What Causes Panic Attacks?

Panic attacks, also referred to as anxiety attacks, are fairly common. Although they are not a danger to your physical health they can be very scary and have the potential to disrupt your life. It is normal for people with this condition to wonder what is happening to them, why is it happening and what can they do about it? So what causes panic attacks and what should you do if you have one?

Panic attacks are not a physical illness, but rather a psychological one. As such it is hard to determine a single cause that applies to all people. It is generally accepted that there are several factors that can contribute to a person having a panic attack including stress, depression, phobias, a traumatic event and possibly even a genetic factor as well.

Whatever the cause, the end result is often the same. People with this condition typically experience an overwhelming fear which can occur for no apparent reason. The normal feeling of anxiousness that most people experience when perceiving danger malfunctions and can become not only unpredictable but also out of proportion to the situation at hand. This can make everyday activities that most people take for granted, almost impossible for people with anxiety.

It is important to seek help f you believe you have had a panic attack. If left untreated they do tend to reoccur and even get worse. To treat them, it is important that you first identify why they occur and what your triggers are. It is only when you understand the reasons why you have developed this condition that you can overcome it and live a fear free life.

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Symptoms Of Panic Attack

If you think that you may have had a panic attack it is important that you see your doctor as many of the effects associated with them can be very similar to several physical conditions and it is important to rule them out first. However it can be beneficial to understand the symptoms of panic attack disorder in order to be better prepared to deal with any subsequent ones.

Clinically, a panic attack is defined as a period of intense discomfort or fear that is also associated with at least four of the following symptoms. Common symptoms or sensations include nausea, sweating, chest pain, dizziness, shaking or trembling, chills, hot flushes, numbness or tingling in your arms and legs, as well as a shortness of breath. Of course these are just the physical symptoms and there are emotional symptoms as well. An intense fear, usually not associated with something that most people would find scary is the predominant feeling.

Typically panic attacks will appear suddenly and reach peak intensity within a minute or two. They then tend to diminish slowly over the next half an hour or so. Women are more likely to suffer from panic attacks then men and the disorder usually manifests between the ages of twenty to thirty. There is no one definitive cause of panic attacks and no one clear solution either.

While there are several medications available in the treatment of panic attack, psychological therapy has also proven to be very effective. This includes learning relaxation and slow breathing techniques as well as cognitive and exposure therapy. With the appropriate treatment, most people can overcome their panic attacks and not have them reoccur.

Panic Attack Disorder

A panic attack disorder is characterised by a sudden overwhelming fear that has no obvious cause. Why people experience panic attacks is not always easy to discover but there is often a link with major or stressful life experiences and possibly even a genetic influence as well.

The symptoms experienced by people during a panic attack are the classic fight or flight responses that everyone feels when placed in a dangerous situation, only sufferers may feel them for no apparent reason. These include a racing heartbeat or chest pains, often mistaken for a heart attack, difficulty breathing, dizziness, trembling or sweating and an intense feeling of fear or terror.

It is difficult to determine whether you have a panic attack disorder and is certainly something that you should see a doctor about. Many of the physical symptoms can mimic other illnesses so these should be ruled out first. If there is nothing physically wrong with you your doctor should then refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist for a diagnosis.

There are several options available in the treatment of panic attacks including cognitive and behavioural therapies as well as medication. Behavioral therapy uses various techniques to stop or limit specific actions that can lead to panic attacks. Cognitive therapy however, teaches patients how to change the way they think and how to react differently to the situations and bodily sensations that trigger their panic attacks. Drugs are often prescribed to relieve the symptoms associated with a panic attack but they are not a cure.

A panic attack disorder is not something that you can fix by yourself. The good news is that those people who do seek treatment have a high chance of successfully overcoming this condition and leading normal lives.

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• The Linden Method

  
  
  

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