Having panic attacks daily or near-daily is not uncommon for people with panic disorder or other anxiety disorders. While it may seem like constant panic is abnormal, it is fairly common among those struggling with severe anxiety. With treatment and lifestyle changes, the frequency and intensity of panic attacks can be reduced significantly.
What are panic attacks?
Panic attacks are sudden and intense feelings of fear, anxiety, and discomfort that peak within minutes. They often include physical symptoms like a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, and trembling. Mentally, panic attacks cause fearful thoughts, a sense of losing control, and feeling like you’re going crazy or about to die. While scary, panic attacks themselves are not dangerous.
Common symptoms of panic attacks:
- Racing heartbeat
- Chest tightness
- Tingling sensations
- Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Choking sensation
- Shaking or trembling
- Nausea
- Fear of losing control
- Fear of dying
- Feeling detached from reality
A panic attack typically peaks within 10 minutes and rarely lasts more than 30 minutes. But the effects like shakiness and anxiety may linger for hours after.
What causes recurring panic attacks?
Frequent and recurring panic attacks are most commonly associated with panic disorder. Panic disorder is diagnosed when someone experiences:
- Repeated, unexpected panic attacks
- Constant worry about future attacks
- Behavior changes to avoid triggers that may cause an attack
Around 2-3% of Americans experience panic disorder in their lifetime. Panic attacks can also occur in other anxiety disorders like generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, PTSD, and more. Recurrent panic attacks can have a few potential causes:
Biology
Genetics may play a role, as panic disorder tends to run in families. Imbalances in brain chemicals like serotonin or norepinephrine could make someone more prone to panic attacks.
Stress
High stress levels, traumatic events, and major life changes can trigger the start of recurring panic attacks in someone already predisposed.
Thought patterns
Cognitive distortions like catastrophizing or overestimating danger can make panic attacks more likely for people with anxiety. The anxiety fuels the thoughts, and vice versa, creating a loop.
Sensitization
After an initial panic attack, some people develop a heightened sensitivity to bodily sensations. Minor physical cues like a slight headache or faster breathing get interpreted as something much worse, triggering further attacks.
Is it normal to have a panic attack every day?
Having a panic attack on most days or every day is not considered “normal” from a clinical standpoint. But it is fairly common in people with severe, untreated anxiety disorders like panic disorder and agoraphobia.
In one study of 258 patients with panic disorder:
- 15% had daily panic attacks
- 35% had panic attacks at least once per week
- Only 20% had attacks less than once per month
So while frequent panic attacks are outside the norm, they are not abnormal or dangerous on their own. The panic attack frequency simply shows the severity of the anxiety disorder.
Is it dangerous to have panic attacks daily?
Having panic attacks every day or near-daily is not inherently dangerous physically. But it can start to take a toll mentally and on daily functioning. Possible effects of untreated frequent panic attacks include:
- Developing agoraphobia (fear of being in public places)
- Difficulty working or attending school
- Disruption to relationships and social life
- Increased risk for depression
- Alcohol or drug abuse, as a coping mechanism
- Suicidal thoughts
The anxiety, fear, and avoidance behaviors that stem from recurrent panic attacks can severely reduce quality of life. But the panic attacks themselves will not cause any lasting physical harm.
When to seek emergency help
In rare cases, frequent panic attacks could be linked to other underlying medical or mental health conditions. It’s best to seek emergency care if you experience:
- Suicidal thoughts
- Panic attack symptoms that do not improve with time and self care
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest pain
- Losing touch with reality
- Fainting or collapsing
- Numbness on one side of the body
- Panic attacks that keep getting worse despite treatment
Though not likely, frequent panic attacks could potentially have a different cause like a thyroid disorder, respiratory disease, or substance abuse problem. A doctor can help rule these out or get you prompt treatment.
Treatments to reduce daily panic attacks
Recurring daily panic attacks often improve significantly with proper treatment. Some effective treatment options include:
Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a highly effective talk therapy for panic disorder. It helps you change thought patterns, develop healthy coping strategies, and slowly face feared situations. 60-90% of people with panic disorder see improvement with CBT.
Medication
SSRIs, SNRIs, and benzodiazepines are sometimes prescribed to help prevent panic attacks. They modify brain chemicals like serotonin and GABA that regulate fear responses. About 70% of people with panic disorder respond well to antianxiety medications.
Relaxation techniques
Methods like deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness help induce relaxation. This reduces overall anxiety and the frequency of panic attacks for many people.
Exercise
Aerobic exercise releases endorphins that improve mood and decrease stress hormone levels. A consistent exercise routine can reduce panic attack frequency after several weeks.
Avoiding triggers
Stimulants like caffeine, drugs, hot and crowded places, stress, and poor sleep habits can trigger attacks. Avoiding lifestyle triggers can help decrease daily panic attacks.
Combining therapy, medication, lifestyle changes, and self-help strategies results in the best outcome. With consistent treatment, recurrent daily panic attacks can absolutely be overcome.
When to expect improvement
With proper treatment, most people with daily panic attacks see a decrease in frequency within 6-8 weeks. However, improvement is very individualized based on the severity, causes, and proper treatment.
Many notice a significant drop in attack frequency within just 1-2 weeks. But for some, it takes months of work to control panic attacks occurring multiple times daily.
It’s important to give treatment a chance to work while also being patient with yourself. With daily panic attacks, setbacks during the healing process are normal too. Progress happens gradually, so try not to get discouraged.
Coping strategies for daily panic attacks
Along with professional treatment, using self-help coping strategies can help reduce daily panic attacks. Some positive coping tips include:
- Learning calming breathing exercises to use during panic attacks.
- Using grounding techniques to distract yourself and stay present.
- Carrying anxiety medication with you as needed.
- Practicing progressive muscle relaxation when you notice anxiety rising.
- Doing light exercise like walking to relieve tension.
- Practicing mindfulness and accepting your feelings.
- Avoiding catastrophizing and telling yourself this will pass.
- Talking to a trusted friend or writing in a journal.
It can also help to educate yourself about anxiety, panic, and the related cognitive distortions. Understanding that you aren’t in real danger and the attacks are only temporary can help minimize fear.
When to seek help for daily panic attacks
If experiencing panic attacks nearly every day or more often, it’s important to seek professional help. A doctor or mental health provider can properly diagnose if you have panic disorder, determine any underlying causes, and get you appropriate treatment.
Leaving recurrent panic attacks unchecked often leads them to get worse over time and significantly reduce quality of life. Daily panic attacks won’t go away on their own. Seeking help can help you regain control and greatly reduce how often attacks occur.
Many people try unsuccessfully to manage frequent panic attacks alone for months or years. But a combination of professional treatment and self-care is most effective. If panic attacks are happening daily and not improving with lifestyle changes, seek help right away.
Conclusion
Having a panic attack every day or near-daily is fairly common in those with untreated panic disorder. While not considered normal, daily panic attacks are generally not dangerous physically. But they can start to negatively impact mental health and daily functioning if left unchecked.
The good news is daily panic attacks are very treatable. A combination of therapy, medication, lifestyle changes, and using coping skills can dramatically reduce how often attacks occur. If you’re experiencing recurrent daily panic attacks, seek professional help and be patient with the process. Consistent treatment can help regain control of panic and anxiety.