Many have been in situations where one may suddenly panic, such as when the car being driven starts to skid and an accident seems imminent or when the plane one is riding encounters turbulence and it seems that it could crash.
But what about situations where the feeling of panic seems to come out of the blue? Then you're having a panic attack, a recognized medical condition that can be treated effectively.
While most people may experience such attacks once or twice in their lives, if at all, for others it's a chronic condition that already affects the quality of their lives.
But before we look at how you can start overcoming panic, let's look at some panic attack triggers.
It should be said that while it seems to come out of nowhere, in fact, there are triggers that cause it; the sufferer is just not aware of them.
Being conscious of these triggers helps us to control our attacks and live a healthy and productive life.
At the heart of it is a highly over-stimulated nervous system that has become so sensitive to certain types of stimuli that when the person senses it, even on an unconscious level, it triggers one.
So it is inaccurate to say that they come out of nowhere; the cause is just something that we are not aware of, unlike when we're confronted by obvious situations of danger.
The secret of overcoming panic is therefore to be aware of these triggers and to deal with them.
Triggers can be external - a smell, noises in the environment or a change of temperature in the atmosphere - or internal: a memory or an emotion.
The reason the sufferer is not aware of these triggers is that they are usually doing something else at the time.
For example, you may be driving along the highway when you suddenly spot something at the corner of your eye that causes an attack.
Since what you see happens in just a split-second, you are not aware of it, therefore believe the panic attack just happened.
Entering into psychotherapy can help you deal with panic attacks by identifying the triggers so that you can deal with them.
For example, the trigger may be related to something in your childhood, such as a trauma or fears of abandonment.
But even those with perfectly happy childhoods may have panic attack triggers, for instance resulting from fears that they are letting their parents down by not being perfect, or that their parents will not love them if they are too assertive.
Medication may also be prescribed for panic attack suffers, such as anti-depressants and mild stimulants.
Note, however, that these medications will not help you cure panic attacks; they are simply a way of managing the symptoms that go with an attack.
And of course there are alternative methods of dealing with panic attacks, including stress relieving disciplines such as yoga and meditation, as well as lifestyle changes such as avoiding caffeine, alcohol and other mood-altering substances.
With a little research, you'll surely find the right way ofovercoming panic that meets your needs.