The “I’m going to die” variety of panic attack is only one of many. Other people have them when driving on the highway, just stepping outside their door or meeting too many people at the same time.
There’s generally a more direct trigger than watching TV, but sure, see the wrong show, think the slightly wrong thought, notice that little bulge on the left side of your big toe when you’ve propped them up on the table. Take a few more cycles of things you worry about and you’re well and truly in the middle of a panic attack (which is as described in another comment).
The nasty part is that it’s hard to recognize as such when you’re in the middle of it.
> The nasty part is that it’s hard to recognize as such when you’re in the middle of it.
Oh yes. The first time it happened to me, I asked my wife to drive me to the hospital because I thought I was having a heart attack.
Turns out it wasn’t and the doc reassured me by saying me that half the heart attack suspicions they got in emergencies were in fact panic attacks. So it’s something as common as it is frightening.
It happened a second time but I finally managed to recognize what it was. This one was really random, I was effectively just watching TV ^^
There’s generally a more direct trigger than watching TV, but sure, see the wrong show, think the slightly wrong thought, notice that little bulge on the left side of your big toe when you’ve propped them up on the table. Take a few more cycles of things you worry about and you’re well and truly in the middle of a panic attack (which is as described in another comment).
The nasty part is that it’s hard to recognize as such when you’re in the middle of it.