subject: The Truth About the Relationship of Stress and Panic Attack [print this page] The Truth About the Relationship of Stress and Panic Attack
Stress and panic attack may be directly connected for some people, but there are some individuals who beg to differ. The truth about this matter is both can be right. In this article, let us explore how these two could be directly linked to each other and how they may stand as separate issues.
First, for people who have agoraphobia, stress can indeed be a cause of panic attack. A social gathering can be a stressful situation for them that they may start feeling dizzy, hyperventilating, and manifesting other common signs of panic attacks. Clearly, in this scenario, stress and panic attack are directly related.
On the other hand, it is also true that different people have different capacities in handling stress. There are some individuals who react to stress by simply accepting the situation and moving on as soon as possible. They treat the cause of stress as a life-changing event, although not always a welcomed one. Biologists, on the other hand, believe that when stress is managed well, it can be a "neutral" experience. It even has the capacity to be a positive incident.
It is important to remember that stress may be triggered by both internal and external factors. For example, you may get stressed by the demands of work and family, but, you may also get stressed because you lack some vitamins and minerals in your body. Having said this, stress and panic attack can not generally be concluded as always directly related because if your stress is caused by internal factors, it does not always cause panic attacks.
Panic attacks are both mental and physical. The body goes through certain changes before a panic episode and while it is taking place. However, panic episodes can get worse by simply dwelling on the attacks themselves. When you anticipate the attack with fear rather than focusing on something else, you don't help your body recover from the situation. As a result, you increase the likelihood of suffering from another episode in the future.
During attacks of panic, the person may feel some difficulties in breathing, increased heart rate, dizziness, and excessive fear. He or she may think that the situation is intolerable and that doom is coming soon. However, the very same situation may be just mildly or moderately stressful to another person. This shows that people have different tolerance levels when it comes to stress. Now, taking this fact into consideration, you may conclude that stress and panic attack are related but not directly.
The most effective ways to improve your ability in handling stress and panic attack-- both as a combo and as separate issues-- is by addressing their causes and knowing how to handle them during their occurrences. Invest in your health by eating healthy and avoiding any substance abuse. You should also learn techniques in managing panic episodes such visualization and deep breathing. Remember that you need to take an active role in dealing with both panic and stress. No amount of medication and counseling can help if you don't first help yourself.
