subject: Panic Attacks, Triggered by Stress Overload [print this page] Panic Attacks, Triggered by Stress Overload
The most common symptoms of this anxiety disorder include palpitations and chest pain, nausea, trembling, dreamlike sensations, difficulties in breathing and a terrible fear of dying. A panic attack sufferer feels insecure and incapable of managing any problem that he has to deal with. Besides these, he has a persistent fear of future crisis, which makes him even more vulnerable to various mental disorders.
Which are the main triggers of this condition?
Panic attacks are often associated with traumatic events in one's life, but the main trigger remains stress overload. Stressful situations and major life transitions are the most important causes of this anxiety disorder. Other triggers can be the substance abuse, such as caffeine, alcohol or drugs, family history or brain abnormalities.
When a situation is perceived as stressful, several emotional processes are activated and our organism acts according to them. Panic is understood as a mix of social stressors, emotional and biological vulnerabilities. So when a crisis occurs, it's not only our brain that reacts, but our entire body.
Panic attacks can manifest while driving, riding in an elevator, speaking in front of a large group or even during shopping in crowded places. All these situations can be stressful for a person even if he or she doesn't realize it at the moment. Once an anxiety episode starts, it reaches a peak within 10 minutes; during this interval, the sufferer feels an intense fear of dying, nervousness and weakness. Typically, a panic attack ends within 30 minutes, but another one can occur whenever the sufferers deals with a stressful situation, whenever he or she has to take a difficult decision or has a hard time at the working place.
The good news is the symptoms can be minimized and crisis episodes can be controlled through different medical and psychological treatments, including medicines, cognitive-behavioral therapies or relaxation techniques. If you want to find out more about these panic attacks healing options, visit Alan Brown's website, www.apanicattack.org
