Panic Attacks Information
Panic attacks are an irrational fear that comes in the form of an increased heart rate, an increased breathing pattern and chills or becoming sweaty. There are several other symptoms and although most are seen during a panic attack, individuals may vary as to the severity of each symptom and the symptoms themselves. They come on suddenly without warning due to an irrational fear that the individual might have.
Although the triggers of individuals may be very different for each person, there are commonalities in their fear of the panic attack itself. Sufferers report that they feel like they are dying, having a heart attack or will have a heart attack due to the symptoms they feel within their bodies. The first time that a person suffers a panic attack they typically do not understand what is happening.
Once people experience a panic attack, they are fearful of having another one. Many times, however, a sufferer can experience a great deal of relief through understanding what a panic attack is, and that he or she is not alone in their suffering.
Panic attacks can be treated in many ways, but most sufferers never seek treatment. Rehabilitation is most effective when relaxation and appropriate medication are combined.
Behavioral therapy allows the person to feel some of the symptoms of a panic attack but helps the person to see that the symptom itself is nothing to fear. This part of behavioral therapy is called interoceptive exposure.
As an example, the person may be encouraged to speed up his heart rate to mimic the effect of a panic attack. That teaches the person how to handle a fast heartbeat and to understand that it isn’t the same as a panic attack.
Behavioral therapy also includes real life exposure. They may be introduced to the things they fear in order to become accustomed to them.
Relaxation techniques can be done in many different ways. The individual needs to first relax their shoulders when they feel a panic attack coming on. By being aware of the tension within the neck, the person can then learn how to relieve it and relax the rest of the body’s muscles to reach the goal of total body relaxation.
Relaxation can involve various steps. One is controlling one’s breathing rate. Someone suffering from a panic attack generally will have a racing heartbeat and quick, shallow breathing. Slowing the breathing will help the person get over the panic attack. Concentrating on a slow exhaling of breath through the mouth will often work.
An important thing for the person to remind themselves is that they are not going crazy and they are not going to die. It is these fears that further escalate a panic attack.
Panic attacks are a form of a panic disorder caused by anxiety. There are several ways that people show their anxiety through a panic disorder.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is seen in people who have suffered from an extreme experience such as death, an accident, physical abuse, separation from a loved one, or bearing witness to a tragic occurrence.
Someone could also have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This kind of anxiety disorder includes thinking bad things or having obsessive thoughts that one cannot control. The person could be obsessed with inclinations that make them constantly engage in behaviors that are ritual in nature, or they may keep strict schedules to lessen anxiety.
