A lot of people who encountered panic attack tend to develop a certain level of fear to the place where the attack took place.

Those with less fear will start to avoid going to the exact location where the event happened, whereas those with more fear will be avoiding similar place altogether. And, some with serious fear will probably develop a social sickness called "Agoraphobia".

Agoraphobia is fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places. Those with this sickness have a great fear of leaving a safe place, and eventually, wanted to stay at home, or in their most familiar sanctuary, their room.

This is a typical case where we human tend to do, that is taking the easy way out when we face pain.

"If avoiding the location of the past pain event can reduce the risk of getting the pain happening again, why not?"

But, when anyone does this, the following 3 things happened.

First, instead of solving the fear or anxiety cause, you are hiding and avoiding it. So, instead of forgetting about the panic attack, you are actually building a strong foundation to remember about the pain.

Secondly, you are putting a restriction to your own freedom. Your life start to change, there are certain locations that becomes a restricted zone for you. You are building new pressure to your fear, anxiety and stress level.

This is all happening sub-consciously, most of the time, you are glad that you do not have to face the location of the past event, but you know for the fact that deeply in your heart, you are becoming more and more fearful to that location.

Thirdly, the next time you have no choice but to face the location again, you start to think automatically about the past panic attack without knowing it.

You do not even have to physically be at the location, but just by thinking of getting close to the location might have just triggered the attack.

And, this time, it is going to be worse.

And, when all these 3 things happened, it trigger the worsening cycle of panic attack; and the fear to attack and attack to more fear cycle will sneak its way in to your life.

The next thing you know, panic disorder becomes a parasite living within you.

Instead of avoiding the location of the past panic attack, you should try to do the following.

Step 1:

Do not avoid the location by all means. But, before you complete this 4 step fear elimination process, try not to be too close to the location. Try not to let the trigger being pulled.

Step 2:

Analyse the location, your fear behind the event and the root cause of the fear.

Take an example, you were jogging alone along a pathway as usual, and suddenly the panic attack happened while you are passing through your neighbor house.

Ask yourself why this location and not other place?
What is there that you thought something might happen?

Is it because of the dog your neighbor having?

Is it because you are afraid of seeing someone that may appear there?

Or, is it because you suddenly realized that you forgot to lock your door?

Step 3:

What could you do to eliminate the root cause of the fear?

Let’s use the example again.

If it is because of the dog, can you get someone to accompany you next time?

If it is because of someone that you afraid to see, can you understand why you are afraid of the person and try to remove the fear to the person?

If it is because the fear of someone breaks into your house, can you make sure that you lock the door next time?

Step 4:

Take action to clear the fear.

After analyse the reason and determine how to solve the problem, you must take solid action to make it happen.

Step 5:

This is crucial and a must do. You must now re-visit the location again, doing the same thing you did during the last attack.

Be prepared to the symptom of the attack, if you start to feel uncomfortable about the place, do not quit. Move on, because of you well prepared, you are very unlikely to face the event again.

The next thing you know, you are no longer a runaway refugee to that location.

The Mind Is The Limit.

View all Kam Meng Mok's articles

---

About the Author:

More Mental Wellness articles