A panic attack is a sudden feeling of acute and disabling anxiety when there is no real danger or apparent cause. The sufferer may feel a sense of “going crazy,” though that is not the case. According to www.medicine.net, a panic attack may occur without a known reason, but it is frequently triggered by fear-producing events or thoughts like driving or riding in an elevator. Some professionals correlate them with life-changing transitions like graduating from college or the birth of a first child.
A child, teen or adult can suffer a panic attack, the result of a combination of biological vulnerabilities. It is one of the most common mental illnesses in the U.S., according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Scientists don’t know why fight-or-flight response is triggered in people with panic attacks or why some people are more susceptible to them.
It is found to run in families, so there is a genetic component involved. Yet many people without a family history of the ailment suffer panic attacks, too. One contributing factor that has been pinpointed is a history of physical or sexual abuse during childhood.
Twice as common in women as men, panic attacks are believed to be due to an abnormal activation of the body’s hormonal system, causing a fight-or-flight response. The results can be hyperventilation, agitation and withdrawal, especially if panic attacks go untreated. The good news is that they are highly treatable.
According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, an estimated 4 million-plus Americans, or 5 percent of adults in the U.S. population, have panic attacks. These numbers are thought to be low estimates because many people who suffer with them do not seek professional treatment. Some people have one panic attack in their lifetimes and never experience a second episode.
Thomas A. Richards, Ph.D, a psychologist who contributes to www.anxietynetwork.com, calls panic attacks one of the worst experiences a person can have. “Panic attacks are very real, very awful and emotionally debilitating,” he writes. “Many people who experience their first panic attack find themselves at the hospital emergency room...or at doctors’ offices...prepared to hear the very worst news about their health.”
Frequently, a panic attack is triggered by fear-producing events or thoughts like driving or taking an elevator.
Signs of a Panic Attack
Though a panic attack may last only a few minutes, usually no more than 10, its symptoms can go on longer. Though not dangerous, a panic attack is terrifying because there is no warning of its onset and no ability to stop it once in progress. Panic attacks can occur when a person is asleep. Here are signs of a panic attack:
1. A rapid heartbeat.
2. Strange chest sensations.
3. Dizziness, tingling and shortness of breath.
4. A strong sense of anxiety and fear of impending doom.
Feeling hot or a cold chill or stomach pain are also symptoms of a panic attack. Because these are physical sensations, sufferers repeatedly seek respite from the health care system in search of answers.
Treatment
A psychologist or a psychiatrist is recommended for treatment that could take different forms. Sometimes, an interview is performed with the patient to determine what is going on. A combination of cognitive and behavioral therapies, along with medication, is the traditional route of treatment.
Interoceptive exposure helps the patient go through the symptoms of a panic attack in a controlled setting. Cognitive behavioral therapy is most effective because it helps a person look at the fears in a more realistic light. Exposure therapy allows a person to be exposed to the physical sensations of a panic attack in a safe and controlled environment.
Relaxation techniques may be used to combat anxiety. The sufferer learns to retrain breathing and engage in positive visualizations. Anti-anxiety and anti-depression medications may be used in conjunction with other treatments. Heart medications like beta blockers may be taken to control irregular heartbeats.
Some people find merit in joining support groups to work on anxiety and ways to deal with panic attacks before they happen.
Do these methods work? The medical profession says that a person with panic attacks can see a noticeable improvement within 10 to 20 weekly sessions.
Left untreated, panic attacks lead to panic disorder, defined as many panic attacks accompanied by major changes in behavior caused by depression and anxiety over the possibility of another recurrence, according to www.helpguide.org.
Ongoing anxiety can lead to phobias as a person starts to avoid places where panic attacks occurred, depression, substance abuse, agoraphobia (inability to face the outside world) and even suicide.
Some people prefer natural remedies to help with panic attacks. These include herbal supplements with valerian, passion flower and kava.
When working to get rid of panic attacks, it is also important to avoid triggers. It is recommended that people with panic attacks avoid caffeine, alcohol and illicit drugs. Managing symptoms may include aerobic exercise and stress management techniques like deep breathing, massage therapy and yoga.
Not a Panic Attack?
A doctor’s intervention is important to rule out other conditions that mimic panic attacks. They include a minor cardiac problem, hyperthyroidism or mitral valve prolapsed, which occurs when one of the heart’s valves doesn’t close correctly (an overactive thyroid gland). Medication withdrawal, stimulant use (amphetamines, cocaine, caffeine) and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) might be other causes.