When Panic Hits at Work: The Real Reason and the Way Out
Have you ever been in the middle of your workday—leading a meeting, sending emails, or talking with your team—when suddenly your heart starts racing, your chest feels tight, and a wave of dread hits? You try to hold it together, but inside, it feels like you’re falling apart.
For many driven, high-achieving women, panic attacks are the hidden struggle behind a polished, capable exterior. You’re used to being in control, keeping things together, and performing at a high level. But inside, it can feel like you’re constantly bracing for the next time panic takes over.
It’s not weakness. It’s your body asking for healing.
Why Panic Shows Up When You’re Doing “Everything Right”
Work is full of pressure—deadlines, expectations, leadership responsibilities. For high-achieving women, these demands can push your nervous system into overdrive. When stress builds up and the body can’t hold any more, today’s stress can bump into yesterday’s unhealed pain.
That racing heart or sense of dread often isn’t just about the meeting or the email. It’s your body remembering something deeper—a time you felt powerless, unsafe, or not good enough. Panic can rise when old experiences, stored deep in your body, are stirred up by current stress.
This doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means your body is trying to protect you the best way it knows how.
How Pressure and Past Pain Collide
Workplaces can quietly trigger old emotional patterns. A sharp tone from your boss might echo a parent’s criticism. A conflict with a coworker might stir the same feeling of being left out from middle school.
Your body reacts fast—long before your mind can reason through what’s happening. That’s why panic can feel sudden or “out of nowhere.” It’s not random. It’s a survival response that never got the memo that you’re safe now.
When the nervous system hasn’t had the chance to fully process those old moments, it keeps bracing for impact. Therapy can help your body finally understand that the danger is over.
The Hidden Cost of Managing Panic Alone
If you’ve had panic attacks at work, you know how isolating it can feel. You might slip into the bathroom to calm down or spend your energy holding it together instead of focusing on your work. Over time, the exhaustion builds.
You may start to doubt yourself—wondering if you can keep up or if you’re “falling apart.” Some women even consider taking a leave from work just to find relief. It doesn’t just affect your career; it can spill into your relationships and your sense of self.
The truth is, you don’t have to keep managing panic alone. There’s a path to real, lasting change.
How EMDR Intensives Help Heal the Roots of Panic
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapy that helps your brain and body reprocess painful experiences so they no longer run the show. When combined with IFS (Internal Family Systems) and somatic work, it allows the parts of you that carry fear, shame, or old pain to finally be heard and healed.
An EMDR intensive gives you the time and focus that weekly sessions can’t always provide. Instead of opening and closing deep work each week, an intensive creates a steady, contained space to go all the way to the root. Together, we process what your body has been holding so that it can finally relax.
Clients often describe feeling lighter, calmer, and more confident—not because the panic has been “managed,” but because the trigger no longer has power. The body now knows the danger has passed.
Imagine Feeling Safe and Confident Again
Imagine waking up without that sense of dread. You walk into work grounded, knowing that even when stress hits, you can stay steady. You trust yourself again. You can be present—with your team, your family, and yourself—without fearing that panic will take over.
That’s what I’ve seen over and over again for the women I work with. When we heal the roots of panic, your energy, confidence, and joy return. You start living from a place of calm instead of fear.
Taking the Next Step Toward Healing
If this resonates with you, you don’t have to keep pushing through or hiding panic behind your success. Healing is possible—and it can happen faster and deeper than you might imagine.
I offer EMDR intensives in Colorado for driven women who are ready to feel safe, calm, and whole again. If you’re curious whether this might be a fit, schedule a free consult to talk to Alli and learn more. You deserve to feel steady, confident, and fully present in your life.
