Breaking the Cycle: The relationship between anxiety, panic attacks and stress - Panic Attacks FAQ. If you have high levels of stress and anxiety, panic attacks are more likely to occur.
It’s quite simple really. As mentioned in the panic course (more on this later), you can think of it like a tripwire. The more stressed you are, the more anxiety you experience from day-to-day and so the tighter the tripwire becomes. Then, any sudden increase in stress or anxiety levels can ‘pull’ on the tripwire, triggering a panic attack. Your mind is constantly monitoring your state to ascertain when you might need your fight or flight response. E&S - PHYSIOLOGY - STRESS.