Torrilin

Think of panic attacks as your body picking a spectacularly ****ty way to react to a stressful situation, using normal and rational responses to common stresses. Keep in mind it's a HEALTHY biological response to some things. If you can't breathe, panic is an entirely natural, rational and sane response. The problem for those with enduring a panic attack or a panic disorder is that they're having a natural and healthy reaction to an inappropriate stimulus. A lot of medical problems are basically your body taking a helpful reaction and then doing it over and over even tho it's gotten couterproductive.

Most of my experience won't be particularly helpful for the OP. I'm an asthmatic, and one of my main triggers is emotional stress. I've had a panic attack set my asthma off once, and panic attacks can set up really medically interesting negative feedback loops for me as an asthmatic. I do not recommend being medically interesting.

A lot of the time tho, the cognitive therapy folks are talking about is meant to help the person face their fears, rather like you and your motorbike crashes. It can get just as hands on as going out and taking a class where you'd deliberately crash a car or motorbike so you get practical experience of how not scary it can be. An anxiety patient would probably do some mental work before taking the class, and more work after. The stuff I do for cognitive therapy tends to be quite concrete as well, since well... I like breathing .

It can be a more mental thing as well. But even where the cause of your panic is "all in your head" your body's reactions are going to be really really physical, and giving the right first aid treatment can really help.