General Tips on Panic Attack
The reality of a panic attack is a sudden surge of overpowering fear and anxiety, normally without any clear purpose and happening without any warning. This could happen to any person indiscriminate of age, health and status with several attacks being a one-time phenomenon, but some individuals experience recurring episodes. Recurring episodes are usually caused by a “trigger” – such as talking in front of a large group of people or showing a demonstration at work. Attacks may be a part of different condition such as depression, panic disorder, or even social fear, although those, are usually harmless, however those afflicted still feel that their life is at stake. Either way, panic attacks are generally treatable.
Signs and Manifestations
An attack can happen at any time, though it usually happens if you’re away from home, so you may be out shopping, at work prepping for a big demonstration, in a class, driving, walking up your street or even during asleep. The signs develop quickly and usually reach at their highest point in 10 minutes with the majority of attacks staying for no more than 30 minutes and almost never staying sixty minutes. A person during an episode display the following signs and characteristics: elevated pulse, chest constrictions, hyperventilation, upset stomach, tense muscles, trembling sensation, perspiration, period of dizziness, hot and cold sweats, tingling, detached feeling, losing control and a fear of death.
Panic Disorder
A panic attack might happen just once without being accompanied by any issue or complication and there’s almost no reason to be concerned if you have one or two episodes. Nonetheless, those that have had many episodes usually develop what is called panic disorder. Constant panic attacks along with persistent stress for future episodes along with drastic alterations in behavior can be considered as panic disorder. There are two symptoms of panic disorder:
(1) phobic avoidance and
(2) anticipatory anxiousness.
Phobic avoidance – This is where you start to stay away from specific things or situations based on the belief that it would trigger another attack but, it could additionally be staying away from circumstances which triggered a previous attack. You may also avoid places or situations where getting away is hard and assistance is nowhere to be found, one instance might be using an elevator or riding an aircraft with extreme cases of phobic avoidance leading to agoraphobia. Anticipatory anxiety – The “fear of fear” or the fear of having future panic attacks with the person manifesting this symptom is normally tense and anxious, but when ignored, the condition can be disabling.
Panic disorder with agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is traditionally believed as fear of wide open places or even public places, so, it literally implies “fear of the marketplace”. However, now it is believed that agoraphobia is fear of experiencing panic attack in a place where assistance is hard or where getting out may be very hard. Individuals that suffer from agoraphobia tend to avoid the following circumstances or activities:
Being out of the house or driving. Small places where there is a possibility of being stuck (elevator, cinemas, public transport, stores). Traveling outside with a individual or a person that he or she isn’t at ease being with. Places where it would be humiliating to experience a panic attack like parties and other social gatherings. In serious instances, individuals with agoraphobia believe their house is the one secure place to be.
