subject: Understanding Panic Attacks and generalised Anxiety [print this page] An overview of Panic attacks An overview of Panic attacks
Panic attacks are extremely frightening but are not physically harmful. They can occur at random times or after a person is exposed to various events that may "trigger" a panic attack. People experiencing panic attacks may fear they are dying or that they are being suffocated. They may have a constricted feeling in the chest area and believe that they are having other symptoms of a heart attack. They may voice fears that they are "going crazy" and seek to remove themselves from whatever situation they may be in. Some people may experience other symptoms such as breathing very rapidly and complain that they have palpitations, They may feel that their "hearts are literally jumping around in their chest." About 5% to 7% of the population will experience panic attacks at some point in their lifetimes. People who have repeated attacks must seek evaluation from a Doctor. Panic attacks can indicate the presence of a panic disorder, depression, or other forms of anxiety-based illnesses.
Panic attacks may be symptoms of an anxiety disorder and affect about 60 million people worldwide. Other facts about panic include that about 3 million people in the United States will have full-blown panic disorder at some time in their lives, usually beginning between 15-19 years of age. Panic attacks occur suddenly and often unexpectedly without warning and can be disabling. Once someone has experienced a panic attack, he or she may develop irrational fears, called phobias, about the situations they are in during the attacks and begin to avoid them altogether. Then the mere idea of doing things that preceded the first panic attack triggers terror and dread of future panic attacks, resulting in the individual with a panic disorder being unable to even contemplate driving or stepping outside of the house. If this occurs, the person is considered to have panic disorder and agoraphobia.
As with most behavioral illnesses, the causes of panic attacks are varied. There is evidence to suggest that the tendency to have panic attacks can sometimes be inherited. However, there is also evidence that panic attacks may be a learned response to stimuli and can be initiated in otherwise healthy people simply given the right set of circumstances. Current research is inconsistent as to whether nutritional deficiencies (for example, zinc or magnesium deficiency) may be risk factors for panic disorder. While food additives like aspartame, alone or in combination with food dyes, are suspected to play a role in the development of panic attacks in some people,
Self-Care at Home
Taking care of panic attacks at home is possible, but be careful not to mistake another serious illness such as a heart attack for a panic attack. There are things that people with a panic disorder can do to assist their own recovery. Substances like caffeine, alcohol, and illicit drugs can worsen panic attacks and those things should be avoided. Other tips for managing panic attacks include engaging in plenty of aerobic exercise and some simple stress-management techniques like deep breathing and yoga on a regular basis as these activities have been found to help decrease panic attacks.
Although many people breathe into a paper bag in an attempt to alleviate the hyperventilation that can be associated with panic, the benefit received may be the result of the individual thinking it will help (a placebo effect). But note that breathing into a paper bag while having trouble breathing can worsen symptoms when the hyperventilation is caused by a condition associated with oxygen deprivation, like an asthma attack or a heart attack.
If a person has been diagnosed previously with panic attacks and is familiar with the signs and symptoms, the following techniques may helpful in stopping the attack. You may also try these tips for overcoming the symptoms of a panic attack.
1.First, relax your shoulders and become conscious of any tension that you may be feeling in your muscles.
2.Then, with gentle reassurance, progressively tense and relax all the large muscle groups. Tighten your left leg while taking a deep breath in, for example, hold it, then release the leg muscles and the breath. Move on to the other leg. Move up the body, one muscle group at a time.
3.Slow down your breathing. This is best done by blowing out every breath through pursed lips as if blowing out a candle. Also, place your hands on your stomach to feel the rapidity of your breathing. This may allow you to further control your symptoms.
4.Tell yourself (or someone else if you are trying this technique with someone) that you are not "going crazy." If you are concerned about not being able to breathe, remember that if you are able to talk, you are able to breathe!!.
Understanding Panic Attacks and generalised Anxiety
