>[3] Fava, L., &amp; Morton, J. (2009). Causal modeling of panic disorder theories. Clinical psychology review, 29(7), 623-637.<br>[4] Nesse, R. M. (1987). An evolutionary perspective on panic disorder and agoraphobia. Ethology and Sociobiology, 8(1), 73-83.<br>[5] Francesetti, G., Alcaro, A., &amp; Settanni, M. (2020). Panic disorder: attack of fear or acute attack of solitude? Convergences between affective neuroscience and phenomenological-Gestalt perspective. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process, and Outcome, 23(1), 77-87. https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2020.421</p>

The Roots of Panic: Understanding The Factors Behind Panic Attacks

<p>Today’s personal development movement draws from an ever-evolving blend of ancient philosophy, traditional psychology, and modern science. It’s a fine recipe passed down through generations, each era adding its own must-have ingredient, perfecting the dish over time. My grandiose mission? To toss in one more game-changing flavor: emotional fitness. When I first started out as a psychoanalyst, I worked as a generalist, helping clients from all walks of life. The broad exposure revealed a pattern: the biggest obstacle in people’s paths is almost always themselves. And by zooming in it came clear that the part of the self in the way were: emotions. After a decade of poking around in tangled knots and everyday messes of people’s lives I'm confident to promise: by prioritizing your emotional fitness, you can take your personal development to the next level.</p><h3>Personal Development: A Journey Through Time</h3><p>The roots of self-improvement go deep. Between 300 BC and AD 500, the Stoics, like Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, emphasized self-mastery, resilience, and discipline through rational thought. They were basically the original self-help gurus, telling people to stay calm and carry on long before it was a slogan on a coffee mug. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Buddhism and Confucianism championed mindfulness, discipline, and self-cultivation as pathways to personal well-being and wisdom. In the late 1800s, the New Thought Movement brought new flavors to the table with ideas of positive thinking, mental control, and self-reliance. Ralph Waldo Emerson became the poster child for this philosophy, encouraging people to believe in themselves before motivational posters made it mainstream [1]. Around the same time, psychology took its first steps as a formal discipline. Thinkers like William James explored how the mind shapes behavior, laying the foundation for understanding personal performance [2]. Fast forward to the mid-20th century, and Dale Carnegie’s <em>How to Win Friends and Influence People</em> taught us that likability can be learned, while Abraham Maslow stacked human needs into a pyramid, showing how to climb toward self-actualization. By the late 20th century, Tony Robbins and Stephen Covey were packaging personal empowerment into digestible frameworks; motivating people to take charge of their lives, one leadership principle at a time.</p><p>In the digital age, the rise of blogs and podcasts allowed pioneers like Tim Ferriss and Dave Asprey to popularize the science of productivity, longevity, and life optimization. Ferriss’ <em>The 4-Hour Workweek</em> (2007) and Asprey’s <em>Bulletproof Diet</em> (2014) introduced life-optimization into the mainstream, and the rise of online platforms made self-improvement more accessible than ever. With the increased accessibility of scientific research, today’s leading influencers are developing and introducing new cutting-edge approaches to personal growth, focusing on how bodily and mind’s functions can be optimized for performance, productivity, longevity, and well-being. &nbsp;However, amidst this buzz of optimization, one crucial component often gets left standing in the shadows. Emotional health. Emotional health occasionally is being addressed and paid attention to, but it remains a relatively marginal and sometimes overlooked niche. It’s invited to the party, but it’s the awkward guest stuck by the snack table, half-forgotten amidst the buzz about cold plunges, time-blocking, and nootropics. Yet affective science (the science of emotions) starts uncovering that emotional health constitutes the foundation of human mental functioning. In doing so, it represents the key to optimal performance and sustained well-being.</p><figure id="figure-c82k0pf1fm615n53v"><img id="c82k0pf1fm615n53v" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1550824730-05ededc35e7a?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxNnx8bXVzaHJvb218ZW58MHx8fHwxNzM3MTQyMjkzfDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="Emotional health is half-forgotten amidst the buzz about cold plunges, time-blocking, and nootropics. " title="Emotional health is half-forgotten amidst the buzz about cold plunges, time-blocking, and nootropics. " class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1550824730-05ededc35e7a?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxNnx8bXVzaHJvb218ZW58MHx8fHwxNzM3MTQyMjkzfDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Emotions: Your Cheat Code to Living Well</h3><p>Emotional health refers to a state of emotional well-being and functionality characterized by the ability to harness emotions effectively so that you may act on your values, pursue your goals, and maintain mental prosperity. While emotions are often relegated to the realm of romantics and crystal-waving spiritualists, the truth is far less whimsical and far more biological. Your emotions aren’t decorative fairy lights; they’re the central wiring of your behavioral and cognitive system [3]. Emotional functioning is the biological basis of your behavior, cognition and the fundamental block of your well-being [4]. Emotions are principal, mostly unconscious behavior motivators. Fear makes you retreat, excitement makes you move forward, anger makes you fight, and love makes you care, literally and figuratively [3,5]. Emotions operate as biological algorithms, part hardwired, part DIY, decoding your subjective experience of the world and nudging (or shoving) you toward action. They provide your subjective interpretations of perceived circumstances and guide you to act accordingly [4,5]. Your emotional engine is running 24/7, continuously processing an infinite amount of data from the past and present, e. g. that embarrassing thing you said three years ago. It’s always pushing you toward—or away from—something, after identifying risks and opportunities. Importantly, emotions also ultimately determine the feel of your life [3,4].</p><p>Despite being the foundation of human functioning and well-being, emotions often feel like the overlooked middle child in the quest for self-actualization. They are yet to be recognized as the full human potential in the quest for realizing their full potential. Their ubiquitous nature sometimes leads to their presence being forgotten. Components of emotional health, such as emotional intelligence, have only recently crashed the mainstream personal development debate, and there remains a widespread lack of awareness regarding how profoundly emotions influence the main aspects of life. While thought leaders like Daniel Goleman and Marc Brackett are waving the emotional fitness flag and bringing affectology to the forefront, the awareness of its importance has yet to permeate the field. Much of the personal development industry is still rooted in traditional models prioritizing physical health, sleep, discipline, and willpower, leading emotions to be significantly underrepresented in self-improvement strategies. Emotional factors remain ignored mainly, with a general lack of a clear understanding of how emotions work and how they influence well-being by determining our behavior. There’s a collective shrug when it comes to emotions. Yet, they are the unseen puppeteers pulling the strings of behavior, dictating how you act, react, and overreact. It’s a glaring oversight.</p><p><img id="8yh0hdjmafm615plll" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1352891382/photo/wooden-mannequin-are-both-remote-controlled-like-puppets.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=AUl16hDmDkDHq4SEG_ba0884RQ7cw-rRItxsFIRn9V8=" alt="Emotions are the unseen puppeteers pulling the strings of behavior, dictating how you act, react, and overreact." title="Emotions are the unseen puppeteers pulling the strings of behavior, dictating how you act, react, and overreact." class="object-cover bg-gray-100" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1352891382/photo/wooden-mannequin-are-both-remote-controlled-like-puppets.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=AUl16hDmDkDHq4SEG_ba0884RQ7cw-rRItxsFIRn9V8=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" style="border-color: rgba(229,231,235,var(--tw-border-opacity)); --tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(62,172,255,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-brightness: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-contrast: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-invert: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-saturate: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-sepia: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-drop-shadow: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-blur: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-brightness: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-contrast: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-invert: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-opacity: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-saturate: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-backdrop-sepia: var(--tw-empty,/*!*/ /*!*/); --tw-transform: translateX(var(--tw-translate-x)) translateY(var(--tw-translate-y)) rotate(var(--tw-rotate)) skewX(var(--tw-skew-x)) skewY(var(--tw-skew-y)) scaleX(var(--tw-scale-x)) scaleY(var(--tw-scale-y)); --tw-border-opacity: 1; --tw-filter: var(--tw-blur) var(--tw-brightness) var(--tw-contrast) var(--tw-grayscale) var(--tw-hue-rotate) var(--tw-invert) var(--tw-saturate) var(--tw-sepia) var(--tw-drop-shadow); --tw-backdrop-filter: var(--tw-backdrop-blur) var(--tw-backdrop-brightness) var(--tw-backdrop-contrast) var(--tw-backdrop-grayscale) var(--tw-backdrop-hue-rotate) var(--tw-backdrop-invert) var(--tw-backdrop-opacity) var(--tw-backdrop-saturate) var(--tw-backdrop-sepia); --tw-bg-opacity: 1; width: 640px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; caret-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); aspect-ratio: 16 / 9;"></p><h3>Emotional Fitness: Upgrading your Operating System</h3><p>Several misconceptions of emotional phenomena make applying emotions as self-improvement tools feel like trying to assemble IKEA furniture without instructions—and with parts from three different boxes. Much like complex mechanisms, emotions can leave you scratching your head. What is this thing for? Without understanding their purpose, emotions can seem like chaotic roommates, randomly hijacking your mood and decisions. One big misunderstanding is the tendency to villainize negative emotions, failing to see their original value. It’s like hating smoke detectors because they scream when there’s a fire. &nbsp;Another blind spot is forgetting that emotions didn’t evolve to help you become the best version of yourself—they evolved to help your genes survive in the gene pool. Additionally, biologically, emotions are not goals; instead, they are the means. The goal is reproduction. Emotions evolved to direct behavior to maximize evolutionary success [3, 6]. Biologically, there are no positive and negative emotions; pleasant and unpleasant emotions serve the same purpose. The biological purpose is not you feeling good but you surviving and having children. Therefore, emotional functioning may be misaligned with your personal values and goals of striving to become more successful and happier. In the pursuit of greater productivity, better health, longevity, and well-being, you must hack your emotional algorithms. The need reprogramming to serve your values and ambitions rather than blindly following evolution’s playbook.</p><p>As our understanding of human emotional functioning continues to evolve, it becomes increasingly clear that emotional fitness is the crucial component of optimizing personal performance, health, and well-being. Current personal development models and approaches alone are insufficient without integrating emotional fitness into the equation. Emotions are primary reactive forces that guide your perceptions, script your cognitive prototypes, pilot your habits and behavior, and ultimately influence your life outcomes. Optimizing your emotional responses and patterns allows you to align your customs with your personal goals rather than defaulting to evolutionary impulses that prioritize survival and reproduction over personal fulfillment. When you understand basic emotional laws and take proactive steps to rewrite your emotional programs in line with your values, you unlock a new frontier in personal development. Improving your emotional intelligence, agility, and resilience secures cognitive and physical capacities to achieve the next level in your growth. Your emotional health and fitness are indispensable pieces in actualizing your potential and reaching sustained well-being.</p><h3>The Final Piece:&nbsp;Your New Competitive Advantage</h3><p>Emotional fitness isn’t just another aspect of personal development. Rest assured, it’s a foundational element that has been overlooked for far too long. Emotions are&nbsp;fundamental strategies for productivity, discipline, and physical health. They are central to your life and personality. They shape your state of mind, drive your attention, mood, and behavior, and directly and indirectly determine your well-being. It’s not just about feeling better—it’s about living better. Developing emotional fitness is essential if you want to align your functioning with your ambitions and values. Without upgrading your internal system to operate more effectively, you risk being stuck in outdated patterns, guided by instinctive impulses rooted in survival and reproduction. Personal development is about growth, and true growth lies in aligning your goals with the internal mechanisms that drive your thoughts and behaviors. Emotional fitness provides the foundation to navigate life’s challenges with clarity and resilience. The first step in personal development is integrating emotional literacy and functionality into your journey. When you understand how emotions work and learn to engage with them intentionally, you unlock the potential for meaningful transformation. With emotional fitness, you gain full control of your life, aligning your behavior with your values and aspirations.</p><p><img id="zl0liirznm615t5nx" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1616996722113-8f92b8112aae?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxMnx8Y2hlc3Nib2FyZCUyMHxlbnwwfHx8fDE3MzcxNDI1NjF8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="clear glass chess piece on black surface" title="clear glass chess piece on black surface" class="object-cover bg-gray-100" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1616996722113-8f92b8112aae?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxMnx8Y2hlc3Nib2FyZCUyMHxlbnwwfHx8fDE3MzcxNDI1NjF8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></p><p>[1] Abella, A., Anderson, M., Anderson, M, Angell, K., Ascierto, J., ... Zelazko, A. (2024a). New Thought. Encyclopedia Britannica. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/New-Thought" data-mce-href="https://www.britannica.com/event/New-Thought">https://www.britannica.com/event/New-Thought</a><br>[2] Abella, A., Anderson, M., Anderson, M, Angell, K., Ascierto, J., ... Zelazko, A. (2024b). Psyvhology. Encyclopedia Britannica.https://www.britannica.com/science/psychology<br>[3] Panksepp, J., and Davis, K. (2018). The Emotional Foundations of Personality: A Neurobiological and Evolutionary Approach. New York: W. W. Norton &amp; Company.<br>[4] Panksepp, J., and Biven, L. (2012). The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotion. New York: W. W. Norton &amp; Company.<br>[5] Panksepp, J. (1998). Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions. New York: Oxford University Press.<br>[6] Dawkins, R. (2016). The selfish gene. Oxford university press.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

Emotional Fitness as the New Frontier in Personal Development: Why It’s the Missing Piece in Optimizing Performance, Health, and Well-Being

<p>Does your brain have the tendency to slam the panic button for no apparent reason, launching you into full-blown emergency mode? One second, you're fine. The next, your heart is racing, your chest is tight, you can't breathe, and the world is caving in. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Around 2.7 % of adults experience panic attacks each year, and nearly 5 % of people develop panic disorder at some point in their lives [1]. Panic attacks are like unwelcome houseguests: they show up unannounced, make everything uncomfortable, and leave you wondering what the hell just happened. And if these surprise visits happen often enough, they can evolve into panic disorder, an anxiety condition that turns your life into a minefield of “What if I have another one?” Unlike normal stress or nervousness, panic disorder doesn’t just involve fleeting anxiety, it locks you in a constant state of dread.</p><p>The kicker is, panic attacks often strike without an obvious trigger. One minute, you’re sipping coffee, minding your business, and the next, your body decides you’re in mortal danger. It’s like your brain misreads a gentle breeze as a hurricane and sounds the evacuation alarm. The good news is panic disorder is one of the most treatable mental health conditions. Despite being terrifying, panic disorder is highly treatable. In fact, with the right treatment, up to 90 % of people with panic disorder experience significant improvement [3]. Yes, really. It might feel like an unbeatable enemy, but you can take back control. The gold standard treatments for panic disorder fall into two main categories: 1. Medication (to stabilize your system and reduce symptom intensity). 2. Psychotherapy (to help you rewire neuro-hormonal patterns and break the panic cycle). Let’s break them down.</p><h3>1. Medication: Stabilizing the Storm</h3><p>Medications don’t cure panic disorders, but they help regulate your nervous system so you can focus on deeper recovery work. Medications are like floaties in a pool—they won’t teach you how to swim, but they’ll keep you from sinking while you learn. Common options include:</p><p style="padding-left: 40px;" data-mce-style="padding-left: 40px;">✅ SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors): The most commonly prescribed medications for panic disorder. Drugs like sertraline, fluoxetine, and paroxetine help regulate mood and anxiety over time.</p><p style="padding-left: 40px;" data-mce-style="padding-left: 40px;">✅ Benzodiazepines (e.g., alprazolam, lorazepam): Fast-acting relief, but habit-forming, so usually prescribed for short-term or emergency use.</p><p style="padding-left: 40px;" data-mce-style="padding-left: 40px;">✅ SNRIs (Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors): Another class of antidepressants that regulate anxiety, like venlafaxine.</p><p style="padding-left: 40px;" data-mce-style="padding-left: 40px;">✅ Beta-blockers (e.g., propranolol): They don’t treat the root cause, but they help control physical symptoms like heart palpitations and shaking in stressful situations.</p><figure id="figure-w4l2q5ripnm7iop6mu"><img id="w4l2q5ripnm7iop6mu" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1603589138334-be34651248b0?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyMXx8ZmxvYXR5JTIwcG9vbHxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NDAzNzg5Nzd8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="three green and gray animal figurines on white sand during daytime" title="three green and gray animal figurines on white sand during daytime" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1603589138334-be34651248b0?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyMXx8ZmxvYXR5JTIwcG9vbHxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NDAzNzg5Nzd8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>2. Psychotherapy: Rewiring the Panic Response</h3><p>While medication calms the storm, therapy teaches you how to sail through it and out of it. It's like debugging a glitchy computer. Medication might stop the pop-ups, but therapy rewrites the code so the system runs smoothly. The right approach helps you challenge distorted beliefs, reprogram emotional patterns, and regain control. Effective therapies include:</p><p style="padding-left: 40px;" data-mce-style="padding-left: 40px;">🧠 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): The gold standard, helping you challenge catastrophic thoughts and gradually confront feared situations. It breaks the cycle of avoidance.</p><p style="padding-left: 40px;" data-mce-style="padding-left: 40px;">📖 Psychoeducation: Simply understanding what’s happening during a panic attack can reduce the fear of panic itself.</p><p style="padding-left: 40px;" data-mce-style="padding-left: 40px;">🧘 Mindfulness-Based Approaches: Help ground you in the present, regulate emotions, and prevent panic from spiraling.</p><p style="padding-left: 40px;" data-mce-style="padding-left: 40px;">🔎 Psychoanalysis: Explores underlying emotional triggers and past experiences that contribute to panic. This deeper approach aims to resolve the root causes rather than just managing symptoms.</p><figure id="figure-5pwkt43fgcm7iotpqz"><img id="5pwkt43fgcm7iotpqz" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1542831371-29b0f74f9713?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxwcm9ncmFtbWluZ3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3NDAzNzkyNDd8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="lines of HTML codes" title="lines of HTML codes" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1542831371-29b0f74f9713?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxwcm9ncmFtbWluZ3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3NDAzNzkyNDd8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><p>The best approach? A mix of strategies tailored to you. Up to 70 % of people see major improvement with therapy alone, and combining therapy with medication can boost success rates even higher [5].</p><h3>3. Beyond Coping: Emotional Fitness for Handling Panic Like a Pro</h3><p>In the emotional fitness approach, we don’t discriminate: we leverage anything that works. Broadly, approaches to developing emotional fitness fall into two categories: emotion regulation and emotional reprogramming. Emotion regulation methods focus on managing panic episodes by down-regulating panic and up-regulating antidote emotions. These techniques engage higher-level cognitive processes, helping you consciously influence your emotional responses and reset your general mood. Mindfulness practices, for instance, teach you to stay present with uncomfortable sensations without reacting impulsively. Techniques like breathing exercises or progressive muscle relaxation activate the parasympathetic nervous system, calming the stress response. Psychoeducation also fits into this category, providing you with knowledge about how panic works and reducing the fear of the disorder itself [6].</p><p>Emotional reprogramming approaches, on the other hand, intervene directly in the emotional patterns that sustain panic. Emotional patterns follow a sequence: a trigger leads to an unpleasant feeling, which prompts a behavior that produces another feeling, such as relief or some other reward. Reprogramming methods aim to disrupt or reshape this cycle by targeting its components or the connections between them. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) exemplifies this approach, teaching you to identify distorted thoughts that act as triggers and replace them with rational perspectives that don’t. Psychoanalysis also contributes by uncovering and dissolving emotional patterns hidden beneath conscious awareness. Together, these approaches offer a powerful combination: regulation methods equip you to manage immediate symptoms, while reprogramming strategies rewire the underlying emotional processes, paving the way for lasting change [6].</p><h3>Conclusion: Evicting Your Brain’s Overzealous Security System</h3><p>So, to recap: your mind and body are not out to get you, they’re just really bad at distinguishing between actual threats and, well, your barista spelling your name wrong. Panic attacks are the result of a glitch in an ancient survival system that was great for running from saber-toothed cats, but it’s a little excessive when triggered by a long grocery line. The good news? You can retrain your system. Panic disorder might feel like an uninvited, overbearing guest in your life, but you don’t have to let it take over the lease. With medication to calm the storm, therapy to rewire the response, and/or emotional fitness approach to strengthen your resilience, you can turn down the volume on the false alarms and get back to living life on your own terms. Will it happen overnight? Nope. But with the right strategies, you can teach your brain to stop screaming “FIRE!” every time someone asks you to introduce yourself in a meeting. Panic might have had a head start, but you get to write the ending.</p><p><img id="a5h8480qgm7ip1pgb" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/826557526/photo/big-meow.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=cF2VNDA3aU0xzTMxV1wnsuiwofrWKbZctcMJM32VJtg=" alt="Big Meow" title="Big Meow" class="object-cover bg-gray-100" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/826557526/photo/big-meow.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=cF2VNDA3aU0xzTMxV1wnsuiwofrWKbZctcMJM32VJtg=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></p><p>[1] National Institute of Mental Health (2025). Panic Disorder. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/panic-disorder.</p><p>[2] Kessler, R. C., et al. (2005). Lifetime prevalence of panic disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 593-602.</p><p>[3] Bandelow, B. (2020). Current and Novel Psychopharmacological Drugs for Anxiety Disorders. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 1191, 347-365. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9705-0_19.</p><p>[4] Wampold, B. E. (2023). Brave New World: Mental Health Services 25 Years Since Dodo and 25 Years in the Future. Psychotherapy Research, 33(4), 533-534.</p><p>[5] Ceh, M. (2025). Cultivating Emotional Fitness: Science-Based Strategies for Optimizing Your Emotional Health. Affective Science Lab @ RDPA Asociacija.</p>

Panic Attacks: How Your Brain Thinks You’re in Mortal Danger Over Nothing (And How We Tell It to Chill)

Big-eyed naughty cat looking at the target from behind the marble table

<p>Did you ever wish your emotions would just shut up and leave you the duck alone? Well, they won’t. They can’t. Emotions are millions of your tinny personal thermostats, taking in sensory inputs, checking them against your goals, and nudging you toward actions; whether you like it or not. They manifest as feelings constantly calibrating your responses to the world. The feeling you experience corresponds with the activation of neural and hormonal networks on the organic side. These are inseparable faces of the same coin. Experientially, emotions can feel like a mixed bag. Sometimes, they’re a clearly articulated sonnet. Other times, they’re a vague murmur in a language you barely recognize. Your ability to accurately describe what you’re feeling depends heavily on your and others’ emotional dictionary. When you tell someone about your emotions, you’re engaging in a kind of interpersonal charade, assuming that describing your last date as “weird” means “quirky and wonderful” and not “plotting their next true-crime episode”. Did you ever thing of it? You can only introspect your own emotions. You can’t borrow someone else’s neurohormonal system and compare the feeling. As everyone else, you are stuck in your emotional “echo chambers”, piecing together the words, meanings and feeling as best you can.</p><figure id="figure-6mgvi9bl7pm6159j69"><img id="6mgvi9bl7pm6159j69" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1303510161/photo/abstract-empty-room.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=q0z3VYyXy5YnVAMFmRs84Cqvz5wTJVt3BcURqe-SEtw=" alt=" You can’t borrow someone else’s neurohormonal system and compare the feeling. As everybody else, you are stuck in your emotional “echo chambers”, piecing together the words with their meaning. " title=" You can’t borrow someone else’s neurohormonal system and compare the feeling. As everybody else, you are stuck in your emotional “echo chambers”, piecing together the words with their meaning. " class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1303510161/photo/abstract-empty-room.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=q0z3VYyXy5YnVAMFmRs84Cqvz5wTJVt3BcURqe-SEtw=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h3>Why We Need Emotional Theories (and Why None of Them Feel Quite Right)</h3><p>Because emotions are private experiences, they’ve puzzled thinkers for centuries. To make sense of them, we’ve cooked up countless theories. It’s like trying to reverse-engineer Wi-Fi by watching cats walk under routers. The James-Lange theory claims your body’s reaction kicks off the emotion. Your heart races, then you feel the creeping awkwardness of having pressed “Reply All” on that email. The Cannon-Bard theory argues that emotions and body responses happen simultaneously. Imagine pressing “Reply All” and feeling your face flush with panic even as the emotional regret bubbles up at the same time. Finally, the Schachter-Singer two-factor theory insists you need both a physiological reaction and a cognitive label to get the full emotional experience. In this case, your heart races as you realize what you’ve done, and you think, “This is bad, and now I feel mortified.” You’re trying to figure out the distinction? James-Lange: body first, then feeling. Cannon-Bard: body and feeling happen together. Schachter-Singer: body + cognition = feeling. Why does this matter? Honestly, I have no idea. But it’s in every textbook, so here we are.&nbsp;</p><p>What you will likely figure out does matter are the categorizations of emotions. In 1890, William James proposed four basic emotions: fear, sadness, love, and anger. He saw these as the foundational ingredients that combine into more complex feelings. A century later Paul Ekman expanded this list to six: anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise. Ekman’s research focuses on facial expressions across cultures. His studies show that no matter where you go humans recognize these emotions in the same way. They are obviously preloaded. Jaak Panksepp took things further, swapping facial expressions for brain circuits. He hatched the idea of stimulating different parts of rats' brains with electrodes and observing their reactions. Their laughs, explorations, and sudden freezes offered clues to the emotional networks in their brains. Panksepp identified seven core emotional systems: seeking, fear, separation distress, anger, care, play, and lust. These systems aren’t just found in rats of course; they’re hardwired into all mammals. So, including you … if you are human. The same emotional hardware has been running the operating system of species for millions of years.</p><p>At its core, categorizing emotions breaks down your emotional experiences into manageable building blocks, making it easier to understand their functioning principles and how to optimize them. Basic emotions are theoretical concepts that provide a foundation for working on your emotional fitness. It’s a bit like organizing a chaotic closet; once you group everything into categories, the chaos starts to make sense.</p><figure id="figure-jur28wehxom61586r3"><img id="jur28wehxom61586r3" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/518253772/photo/building-blocks.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=8_3N4TOrX8PTgBj-0nO3y3KpDADy3e3W3ypLuvHoHdg=" alt="Categorizing emotions breaks down your emotional experiences into manageable building blocks." title="Categorizing emotions breaks down your emotional experiences into manageable building blocks." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/518253772/photo/building-blocks.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=8_3N4TOrX8PTgBj-0nO3y3KpDADy3e3W3ypLuvHoHdg=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h3>The Three Levels of Emotional Processing: From Instincts to Self-Reflection</h3><p>With the horizontal basics covered, let’s move to the vertical dimension of your emotional blueprint. You may’ve heard that in neuroscience we have this kooky habit of slicing the brain into three levels. (1) The foundational layer securing basic life functions; (2) the middle layer upgrading the basic operating system by your environment; (3) the highest layer refining your beautiful being with reflection, self-awareness and self-direction. Basic emotions are a part of the hardwired foundational layer. In Pankseppian affectology, we label them as core emotions. The middle layer is where your secondary emotional circuitry develops guided by your personal experiences by interacting with your environment. At the third level tertiary emotions annotate your mental and behavior functioning with self-awareness and self-direction. Understanding these three layers—the survival foundation, the learned patterns, and the reflective refinements—offers a framework for exploring how emotions function and how they can be optimized. Each layer builds upon the last, creating a dynamic system that influences every aspect of your life.</p><ul style="list-style-type: circle;" data-mce-style="list-style-type: circle;"><li>Core Emotional Networks (Red Zone): These are primary emotions, the unchanging basic survival system of the brain. Core emotions like fear, rage, and joy operate on autopilot, ensuring survival.</li><li>Secondary Emotional Networks (Green Zone): These networks form through early experiences and shape emotional patterns that are adaptive for your relational environment. It’s like learning which keys unlock which doors in the emotional escape room of life.</li><li>Tertiary Emotional Networks (Yellow Zone): The most sophisticated level, where rationality, language, and self-awareness come into play. Here, your primary and secondary systems interface with your sense of self.</li></ul><figure id="figure-ef37cv5dvkm64rqv60"><img id="ef37cv5dvkm64rqv60" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/7KOsRFU9QtkkMZ7mKV7Y4znNLYZBTlcd3gwvPZUOdnBh66NbbOhB3mWTgg6brIoJ.png" alt="Three levels of emotional systems in the brain" title="Three levels of emotional systems in the brain" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 50% 50%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="The three layers of emotional systems in your brain: core emotion network area (red), secondary emotion network area (blue), tertiary emotion network area (green)." data-positionx="50%" data-positiony="50%" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/7KOsRFU9QtkkMZ7mKV7Y4znNLYZBTlcd3gwvPZUOdnBh66NbbOhB3mWTgg6brIoJ.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 50% 50%;"><figcaption class="body-normal text-gray-500 mt-2">The three layers of emotional systems in your brain: core emotion network area (red), secondary emotion network area (blue), tertiary emotion network area (green).</figcaption></figure><h3>Your Primal Survival Kit: The Core Emotions</h3><p>The primary level of emotional processing happens in your brainstem; the central hub managing essential survival functions. You are born with this system and it’s the primal HQ that keeps you alive. It keeps your heart beating, compels you to eat and drink, and warns you to steer clear of dark alleys. Primary emotions are a fundamental part of this built-in survival kit. Just as hunger signals you to eat or pain prompts you to seek relief, core emotions nudge you toward survival behaviors without conscious thought. You don’t need a masterclass to know when and how to feel anger or joy. They come pre-installed and ready to run. Neuroscience has identified distinct neural networks associated with these emotions, and they are strikingly universal across individuals and cultures. However, in adult humans, core emotions can’t operate in isolation. They’re deeply intertwined with secondary and tertiary emotional processes, making every emotional experience a mix of these layers. That said, the primary level is theoretically and empirically the most manageable. Its neural activations are relatively well-defined, and specific networks correlate with characteristic behaviors. Let’s meet the crew:</p><ul style="list-style-type: circle;" data-mce-style="list-style-type: circle;"><li>SEEKING drives you to explore, search, and pursue goals; from finding food to scrolling the internet for answers at 2 a.m.</li><li>RAGE propels you to defend your boundaries, take action, or claim what’s yours; sometimes by arguing, sometimes by mentally rehearsing your Oscar-worthy "comeback speech" in the shower.</li><li>FEAR activates avoidance and self-protection; leading you to dodge, hide, or take cautious steps when danger looms.</li><li>PANIC/GRIEF prompts you to maintain connection and resist loss. If the attempt fails, it leads to withdrawal as a way to rethink and recover.</li><li>PLAY encourages experimentation and light-hearted interaction; testing your strength, skills, and limits in safe, non-serious contexts, like humor, games, sports, and the arts.</li><li>CARE fosters nurturing and caregiving behaviors; whether you’re soothing a crying child or sending your friend a comforting meme.</li><li>LUST fuels sexual interest and desire; the ancient impulse to ensure the species survives, but also the motivation to make yourself desirable, whether by climbing the social ladder or getting your nails done.</li></ul><p>Were you a lampreys or hagfish, this post might have ended here. But you are an amniote with a fancy neurohormonal system and all that magnificent emotional pandemonium. So, we must grind further.</p><figure id="figure-bkht16d1rm615bkdd"><img id="bkht16d1rm615bkdd" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1055446200/photo/background-of-letters-being-sucked-up-by-gravity.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=cB_IJBSIV1PET2je8VAeJYRhte7wdis9dygH3UBlQG4=" alt="You are an amniote with a fancy neurohormonal system and all that magnificent emotional pandemonium." title="You are an amniote with a fancy neurohormonal system and all that magnificent emotional pandemonium." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1055446200/photo/background-of-letters-being-sucked-up-by-gravity.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=cB_IJBSIV1PET2je8VAeJYRhte7wdis9dygH3UBlQG4=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Secondary and Tertiary Emotional Networks: Why Your Emotional Experience is Uniquely Yours</h3><p>Secondary emotional networks energe as personalized extensions of your primary emotions. Unlike the universal, hardwired nature of core emotions, secondary emotions are shaped by your early experiences, which build emotional patterns shaped by your social and relational environment. During childhood, you begin internalizing social and relational dynamics and a mental map of safe and unsafe objects (meaning, people) and patterns of behavior. Through associations with pleasant emotions, you learn what is encouraged and what should be avoided by association with unpleasant emotions. These learned models form the emotional manual for navigating your living landscape and getting you where you want to get. While the core emotion of fear might prevent you getting eaten, the secondary emotion of fear helps you not angering your wife by remembering your mother’s legendary wrath after stepping on her freshly mopped floors. Your secondary patterns are brought up by your childhood significant others, for better or worse. If you grew up in a dysfunctional environment, your secondary emotional network may not always serve your best interests. Recognizing and reshaping these learned emotional patterns is the first stop on your emotional fitness journey.</p><p>As your brain matures and gains rational abilities, primary and secondary systems interface with awareness and self-regulation, forming a tertiary layer. The tertiary layer allows for mindfulness, reflection, and deliberate decision-making. It’s the part of your brain that lets you step back from a heated argument and think, “Is this worth it?” or to feel sadness but resist spiraling into despair by reframing your perspective. While primary and secondary emotions are automatic, tertiary emotions involve a interplay between reason and emotion. This allows you to reinterpret experiences, consider consequences, and rewrite your emotional scripts. You may feel anger bubbling up during a disagreement but, through self-awareness, recognize it as stemming from an old fear of being dismissed, choosing instead to assert yourself calmly. The tertiary layer is where you shape your identity. Are you the kind of person who reacts impulsively, or do you pride yourself on staying composed under pressure? Do you view sadness as weakness or as a sign of depth and connection? These are decisions, influenced by your values and beliefs. The tertiary layer allows for the greatest emotional freedom.</p><p>Every emotional experience you have pulls from all three layers. Because of this complexity, emotions at the secondary and tertiary levels defy simple categorization. Your emotional architecture is as unique as your fingerprint; formed by your personal history, shaped by relationships, and molded by lessons about safety, danger, desires, and taboos. No one else feels anger, sadness, or joy quite the way you do because no one else has lived your life. Your emotional fingerprint is shaped by countless factors: the lullabies you heard as a baby, the heartbreaks you endured as a teenager, the lessons you’ve learned from successes and failures. It’s a constantly evolving mosaic, pieced together from the fragments of your history, relationships, and aspirations. Grasping your emotions at the tertiary level therefore is like herding cats. Each one jumping in a different direction, often at the most inconvenient moment. Working directly on these higher-level emotions is incredibly challenging because of their sheer complexity and individuality. That’s where primary emotion models come in. By categorizing and understanding emotions at their core level, those universal building blocks, we created frameworks that simplify this chaos. These models act like a net, helping you gather and manage bunches of cats at once, making the pandemonium of real-life emotions more approachable and workable.</p><h3>Closing Thought: Knowing Your Emotional Blueprint</h3><p>Just like math starts with understanding numbers and reading begins with letters, mastering your emotions requires learning their foundational components. Without a grasp of the basics, you actually have no idea what you are doing. Attempts to manage your emotional patterns can feel frustrating and be aimless. It’s not your fault you’ve struggled. From the most popular approaches to optimizing or managing motional challenges it is obvious that affectology is a young science in its infancy. Most popular approaches to managing emotional challenges reflect how young the contemporary science of emotion still is. General advice is everywhere, but it often lacks a solid foundation or clear context for when and how to apply it. Emotional optimization is highly contextual and the same approach has opposite effects in different circumstances, with different individuals and for different emotions. Approaching it from the tertiary layer, where you encounter a chaos of everything, is an overwhelming task. It’s like trying to learn math by starting with calculus or playing your first tennis match against Federer. By understanding the basics, you know what you are working with instead of relying on random trial and error. Working with a clear framework is a much more reliable approach to build emotional fitness.<br></p><figure id="figure-yq1m6ivv3m615ffex"><img id="yq1m6ivv3m615ffex" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/940326946/photo/portrait-of-a-siberian-kitten-family-studio-shoot.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=M_Uy84nBdlmnlY2eElNL9Dc1Lq0BabgIi-7EX8oc4gc=" alt="Grasping your emotions at the tertiary level therefore is like herding cats." title="Grasping your emotions at the tertiary level therefore is like herding cats." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/940326946/photo/portrait-of-a-siberian-kitten-family-studio-shoot.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=M_Uy84nBdlmnlY2eElNL9Dc1Lq0BabgIi-7EX8oc4gc=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure>

The Emotional Onion: Peeling Back the Layers of Feeling

<p>Imagine this: You’re minding your own business, maybe scrolling on your phone, sitting in a meeting, or waiting in line at a coffee shop, when out of nowhere, your body decides you’re in mortal danger. Your heart pounds like a drum solo, your breathing goes haywire, your limbs tingle, and a deep, primal dread floods your system. Your brain has just hit the panic button, except … there’s no actual emergency.&nbsp;&nbsp;If this sounds familiar, you’re in good company. Panic attacks affect around 2.7 % of adults every year, and for those with panic disorder, these episodes become frequent, unpredictable, and life-disrupting. Unlike general anxiety, which builds gradually, panic attacks strike like a lightning bolt: sudden, intense, and seemingly out of nowhere. One moment you’re fine, and the next, your body is convinced you're about to die, lose control, or go completely insane [1,2].</p><p>But here’s the thing: Panic attacks feel catastrophic, but they’re actually a mechanical process, your body running an outdated survival script at the wrong time. Once you understand what’s happening under the hood, it may be easier to start rewriting that script.&nbsp;So, let’s break it down: What exactly happens during a panic attack, and why does your body react like you’ve just been dropped into a horror movie? Spoiler: It’s not random, and your neurohormonal system is (mostly) just trying to help, it’s just really bad at knowing when to stop.</p><h3>Drowning on Dry Land: The Sensations of a Panic Attack</h3><p>The first panic attack typically occurs between the ages of 20 and 24, though it can happen at any age. It involves sudden intense fear or severe discomfort, accompanied by physical symptoms such as pounding or racing heart, rapid and shallow breathing, sweating, shaking or trembling, choking sensations, chest pain, nausea, abdominal discomfort, dizziness, fainting, chills, flushing, and numbness or tingling. You may also experience derealization (feeling disconnected from your surroundings, as though the world isn’t real) or depersonalization (feeling detached from yourself, as if you’re observing your body or actions from outside). These symptoms can be accompanied by an overwhelming fear of losing control, going crazy, or even dying. &nbsp;About one-third of individuals with panic disorder experience nocturnal attacks, where you awaken from sleep feeling panicked.&nbsp; The frequency and intensity of panic attacks varies a lot among individuals [5,6,7]. And if you experience panic attacks (or even didn't until now), reading that list might’ve just given you some new ideas. But I’ve pointed it out, so the spell is broken. Everything wil be okay.</p><p>Even if you’ve experienced panic attacks many times and know exactly what they are, an acute episode can still leave you feeling overwhelmed by fear and uncertainty, which only intensifies the symptoms. If you’re prone to panic attacks, you’re likely to be excessively anxious and often expect the worst outcomes. Panic attacks often fuel concerns about your physical health; it’s hard to believe that such intense symptoms could be purely psychological. After a panic episode, a persistent fear of recurrence often develops, leading to the avoidance of situations perceived as potential triggers. But panic attacks can strike in a variety of stressful circumstances, some of which may not even be obvious. Something as mundane as stale air or a lack of oxygen can be enough to trigger an episode. Over time, you may find yourself avoiding ... well, just everything.&nbsp; The avoidance can immensely impair your quality of life, gradually isolating you from activities, places, and even people. The constant worry that often accompanies panic disorder doesn’t just weigh on your mind; it increases your susceptibility to further panic attacks. The unrelenting state of anxiety can also lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms, like the use of addictive substances and activities. Brutal.</p><figure id="figure-xy8iqbepdvm65fj48t" class=""><img id="xy8iqbepdvm65fj48t" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1370151563/photo/female-shaman-bewitching-in-desert-tent-magical-meditation.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=56wLBjkU8YppEvZLNOAN86d-JRFHYTBqzp5tXaDvotg=" alt="The spell is broken if you say it out loud." title="The spell is broken if you say it out loud." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1370151563/photo/female-shaman-bewitching-in-desert-tent-magical-meditation.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=56wLBjkU8YppEvZLNOAN86d-JRFHYTBqzp5tXaDvotg=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h2>The Bilogy of Freaking Out: What’s Happening in Your Brain and Body</h2><p>Panic attacks may look and feel like pure chaos, but mechanically, your body is following a well-worn biological script. The initial slamming of the panic button starts with the amygdala, a part of the brain located in the temporal lobes. Often called the brain’s “fear center,” the amygdala is like an overzealous security guard, constantly scanning for threats and sometimes going overboard—interpreting harmless situations, like a crowded elevator, as if they’re a five-alarm fire. Once the amygdala raises the alarm, it immediately dispatches the message to two key departments: the nervous system and the hormonal system. In the nervous system, the alarm reaches the locus coeruleus, a.k.a. “adrenaline headquarters.” This manager of alertness and arousal takes its job very seriously, ensuring every corner of the body is prepped for action. Once the locus coeruleus is on board, it activates the sympathetic nervous system, sending out an urgent memo to the heart, blood vessels, sweat glands, and eyes. The result? Your heart races, blood flows to the muscles, and your pupils dilate: all part of your body’s emergency preparedness plan [6].</p><p>At this point, all hell breaks loose in your body’s office, and the team shifts into full survival mode. The heart, a loyal overachiever in emergencies, starts working overtime, pumping faster and harder to ensure every muscle has the fuel it needs. Blood pressure surges, and the pupils, ever the eager assistants, switch to "zoom mode," sharpening your vision to spot distant threats, no matter how far-fetched they might be. Meanwhile, the blood vessels in your muscles throw open the gates, readying you for action, while the digestive team gets a memo to stand by. With digestion effectively put on pause, energy is conserved for the real stars of the show: fight or flight. Over at the adrenal department, the glands get a direct order from the sympathetic system to release adrenaline and noradrenaline into the bloodstream. These hormones act like turbo boosters, delivering an extra jolt of energy to help you either fight the proverbial bear or sprint away at record speed. Heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate hit peak performance—all part of the body’s epic overreaction, whether the danger is real or just a figment of the amygdala’s imagination [6].</p><p>On the hormonal side, the amygdala calls in reinforcements by activating the hypothalamus, the brain’s dependable operations manager. Often called the body’s thermostat, the hypothalamus oversees essential processes like temperature, hunger, and stress. In this scenario, it grabs the stress-response whistle and blows it loud, releasing CRF (corticotropin-releasing factor). Think of CRF as the urgent memo that kicks off the next step in the chain reaction: rallying the pituitary gland. The pituitary, sometimes dubbed the "master gland", acts like the head of HR at the brain’s headquarters. Sitting at the base of the brain, it coordinates hormone production for a wide variety of bodily functions. When it gets the CRF memo, it immediately dispatches ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone), a courier tasked with delivering stress-related instructions to the adrenal cortex. The adrenal cortex, the outer layer of the adrenal glands perched like little hats on top of your kidneys, is the long-term crisis manager in this operation. Its main job is to produce cortisol, the body’s go-to stress hormone. Cortisol works overtime to keep you energized by increasing blood glucose levels, while also temporarily suspending less critical tasks like digestion and immunity. This stress-response chain, known as the HPA axis, operates like a well-oiled relay team, passing signals down the line to ensure your body is ready for action—whether the danger is a rampaging lion or just the overenthusiastic imagination of your amygdala [6].</p><p>Hyperventilation during a panic attack throws yet another wrench into the machinery. Instead of deep, steady breaths that fuel your body efficiently, shallow, rapid breathing from the upper chest takes over—like an overworked employee rushing through tasks and making mistakes. This frantic exhalation expels too much CO2, causing respiratory alkalosis, a condition where your blood’s pH rises, disrupting the delicate balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide. The result? It’s like your body’s engine starts sputtering on a bad fuel mix. Reduced blood flow to key areas leads to dizziness, tingling in your hands and feet, headaches, and even fainting—symptoms that make the whole ordeal even scarier [8]. Luckily, there’s a quick fix: breathing into a paper bag. Think of it as recycling your CO2, gently rebalancing your system and coaxing your body back to its steady rhythm. With restored balance, those alarming symptoms start to subside, and the chaos gradually gives way to calm.</p><figure id="figure-kbxli6m1inm65fgp0j"><img id="kbxli6m1inm65fgp0j" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1097603128/photo/open-hood-on-diesel-engine-modern-car-in-detail.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=oNcPBxX6GiGNyiM5wEfFwiNkYGUtjXAxPUuO30iimy4=" alt="Under the hood of a panic attack" title="Under the hood of a panic attack" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1097603128/photo/open-hood-on-diesel-engine-modern-car-in-detail.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=oNcPBxX6GiGNyiM5wEfFwiNkYGUtjXAxPUuO30iimy4=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure><h3>From Panic to Power</h3><p>Panic disorder might have gotten a head start, but it doesn’t have to be the boss of you. Sure, your brain’s ancient survival system is trying a little too hard to keep you safe, but with the right tools and a bit of practice, you can teach it to chill. After all, you should be in charge, not some overzealous alarm system that can’t tell the difference between a cyclist and a crowded elevator.&nbsp; The journey from panic to power isn’t about erasing your alarm system, but about turning the volume down and learning to work with it. Think of it as upgrading your operating system: you’re keeping the parts that help you and letting go of the parts that hold you back. Panic might be part of your story, but it doesn’t get to write the ending. That’s up to you.</p><figure id="figure-yx35ji5dllm7ipseyl"><img id="yx35ji5dllm7ipseyl" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1297831070/photo/woman-mountain-biker-rides-across-a-mountain-stream.jpg?b=1&s=2048x2048&w=0&k=20&c=x7mieKATJTk6f4_eITsom2J-kL1elTr7jwPguTdJjmc=" alt="Woman mountain biker rides across a mountain stream" title="Woman mountain biker rides across a mountain stream" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure><p>[1] &nbsp;National Institute of Mental Health (2025). Panic Disorder. <a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/panic-disorder" data-mce-href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/panic-disorder">https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/panic-disorder</a>.<br>[2] Gorbis, E., &amp; Jajoo, A. (2024). Panic Disorder: Epidemiology, Etiology, and Treatment Strategies. Journal of Medical and Clinical Nursing Studies, 2(5), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.61440/JMCNS.2024.v2.59.<br>[3] American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition: DSM-5. Philadelphia: APA.<br>[4] Fava, L. in Morton, J. (2009). Causal modeling of panic disorder theories. Clinical psychology review, 29(7), 623-637.<br>[5] Benedik, E. (2019). Diagnostično kodiranje. Sigmund Freud University.<br>[6] Carandang, C. (2016). The Neurobiology of Panic Attacks.&nbsp; <a href="https://pro.psychcentral.com/the-neurobiology-of-panic-attacks/" data-mce-href="https://pro.psychcentral.com/the-neurobiology-of-panic-attacks/">https://pro.psychcentral.com/the-neurobiology-of-panic-attacks/</a>.<br>[7] Ankrom, S. (2019). Biological theories of panic disorder. https://www.verywellmind.com/biological-theories-of-panic-disorder-2583924.<br>[8] Fava, L., &amp; Morton, J. (2009). Causal modeling of panic disorder theories. Clinical psychology review, 29(7), 623-637.<br>[9] Fava, L., &amp; Morton, J. (2009). Causal modeling of panic disorder theories. Clinical psychology review, 29(7), 623-637.<br>[10] Nesse, R. M. (1987). An evolutionary perspective on panic disorder and agoraphobia. Ethology and Sociobiology, 8(1), 73-83.<br>[11] Francesetti, G., Alcaro, A., &amp; Settanni, M. (2020). Panic disorder: attack of fear or acute attack of solitude? Convergences between affective neuroscience and phenomenological-Gestalt perspective. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process, and Outcome, 23(1), 77-87. <a href="https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2020.421" data-mce-href="https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2020.421">https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2020.421</a><br>[12] Quagliato, L. A., Freire, R. C., &amp; Nardi, A. E. (2018). Risks and benefits of medications for panic disorder: a comparison of SSRIs and benzodiazepines. Expert opinion on drug safety, 17(3), 315-324.<br>[13] Sandell, R., Svensson, M., Nilsson, T., Johansson, H., Viborg, G., &amp; Perrin, S. (2015). The POSE study-panic control treatment versus panic-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy under randomized and self-selection conditions: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials, 16, 1-10.<br>[14] Wampold, B. E. (2023). Brave new world: Mental health services 25 years since Dodo and 25 years in the future. Psychotherapy Research, 33(4), 533-534.<br>[15] Ceh, M. (2025). Cultivating Emotional Fitness: Science-Based Strategies for Optimizing Your Emotional Health. Affective Science Lab @ RDPA Asociacija.<br></p><p><br></p>

Inside a Panic Attack: What It Feels Like and What's Happening Under the Hood

Malka Ceh, PhD, MSc, cNPA

I'm an Affectologist. I work online with ambitious individuals worldwide who want to optimize their emotional health, fitness, and functioning to achieve better results in various fields of life, e.g., lifestyle, health, wellness, relationships, career, etc. My approach is science-based. I draw on psychodynamic concepts (unconscious processes, defense dynamics, etc.), developmental and relational theories, and the latest biological insights from evolutionary psychiatry and affective science, evolutionary psychology, and neuroscience. I use psychoanalytic and existential methods, phenomenological research, and motivational interviewing. I'm a Certified NeuroPsychoanalyst, PhD in Evolutionary Anthropology, MSc in Psychotherapy.


My services:

Your Experience of Life: The Foundation of Well-Being
Discover how emotional patterns shape your daily consciousness. When your emotional system is fit, negative triggers lose their power while positive experiences gain richness. You’ll develop an internal landscape where curiosity replaces anxiety, where setbacks trigger resilience rather than despair, and where self-awareness becomes your gateway to lasting contentment.

Health Goals: From Struggle to Natural Flow
Why do some people effortlessly maintain healthy habits while others constantly battle their impulses? The answer lies not in willpower, but in emotional patterning. By recalibrating your emotional responses to health-related triggers, you transform dreaded exercises into anticipated activities and healthy foods into preferred choices. Your emotions become allies in your health journey.

Relationships: Dancing with Others’ Emotions
Every interaction is an emotional tango where both partners’ patterns create the dance. Understanding your own emotional choreography while reading your partner’s emotional signals transforms relationships from mysterious struggles into fascinating collaborations. Learn to create harmony in relationships by mastering the rhythms of emotional exchange.

Professional Success Through Emotional Intelligence
Your career advancement depends less on technical skills and more on emotional patterns than you might think. Whether managing workplace relationships or maintaining focus on complex tasks, emotionally fit individuals naturally navigate professional challenges. Transform workplace triggers from sources of stress into opportunities for growth

Family Bonds: From Pain Points to Growth
As a grown child, you might still wrestle with your parents’ authority, carry unresolved emotional wounds, or struggle with evolving care roles. With siblings, natural competitions for resources and attention often persist, masked as adult conflicts over inheritance, parent care, or status. Through emotional fitness, you can recognize these patterns, transforming old triggers into opportunities for mature relationships. Your family dynamics become a laboratory for growth rather than a source of recurring pain.

Modern Parenting: Meeting the High Expectations
Your emotional system evolved when resources were scarce, and survival was paramount. Today’s parenting ideals create an emotionally demanding mismatch. Through emotional fitness, you can bridge the gap, transforming instinctive reactions into conscious responses. Learn to navigate between programmed impulses and contemporary parenting values, creating an environment where both you and your child can thrive.

Transform Your Emotional Landscape for Lasting Success
Emotions are the foundation of your moods, thoughts, actions, and, ultimately, your happiness and outcomes. In life, emotional health is your greatest asset. My approach provides the tools to optimize your emotional skills, enhance your mental capacities, and elevate your overall well-being, setting you on the path to sustained personal fulfillment. Join me in redefining what’s possible through a science-driven, pragmatical approach to emotional fitness.

Science Meets Every-Day Application
Each strategy is grounded in evidence-based science, ensuring reliability and effectiveness.
Solutions are customized for real-world application, meeting the demands of achievers and organizations alike.
Discover how personalized, science-backed insights can transform your emotional health and optimize performance.

Malka Ceh, PhD, MSc, cNPA

Articles

Core Emotion: SEEKING

The Roots of Panic: Understanding The Factors Behind Pani...

Emotional Fitness as the New Frontier in Personal Develop...

Panic Attacks: How Your Brain Thinks You’re in Mortal Dan...

The Emotional Onion: Peeling Back the Layers of Feeling

Inside a Panic Attack: What It Feels Like and What's Happ...