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Many people are using safety objects to help "protect" themselves from their panic attacks.

Although it feels good to have a safety object, it can actually make panic disorder worse in the long run.

Cognitive behavioral therapists work with people with panic on effectively addressing the roots of the fears.

An element of CBT for panic is eliminating reliance on safety objects.

Recently, the Wall Street Journal published an article about “panic pouches,” things that people bring with them to feel more comfortable and less anxious. The article highlighted a few people who spoke about the different items in the panic pouch, such as fidget toys, THC gummies, lavender oil, and anti-nausea medication.

Although the article did not say that these panic pouches were meant solely to calm panic attacks, let’s discuss why these items can actually make panic disorder worse in the long run, even though they might help with a panic attack in the short term.

What Is Panic Disorder?

People who struggle with panic disorder tend to have recurring panic attacks, which are sudden rushes of intense anxiety that often reach their peak within minutes. They are characterized by intense physical sensations such as a rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and dizziness, and the person might feel like they are dying or losing their mind. People with panic disorder tend to have high levels of anxiety sensitivity—they are fearful of symptoms of anxiety.

People with panic disorder also have panic attacks that seem to come out of the blue, and the panic attacks cause them some distress and interfere with their lives. Many people with panic disorder also have agoraphobia, where they avoid situations they associate with panic attacks.........

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