How Multiple Stressors Can Lead to Panic

Each of us has a personal Threshold of Stress - a tipping point beyond which we begin to feel overwhelmed, out of control, and vulnerable to panic. When this threshold is breached, common symptoms may include shortness of breath, trembling, slowed thinking, and difficulty focusing on everyday tasks. Emotionally, we may feel gripped by fear or frozen in a state of terror, as a deep sense of unease takes hold. Prolonged anxiousness can also disrupt sleep and appetite, further compounding distress.

Stress rarely arrives in isolation. Instead, it tends to accumulate - layer by layer - through life’s many demands. As these stressors build, they push us closer to our Threshold of Tolerance, reducing the mental and emotional “headroom” we usually rely on to cope with challenges. When that buffer shrinks, even minor additional stressors can tip us over the edge, triggering a cascade of panic symptoms.

Left unaddressed, this compounding anxiety can evolve into a full-blown panic attack. But it doesn’t have to.

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