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.