I read much of her behavior, including this panic attack, as covert manipulation. The panic attack may not be conscious, but it is still meant to control you. The very fact that she puts her arm around you says something. She makes a choice to stay distant, which is comfortable to her as long as you are following her (like a puppy dog). When you refuse to follow, she gets panicky because her puppy dog has left and she is now alone.
Keep calling her bluff. She is terrified of being without you and conceals this through her actions. Your chasing her makes her feel like the stronger person, but as you are seeing, she isn’t. Stop the chase and she can’t keep up her charade of strength by rejecting you. The dance is stopped and the balance of power changed. Now Blackfoot’s tactics can be useful.
