Panic Attacks
Panic attacks are caused by a state of high anxiety. Anxiety is a condition in which a person is uneasy or fearful about either a real or imagined situation, event, or threat. While most people have experienced anxiety to some extent, not everyone has experienced the sheer terror of a panic attack. Those who are chronically faced with panic attacks and high levels of anxiety are said to suffer from anxiety disorders.
Panic attacks can be classified as an acute state of anxiety. While we all feel a bit anxious when taking an exam or speaking in front of a group of people, those who suffer from panic attacks fear for their lives. The following symptoms of panic attacks, taken individually or in combination, would frighten anyone into a trip to the emergency room:
- Palpitations
- A pounding heart, or an accelerated heart rate
- Sweating
- Trembling or shaking
- Shortness of breath
- A choking sensation
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Nausea or stomach cramps
- A feeling of unreality
- Fear of losing control or going crazy
- Fear of dying
- Numbness or a tingling sensation in your face and limbs
- Chills or hot flahses
As you can see, these physical signs of anxiety could be interpreted as a number of life-threatening conditions including stroke and heart attack.
Experts aren’t sure what causes panic attacks. Some theorize that the body’s fight or flight response is involved. As hormones are released into the body to help prepare for a perceived threat, the hormones themselves escalate the body’s response to a higher level, which causes more hormones to be released, and so on. This cascading escalation of the body’s response to an original trigger is what causes the panic attack to develop.
There is good news. In most cases, panic attacks and anxiety disorders can be successfully treated. Medications aimed at reducing the physical symptoms and counseling aimed at the conscious and unconscious triggers combine to create a successful treatment plan.
If you suffer from panic attacks and/or panic disorders, please consult a medical doctor to insure that this is truly the case.
If you want help dealing with the conscious and subconscious triggers, please visit this page to learn more about a product that can help you in the privacy of your home and at a very reasonable price.
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