“What is the reason for panic attacks?”

Any number of issues could be contributing to the frequency of the panic attacks. The fears and anticipation of an attack could result in self-fulfilling outcome. Since the self absorption and monitoring could be reinforcing this outcome. Need to observe and identify patterns of behavior and then make conscious effort to initiate/replace with a constructive choice.

Panic attacks are common and extremely uncomfortable. That said, they are quite treatable. She might start with a good workbook (The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Bourne is a recommendation) if she is afraid to get treatment.
However, I would let her know that treatment is extremely effective in dealing with panic and that she owes it to herself to give it a try.

There can be several factors at play here, some of which could be stress, others can be related to a physiological causation. Speak to your medical doctor.

Geraldine Fee, Ph.D.

Is your sister also afraid of leaving the house? Did she experience any trauma recently? I suggest contacting a mental health provider right away, if she is afraid to get out of the house, some will provide treatment at home.

Panic attacks are terrifying. They produce symptoms that FEEL like the person is being chased by a wild beast. But actually, of course, there is no wild beast, so the person feels at a total loss to understand or explain this reaction to themselves or others.

So, there are many causes for panic attacks. There’s a good article on the subject on the Mayo Clinic website. Fortunately, there are many effective treatments, from medication to general psychotherapy, through specific psychological programs. My choice of these is biased by my training and experience: Hypnosis, applied by a mental health specialist who is properly trained by a professional organization such as ASCH (see American Society of Clinical Hypnosis website). Through their referral system, your sister can find a practitioner specializing in treating panic disorders.

Your sister CAN be helped - she is lucky to have you advocate for her.

Peace,

Marian Shapiro

Panic attacks are simply the fight/flight/freeze response to a fearful situation. Fear is a natural emotion triggered by the amygdala in the limbic system of our brain and is a response to a clear and present danger that something may harm or kill us. It is a bottom-up process. Panic can originate from a real dangerous situation one experienced, and then generalize to other potential future events that are similar to the original stimulus, or it can also originate from anxiety. Anxiety is manufactured or artificial fear, a false imitator of fear, and is future-oriented, i.e., imagining a catastrophic event in the future. Usually, the things we become anxious about are not going to kill us. Modern stressors are not like the dangers that cavemen had to face that really could kill them, but our brain is still the caveman brain, so it treats anxiety the same as fear. Anxiety originates in the left prefrontal cortex and is a top-down process that sends signals down to the anterior cingulate gyrus then through the caudate nucleus, and finally to the amygdala, which then triggers the autonomic nervous system sympathetic division, which triggers the flight/flight/freeze response called panic. Brain lock sets in, the circuitry becomes hardwired to keep repeating the cycle of anxiety and panic.

Without talking to or knowing your sister, I would not know the root cause of her panic attacks; past or recent events that triggered stress, anxiety, actual fear may be the cause, or even just imagined fears. But once one has experienced the horrible feelings of a panic attack, it begins to create its own anticipatory anxiety, which then predisposes one to more panic attacks. One begins to fear fear itself, and the monster grows exponentially. Without professional treatment, it is likely to continue and/or get progressively worse. Psychiatrists and anxiolytics can certainly help, but medications simply dull the amygdala, which is actually part of the memory system (it stores emotional memories), so dulling it or anesthetizing it doesn't help it to learn how to overcome the original fearful stimulus, and there are side effects to anti-anxiety medications. Cognitive-behavioral techniques and exposure techniques actually rewire the anxious brain better. I would recommend she read the book Rewire the Anxious Brain and Dr. Schwartz's book, Brain Lock. Both books can be found on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. I recommend she find a psychologist and start by reading those books. Being afraid to go to treatment will likely only prolong the anxiety and panic attacks.

There are many reasons for panic attacks. The first thing I tell everyone is you must see you Doctor, tell him or her what is happening and make sure you get a clean bill of health. After that is where I come in.
If you do not address panic attacks when they start, you are in for a rough road. Panic attacks will not hurt you! They make you feel as if you are dying, but you're not.

Do not fear we can fix this problem.

Panic attacks are a reaction to an inability to deal with a major perceived anxiety issue. She should see a therapist to help her nip them in the bud. Sit down with her to go over why she is so apprehensive about having treatment and do a pros versus cons analysis.

I would encourage you to have your sister talk to a mental health professional to be formally evaluated. In my work, I have often heard people say they have "panic attacks," but the clinical diagnosis is not warranted when I further explore their symptoms. Panic is fueled by fearful thoughts, and if she does indeed have clinical panic attacks, they are very treatable.

Panic attacks are a result of anxiety. Maybe you can speak with her about what stressors she has lately.

I don’t know how old your sister is and what is going on with her right now. So it is hard for me to diagnose anything. It is obviously though that something is going on with her right now. She can go see a therapist who cannot give out medication and for her to tell the therapist she doesn’t want to take any medication. If the therapist highly recommends medication, she can just leave and get another therapist. She may just need someone to talk to. She can always ask me anything?

I would encourage your sister to get treatment. Would she rather have fear and do nothing (so nothing changes or even worsens)? Or have fear AND the possibility of getting better by seeking treatment? You can't do anything unless she is willing to do something.