[cj]

And it often compounds.

E.g. I have hyperhydrosis (excessive sweating). When my hands start sweating (for no good reason), I get anxious especially when around people expecting a handshake, which makes me more anxious which makes the hand sweating worse.

(If anyone suffers from the same re: sweating, ask you doctor about glycopyrrolate - it’s one of those drugs that is completely life changing for anyone with excessive sweating and with minimal/tolerable side effects)

Propranolol is also a godsend for anxiety (also with minimal side effects, unlike benzos , etc)

[can16358p]

Yup. Just thinking about panic attack getting worse or experiencing any of the effects like sweating or pounding heart (regardless of the cause) starts a bad positive feedback loop (more panic, more sweat/heart pounding, then more panic because of that) until the doom/derealization and fight-or-flight kicks in. I can easily call that feeling "the worst/most frightening experience ever" in my whole life.