It is reasonable to dread life threatening events such as accidents and mishaps. It is even normal
to have fears fo things such as spiders, heights and other phobias. But,
have you ever suddenly felt a cold wave of fear for no reason at all? If so, then you may have just had
your first episode of a panic attack.
A panic attack is a disorder that afflicts close to 3 million Americans. Although panic
attack episodes may or may not be chronic, one thing is certain – they can attack anyone, anytime –
whether you are at work, or at the mall, while eating, and even when you are not doing anything at all.
Panic attacks are different from other anxiety and fear disorders due to the fact that panic attacks
are often unprovoked, sometimes baseless, sudden and out of nowhere. Those who experience these
episodes are often shocked at how sudden and unprovoked they may be. Panic attacks can effectively
disable a person for a short amount of time.
Duration and symptoms of panic attacks
Panic attacks usually peak after about 10 minutes; however, the symptoms of the disease tend to remain for a while longer.
Those who have experienced them report feeling a nauseating wave of fear washing over them. Also,
they describe a terrible feeling at the pit of their stomachs. These feelings can paralyze a person into
inaction or hysteria for as long as the attack continues.
Other symptoms of panic attacks include – pain in the chest, dizziness, nausea, difficulty breathing,
arrhythmia, chills, flushes, terror (sense of dread), a general feeling of being in a dream-like state,
a sudden fear of dying, and other anxiety related symptoms. If a person continues to have these episodes,
then he or she is said to have a panic disorder.
The unfortunate thing about panic disorders is that they could lead to something worse. If a person suddenly
experiences an attack while shopping, he or she might associate the fear with the act of shopping,
resulting in the person avoiding shopping at all. This could develope a domino effect that at the end could
result in a debilitating fear that may prevent the person from even leaving his or her home.
Causes of panic attacks
Panic attacks are caused by the fear and alertness mechanisms in the body that come into play when a person
perceives a life-threatening situation. These mechanisms bring in a heightened sense of alertness and a burst of
energy to help us cope with danger. However, these mechanisms are sometimes triggered for no reason at
all. Studies are inconclusive as to why, but it seems that some people are more predisposed to acquiring
this disorder than others.
Panic disorders tend to run in families. It may also be triggered by major stress events and heightened
activity in the fear center of the brain. People who do drugs and abuse alcohol are also more predisposed.
Panic Disorder and Depression
Depression is one of the major predisposing factors to panic disorder. This is probably due to the fact that
panic disorders are more likely to occur in less emotionally and mentally stable situations. Depression is a
major emotional and mental imbalance that tends to result in many other difficulties such as insomnia, loss of
appetite, etc. When assessing these cases, an emotional assessment of the
patient is important. This would also help by isolating a stressing factor in the patient’s life. This would alleviate
many emotional, mental, and behavioral problems the person may encounter.
Treatments include several
promising medications coupled with specific forms of psychotherapy, which typically yield good results.
Emotional counseling has been explored to address the that aspect of the disorder.
Data from treatment is encouraging; a marked improvement in condition is usually noticed in
quite a short period of time – usually anywhere from six to eight weeks. Appropriate and timely treatment
for panic attacks and panic disorder can either prevent or at least substantially reduce panic attacks.
Remain conscious of how and when you feel the symptoms of a “panic attack” and when you feel them.
Any form of treatment or amount of therapy will be less effective if you fail to assess your own feelings and
states of energy. With the right diagnosis, you and your doctor have a better chance of finding a treatment
that is appropriate for you and your condition.
NEXT: Alcoholism and excessive drinking
|
