What are the causes of panic attacks and how can they be eliminated completely ?
When too much adrenalin is present and your body hasn't 'used it up' appropriately, the subconscious mind activates a 'panic attack'. This panic attacks 'mops up' all the excess adrenalin.
Panic attacks sufferers often visit their physician to be told they have 'stress' or 'depression' and then receive prescriptions for antidepressants or sedative which have next to zero therapeutic affect – how wrong is that?
Panic attacks (anxiety attacks) can happen just once, or can become regular when, what is known as, a panic disorder develops.
Panic attacks can cause a disturbing group of symptoms which cause the sufferer to fear the next attack and UNFORTUNATELY, it is this fear of having another attack that causes another to happen.
Panic Attacks & Panic Disorder - The truth
Panic attacks (anxiety attacks) sufferers can be subjected to a large group of both physical and psychological symptoms during high anxiety and panic attacks.
Sufferers may also experience what are called 'limited symptom panic attacks' during which, maybe as few as three or four symptoms are experienced.
Most panic attacks produce, what seem like, overwhelming symptoms and thoughts that make the sufferer believe that they are ill, about to pass out or even die!
None of which will actually happen!
Panic attacks make the sufferer feel very vulnerable as the heart races and the thoughts of either going mad or dying wash over them. BUT actually, during a panic attack, a sufferer is at their strongest, their fastest and their most prepared to FIGHT danger, despite how they might feel.
Panic attacks develop because adrenalin, the hormone responsible for the fight or fight response to potential threats, is released into the blood stream. This hormone is very useful if and when it is required, but, when adrenalin is released inappropriately, when there is no 'real' threat present it is not used up by either running from or fighting the threat.
This build up of Adrenalin causes the heart to race, the breathing to quicken and the digestive system to slow down; these systems then produce unpleasant symptoms like dizziness, sweating, palpitations, shortness of breath and many other physical sensations of a panic attack.
The sufferer also starts to experience anxious thought patterns... 'what if' thoughts which can make the panic attacks sufferer feel like they are losing their mind.
After a while, adrenalin is used up as the body activates a panic attack andafter the panic attack subsides, symptoms start to reduce. The sufferer's next panic attack (anxiety attack) can build relatively quickly the next time as the brain build neural pathways that make it believe that this inappropriate anxiety level is 'normal'.
The continuing fear of expriencing the next panic attack causes the sufferer to enter into a cycle of fear which makes the next panic attack almost inevitable.
There are three types of panic attacks (anxiety attacks), they are:
These happen without warning and are unassociated with any external catalysts. Spontaneous panic attacks are unpredictable and can vary in intensity and usually result in the sufferer developing agoraphobia and limiting their geographic movements.
Specific panic attacks happen when the sufferer is exposed to something which they know always causes them to panic. For example, some people may panic in a crowded place or when they see a dog or any other phobic catalyst. Specific panic attacks can also cause the sufferer to withdraw and even develop agoraphobia as a coping mechanism to prevent exposure to the things they fear.
Situational panic attacks happen more so when the sufferer is agoraphobic. Agoraphobia causes the sufferer to fear public places, crowds or even traveling away from a place or person of security, so it is easy to see why situational panic attacks occur mostly amongst agoraphobia sufferers.
Situational panic attacks happen more frequently on planes, on buses, in elevators and in cars than anywhere else.
Panic attacks may present both physical and psychological symptoms, including:
- Disturbed thoughts
- Feelings of impending doom
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pains
- Stomach cramps or diarrhea
- Racing heart
- Nausea
- Dizziness or faintness
- Tingling in the extremities
- Muscle pains
- Sweating
- Shaking
- and many others...
In fact, the list of expected anxiety symptoms can be very long indeed.
The list above includes the core, or most commonly described, panic attack symptoms that a sufferer may experience.
It is important to bear in mind that every one of us is built differently, so this panic attack symptoms list isn't, by any means, complete.
After the peak of the panic attack has subsided, the sufferer can be left feeling weak, tired, confused, emotional and achy. It is not uncommon to feel fluey and shaky; this is all unpleasant and frustrating but entirely harmless.
It is very important to understand that panic attack symptoms give the body a workout, like running or going to the gym.
The aches and painsexperienced post panic attack are unfortunate, inevitable side effects!
Actually, your heart is being strengthened by panic attack symptoms; the heart is a muscle and like any other muscle in your body and the exercise is good for it!
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