by 
If you are walking in the jungle and hear a twig snap, what would be your initial interpretation of what caused the sound? It could be a tiger, or it could be a piece of fruit falling from a tree. If your initial interpretation is that it is a tiger made the sound, you may feel fear. If you interpret it to be a piece of fruit, you may feel hopeful to have a sweet snack.
Our emotions come from our interpretations of situations. There could be hundreds of possible interpretations for a specific event. Many are negative and debilitating, and many are positive and non-threatening.
The interpretations that we make are based upon past experience. Past experience of trauma results in interpretations that are scary or life-threatening. Consequently, these interpretations invoke feelings of fear or panic.
It is possible to train our minds to change the interpretations we make. This involves practice and rehearsal of new interpretations.