Anxiety attacks, panic attacks and anxiety disorder all set traps for its victims. The reason for this is anxiety and even simple nervousness, is brought on by the flight or fight syndrome and they bring with them feelings that are disturbing enough to cause people to try to escape from them. Escaping from anything means fighting with it or running away from it. In other words, fight or flight. As you can see, this is counterproductive because anxiety intensifies as we try to fight it or run away from it.
Everyone experiences nervousness to some degree and most people experience anxiety of some type. However, if we try to flee from the feelings this anxiety brings to us we only help its fires to burn hotter. By the same token, the more we wrestle with it in an attempt to make it subside the more we also intensify the feelings anxiety brings on. Therefore, recognizing nervousness and anxiety and then trying to avoid them is a prescription for more anxiety and more nervousness.
Many people find help by simply doing their best to ignore any symptom brought on by anxiety or nervousness and concentrating on the feelings which are brought on by relaxation. For this reason, it is very helpful to use simple relaxation techniques periodically. Then when you get yourself to the point where you are engulfed in relaxation, you will have experienced relaxation and can recall the feelings this relaxation has brought to you anytime you wish.
By doing this you no longer are fighting with anxiety. Thus, you will not be causing it to intensify. Instead, you will be using the positive reinforcement of relaxation to stop the cycle that intensifies nervousness.
Doctor Charles Drew Medical Blog 