What Are Panic Attacks and How To Deal With Them?

Even without the presence of actual danger, the perceived danger can actually cause an episode of panic that includes fear of apprehension and an intense feeling of terror. The symptoms of a panic attack can occur unexpectedly and peak in less than ten minutes before subsiding. And while the episodes do generally fade after just a few minutes, this does not guarantee that it will not happen again. Also, attacks can come in succession and can extend beyond the expected amount of time, and this can cause a degradation in the quality of life of an individual.

There are three basic types of attacks that can be identified based on their characteristics. One type of attack does not require any situational or environmental cues to trigger an episode, with some cases occurring even in one's sleep. This type of panic attack is especially of concern as spontaneous episodes are very unpredictable and difficult to adjust to in the moment. Another type of attack occurs on cue after an actual situation occurs that causes duress, or at least in the anticipation of that same situation. Anxiety is triggered by a panic episode even just in anticipation while thinking of a panic episode. The last type of panic attack does not necessarily occur with a trigger but results in the individual becoming more likely to have an attack during such a situation. This is especially true if the individual has had an extended period experiencing the situation until enough anxiety has built up for it to become a full blown attack. There are a variety of physical symptoms that are associated with these attacks, some of which are physically debilitating enough to leave a person really vulnerable after an episode. An accelerated heart rate or pounding heart is one such symptom, typically associated with chest pain. Panic attack victims can also experience sweating, trembling or shaking as a result of the built up anxiety. Some panic attack sufferers also have a tendency to start to feel detached from themselves as they start to experience an altered perception of time while they struggle with the situation.

It is possible for an individual to experience several attacks in their lives and not have an associated psychological disorder, however those who experience it enough for it to start affecting the quality of their lives. In such a case, steps must be taken to identify the root cause of the attacks so that they can be completely eliminated. This would require proper diagnosis and treatment prescribed from a trained doctor to isolate what kind of problem that you have, especially since some symptoms may actually be the result of an entirely different physical or psychological disorder.

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