A panic attack is a sudden, intense, uncontrollable wave of panic-like fear characterized by its debilitating, suddenly immobilizing intensity and its unexpectedly suddenness. You might feel dizzy, your heart races, you can barely breathe, and you might feel like you're going crazy or dying. Panic attacks can occur out of nowhere, without warning, and in some cases with no obvious trigger. What causes them and how to control them, are the questions that beg to be answered.
Like many conditions, panic attacks are generally of two types: the anxiety type and the phobic type. The anxiety type manifests itself through a host of symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, trembling, hot flashes, dry mouth, and feelings of impending doom. In the case of anxiety, these symptoms might be triggered by an imagined or actual stimulus (such as the feeling of being watched when walking alone at night). When it comes to phobia, on the other hand, the symptoms are much more concrete and problematic. The specific fear or threat that causes these panic disorders is usually well known in the medical community; however, the symptoms can also stem from a number of unknown fears and concerns.
In the case of anxiety, the trigger is almost always considered to be something that's out of our control--a thought, an event, a smell, a person, etc. Generally speaking, anxiety disorders involve excessive and unrealistic worry about various aspects of ones' life, combined with the feeling that such worry is irrational and out of one's control. In panic attacks, however, that very same worry is usually centered around certain situations or objects. That is, a person experiencing panic disorder will experience a very exaggerated and vivid version of what's going to happen in those situations. So, instead of thinking that the object is a cause of the anxiety, the sufferer tends to believe that it's a definite trigger of the anxiety itself.
One of the most common symptoms of panic attacks may be the very real concern that you're going to die from a heart attack. If you've ever had a panic disorder before, this symptom may be quite common. When this occurs, the individual is usually convinced that he or she is dying from a heart attack. This then triggers an intense level of stress or anxiety. Some people who are suffering from this disorder actually do end up having a heart attack, sometimes even during panic attacks. If you notice that you tend to have this fear even without having a heart attack, then you probably suffer from an anxiety disorder.
Another common symptom of panic attacks is the very real sensation of feeling as if your heart is pounding so hard that it's breaking out in a wheezing fit. This too can be caused by caffeine withdrawal. Often times, a person who is undergoing anxiety disorder will cut off caffeine intake. Unfortunately, when the person stops consuming caffeine, the symptoms begin right away. The person begins to hyperventilate, experience shortness of breath, or both.
Another thing that will make these panic attacks feel worse than they would otherwise, is the fear that they're going crazy. Agoraphobia is the most common disorder associated with panic disorder. Many individuals with agoraphobia will actually avoid any contact with people, opting instead to live in their home, keeping their existence secret. This causes the fear of being around other people to become even greater, which perpetuates the cycle of anxiety and panic further. Individuals with this disorder should seek immediate treatment for this condition, or for the lack of treatment could lead to psychological issues that will be nearly impossible to reverse.
As you can see, there are many different symptoms of panic attacks that can occur on their own. While these symptoms may seem harmless in isolation, they often make up a big part of a larger problem. When one or more of these conditions are present, it's often a good idea to seek medical treatment. Because your loved one's panic disorder is often caused by a combination of different medical conditions, medical treatment is crucial to getting them back to a normal, happy life. Don't let the lack of treatment get you down; countless individuals have overcome their panic disorders, so it absolutely isn't something to be afraid of or embarrassed of.
If you want to find out what the most common symptoms are of panic attacks in your loved one, there are two great websites that you can go to. The first site is Panic Away, which is designed for people who aren't professionals but who want to learn about anxiety and how to eliminate it from their lives. The second site is called First We Can Go, which is geared towards those who already have an anxiety disorder and want to learn more about how to cure it. Either of these websites are a great place to start if you want to learn more about anxiety and eliminate the fear of having another attack.
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