Panic Attacks and Phobias go hand in hand. But people who suffer from panic attacks do not always have phobias and vice versa.
Often phobias are caused when we link a specific object or situation to an unpleasant feeling. But a phobia can also develop because we have a panic attack in a certain situation and then subconsciously link the situation and the panic attack because that is how we make sense of it – even though the two weren’t linked. For example it is quite common to have a panic attack due to hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). And if it so happens that you are in a supermarket when your blood sugar drops and you have those panicky symptoms (cold sweat, feeling disconnected, dizziness, hype-real colours, palpitations) then you might become fearful of supermarkets.
So a panic attack is not just a symptom of a phobia, it is also a cause. If the object of a phobia is quite specific, such as a spider or an elevator then the best approach is probably exposure therapy. That is assuming that anxiety and panic attacks don’t effect the rest of your life. Please see here for best panic attack therapies.
If however your life is blighted by more general phobias, such as agoraphobia, then you should look for the cause of the panic attacks and then also challenge the phobia through exposure and CBT. There are many potential causes of panic attacks, which, when remedied, can make the whole process of exposure and overcoming the phobias you have developed much easier.
I have mentioned Hypoglycaemia, but there are many other possible causes of panic attacks:
- Food allergies
- Vestibular Disorders
- Mineral Deficiencies.
To name just three.
There has long been a tendency to link Panic Attacks with psychological or emotional problems. I believe that this is erroneous. While they may have emotional symptoms and be exacerbated by stress and emotional events, that does not mean they are an emotional problem.
If you are interested in exploring the physical causes of anxiety, I recommend Killing Anxiety From The Roots.