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"Care-seeking" behaviors can cause us to visit specialists for what are actually anxiety-driven symptoms.

Panic-based physical sensations are "somatic mimics," not medical issues that require a specialist visit.

Neurologists, urologists, and cardiologists are often visited by people who experience panic-driven symptoms.

Because panic attacks can cause so many uncomfortable and frightening physical sensations, from heart palpitations to lightheadedness to frequent urination (not to mention the slew of others), those of us who struggle with panic often find ourselves in medical settings searching for answers to the question “why is my body doing this?” This question is often accompanied by a fear that something is catastrophically wrong and that our health is in imminent danger.

This search for reassurance often leads us to seek out medical specialists who can rule out the terrifying possibilities that our anxiety draws, such as stroke, heart attack, neurological disease, or some other dire illness or disease. The problem is that this reassurance-seeking, while understandable, is often misguided, as panic and anxiety are the actual source of our physical symptoms, rather than some debilitating illness. Nevertheless, we seek out medical specialists who can give us answers, and there are a few who are commonly visited by people who experience panic-based physical discomfort. Understanding why these specialists are frequently visited and the physical sensations that send us to them, can help us to cultivate a more balanced approach........

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