The manifestation of self-defeating and faulty thinking is the primary cause of panic attacks, where your inner voice is telling you terrible things, further worsening your fears and anxieties. As with any phobia, panic disorder can take root and cause you to think you are going to die or something bad is going to happen to you. You might even be predicting something horrible happening in the future.

What to do!

In order to prevent yourself from completely spiraling out of control during a panic attack, you must first say “STOP” in your mind, and take 5-deep breaths from your diaphragm. This will activate your parasympathetic nervous system which will release acetylcholine (a hormone) into your body. This will quickly relax you and slow your heart rate. It will also counteract the hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which are released into your system when you enter into the panic attack.

Next, start reasoning with yourself, which means start thinking logically. Are your fears real and based in reality, or are they assumptions of what you think is happening or going to happen in the future?

Logical thinking can immediately reduce a panic attack if you tell yourself the right things, like “I am reacting to my assumptions, I do not know the facts, I am safe at this moment and nothing can harm me, I need to calm down and think about this logically.”

Reasoning is much like mediating a bad argument between two people. You must think about what you would say to bring calm to the situation. Reasoning helps you to successfully cope with the dilemma and effectively resolve the problem. Reasoning is a prerequisite to improving the quality of your life! But only if you reason logically and effectively.

The prefrontal cortex plays a key function with developing the capacity to solve problems and think logically. You can strengthen this area of the brain by engaging in more problem solving and mentally challenging activities.

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