Thursday, September 10, 2009

It Is Best To Understand Panic Attacks

By Les Evans

According to research, approximately 5% of the population experience bouts of panic attacks in their lifetime. While most people do not experience anything more than mild anxiety attacks in the course of their lives, there are people who experience repeated attacks and are actually suffering from a serious panic disorder.

What is a panic attack? A panic attack can be defined as a fight or flight response which can occur out of context. It is a sudden feeling of fear that develops for no apparent reason. Some people who have panic disorder may feel that they "are going crazy" and will seek ways to get out of the situation they are in.

What are the symptoms of a panic attack? How do you know you are having a panic attack? Here are some symptoms you should be on the lookout for:

Meanwhile, anxiety attacks panic attacks make people feel that they are having a heart attack and even dying. People affected by such panic disorder tell people that they may be afraid, for they are already "going crazy." This situation makes them act that they must get out of this very difficult situation.

Panic attack symptoms: Whenever you experience panic attacks, it is important that you know the symptoms. Here are the most common of them: Rapid heart rate and breathing difficulties, paired with sweating and trembling, Chills and hot flashes and in some cases, hyperventilation, The presence of abdomen cramps, chest pains, coupled with headaches, Eventual feeling of fainting from nausea and dizziness, Throat tightening and suffocation that leads to even death.

Unlike other types of anxieties, panic attacks can happen at random and they appear unprovoked. They are very sudden and intense. For example, if a person experiences an attack while driving, riding an elevator or shopping, he/she will have the urge to flee the place where the attack began. In the long run, they start avoiding these situations altogether. Also, panic attacks in children can result in lower grades, separation from parents as well as substance abuse and anxiety and depression.

One important fact here is that panic attacks happen randomly. Also, they occur very sudden and intense, to the point that they are already disabling. If a person is driving, shopping or is in public for instance and experiences attacks, then it is inevitable that the person would flee. Eventually, they would try their best to avoid such situations. Whenever children also experiences panic attacks, then expect that their grades will fall, they will separate from their parents or worse, abuse substances and fall into anxiety and depression.

Things that may cause panic attacks: Some researches indicate that inheritance maybe one major cause of panic attacks. In addition, there is also a big tendency for these attacks to be one kind of a learned response, even to people who are deemed mentally healthy. Death and childbirth or history of physical and sexual abuse also can cause panic attacks, given the stress that it can induce.

Self-care is possible: Whenever you encounter cases of panic attacks, remember that it is possible for it to be cared at home. The following steps may help you greatly when you want to stop panic attacks: Try to relax your shoulders. Always be conscious of muscle tensions, Relaxing large muscle groups after progressively tensing those helps a lot. Tighten the left leg, take a deep breathe in, then breathing out after relaxing those muscles makes you feel more comfortable. Move up the body and do this even to your stomach, shoulders and your face, Try your best to slow down breathing. Allow air to you diaphragm by taking a deep breath in, then breath out slowly after 3 to 4 seconds, Remember that you are able to breathe when you are able to talk. Talking naturally also means breathing naturally. Don't think that you are going crazy.

The danger of self care is that you might mistake a serious illness (such as a heart attack) for a panic attack. In this case, take the necessary precaution and seek out the help of a professional.

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