This process is best done with the help of family and friends, who can help you to make those steps all the while keeping the person assured of their relative safety. It isn t completely known what causes agoraphobic panic attacks, or why the panic attacks manifest in this form. It is suspected that many agoraphobics already had the propensity for being afraid of travel, with many of them being the type that experienced motion sickness before they ever experience panic attacks. Drinking during a panic attack will not help calm a person down, nor will it help relax them and prevent an attack. Most doctors will agree that alcohol and panic attack experiences do not mix. In fact one of the things a doctor will suggest to any newly diagnosed panic sufferer will be that they cut down on their alcohol consumption. When a person panics, the body is essentially triggering a “fight or flight” response to the source of the attack. In most cases this drastic reaction is not needed and has no outlet once it is started. Tip three is to learn about this mechanism, and the best ways a person can counter it on their own. The development of a panic attack disorder is usually associated with a lack of proper coping skills more than it is a brain function or a biological illness as the idea behind panic is a poor management of stressful situations. Mental health professionals often prescribe a variety of types of therapy. For example, the likelihood of a generally out of shape individual with poor time management skills and poor stress management skills of experiencing a panic attack in a stressful situation is significantly higher than that of a well adjusted person that is confident with their time and stress management skills. If you have ever experienced a panic attack, then you know the feeling of terror that accompanies them, as well as the crippling fear that it might happen again. If you are one of the three million Americans who have had multiple panic attacks, you should know that there are ways to control panic attack symptoms.