Panic treats every possibility like a current event.

In a panicked state, something that might happen is processed with the same weight as something that has happened, and the body responds accordingly. That is why anxious hours are so exhausting, since you are living through several outcomes at once, most of which will never occur. The distinction between possible and actual is the first casualty.

When your mind presents a scenario, ask whether this has happened or might happen. Say the answer plainly. It sounds mechanical and it restores a distinction that panic collapses, which changes how the whole thing sits.