Is It Normal For Adults To Have Panic Attacks?

At some point in our lives, most people experience stress

, fear, anxiety or all of these. Although those are normal reactions in the face of life threatening situations, some people experience them more frequently than others do. Most people will experience terror in the event of an assault, violent situation, motor vehicle collision or another similar situation, but others experience it when dealing with their normal day-to-day activities. This condition is known as panic disorder and manifests in panic attacks. These episodes are not life threatening, though they may be experienced as such by the sufferer.

It is a natural process to experience anxiety. This is the way your mind and body will defend themselves against dangerous circumstances. It is an instinctive response to anything threatening. Your body can overreact and this can result in panic attacks when there is no immediate danger or threat. In the western world, it is known that two out of three people are currently suffering from these affects. Treatment is not a requirement.

Most often, it is not necessary to seek treatment. Children and adults may suffer from this and it can impede the social life of the sufferer. If someone suffers from this then supportive family and friends can be of great value.

An episode usually occurs unexpectedly, without any warning. The first sign is a racing or pounding heart (palpitations), or a feeling that the heart is missing beats or even stopping. Tremors or shaking and a numb feeling in the extremities, fingers and toes usually accompany this.

The feeling of nausea, dizziness and sweating could result in even more anxiety when the sufferer is in the company of strangers. In severe cases, he or she may experience temporary incontinence, where they lose control of the bowels and or the bladder.

Sufferers of this condition will report that they feel they are dying during an attack. There is a sensation of feeling unreal at this point. Escape could be the only thing on the persons mind and aggression could be witnessed if it is evident that someone is trying to block the escape route. This emotion may seem illogical to witnesses of this attack, but is a vivid reality to the person experiencing this agitation. It is best to not stand in his or her way, while still being vigilant for his or her safety.

It has been reported that certain people that experience this will not want to go to school nor will they want to be around people. They may develop agoraphobia due to being scared of going back to places where symptoms were previously experienced, or places where it may recur. Agoraphobia is fear of open spaces such as airports and shopping malls. This is because there is nowhere to hide should there be an onset of an attack.

Mental health professionals should be contacted if the person also suffers from behavioral problems or psychological problems. These problems could be underachievement, depression, self-harm or sleep disturbances. There are medications that can help and behavioral therapies can help without harmful side effects. Medications can contraindicate other conditions so only take medications if it was prescribed by a health care professional.

by: Paul Cruz

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