Why Do You Feel Running Away while Panic Attacks?

Panic attacks are one of those things that are a lot of people are a victim of. Feelings of panic can be very scary, but the feelings you have are your body telling you to fight or run away from the potential danger. Most panic attacks suffers have the feeling like running away when panic attacks happen. So why?

Fight or flight response mechanism is an adaptive function placed in us for the sole purpose of self-preservation. For most people these debilitating symptoms taper off and the body is restored back to it's normal state. However, for some individuals, the adrenaline is not metabolized as easily and it may linger in the body longer. Hence, we need to look at anxiety as a physiological condition that needs behavioral adjusting, as opposed to a psychiatric illness.

So they are mechanisms that evolved to protect you in our normal circumstance; but now, in this moment, there is no real danger. Your instinct to run away during an attack of panic is a normal reaction, but you really need to go through the feelings of panic, to move towards them willingly. All you fear are these feelings fact, it is a fear of how you will fear when you get there. In one word, it's not a real danger, but followed the normal reaction.

As to psychological factor, When you have a panic attack, epinephrine is released by the body and floods your system. Epinephrine is a "fight or flight" chemical that makes a person able to flee or fight an enemy or danger, which is a very useful characteristic for human survival.

Whenever excessive adrenaline is in your body, the effect is to supply more sugar to muscle tissue, make you breathe harder, and prepare you for action, so of course you are ready to run, However, there is usually no immediate danger to you, since a panic attack is a false alarm. Instead of running away, you should try to sit down, breathe deeply, and use cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. Giving in to the impulse to run away is usually a mistake.