Panic Attacks And Panic Disorder

A panic attack is a sudden feeling of extreme anxiety accompanied by significant physical symptoms such as trembling, sweating and shortness of breath. They are usually accompanied by an overwhelming fear of catastrophe – the person may feel they are dying or suffering a heart attack, or they may fear they are going mad. They can occur in response to specific situations (such as crowded areas) or spontaneously and with no obvious cause. They are usually short-lived (lasting a few minutes) but are so unpleasant that a person may live in fear of it happening again – in many cases, this will lead to the person avoiding situations that they think will trigger an attack (“avoidance behaviour”).

Panic attacks quite commonly accompany other anxiety conditions such as generalised anxiety and specific phobias (particularly Agoraphobia – the fear of open spaces). However they can occur outwith these other conditions – a study in 1994 found that 3 people in every 100 had experienced panic attacks alone.

Panic Disorder is the term used by Psychiatrists for those psychological conditions in which panic attacks predominate.

Psychological Symptoms of Panic Attacks

Intense anxiety

Fear of dying

Fear of losing control or going mad

Depersonalisation (the unpleasant feeling that you are not “real” or are detached from yourself)

Derealisation (the unpleasant feeling that your environment is “fake” or you are an “actor in a play”)

Physical Symptoms of Panic Attacks

Shortness of breath or feeling “smothered”

Choking

Palpitations (feeling the heart racing or beating irregularly)

Chest pain

Sweating

Dizziness or feeling faint

Nausea or abdominal discomfort

Flushing of the skin or feeling chilled

Trembling or shaking

The feeing of being unable to breath can lead to a compensatory increase in breathing rate (hyperventilation) by the person. This in turn can affect the body adversely, leading to both a worsening of the physical symptoms above and additional symptoms:

Physical Symptoms of Hyperventilation

Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)

Numbness or tingling sensations in the hands, feet and face

Headache

Weakness

Spasms of the hand and foot muscles

In a panic attack, people will usually experience at least 4 of the above symptoms, although most experience many more than this. For a diagnosis of Panic Disorder, the person will experience at least 4 panic attacks in a 4-week period, or experience significant fear of a further attack (and exhibit avoidance behaviour) for 4 weeks following a single episode.

Treatment

If the panic attacks are associated with other conditions such as generalised anxiety, phobia or depression, then the appropriate course of action is to address these underlying issues first – the panic attacks should subside as these other issues are resolved.

If the panic attacks are the main problem, then (as with most psychological problems) two courses of action are available – drug treatment and psychological therapies.

The drug treatment of panic attacks limited. Sedative drugs such as the Benzodiazepines (e.g. Diazepam (Valium)) are very effective in the short term, but are highly addictive and can lead to dependence. Further, when these drugs are withdrawn, a resurgence of the panic is likely. Antidepressants, particularly the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Citalopram (Cipramil) and Paroxetine (Seroxat), are licensed for use in panic disorder. They can cause an initial worsening of symptoms when first taken, and can cause other side effects such as gastro-intestinal disturbance and sexual dysfunction. Drug treatments are not as effective as psychological therapies in these conditions.

NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) recommends Cognitive Therapy for the treatment of panic attacks and panic disorder. Their research has shown it to be more effective than any drug treatments. Therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) involve the patient seeing a therapist on a one-to-one basis for hour-long sessions. The total treatment course is typically between 6 and 12 sessions, with one session a week. The therapies involve an explanation of the psychological and physical symptoms of panic attacks, and may involve the deliberate precipitation of a panic attack during a session. The aim is to reduce the fear associated with the physical symptoms – this fear is often a cause of the attacks itself and the associated avoidance behaviours. Once the fear of the panic attacks is reduced, the attacks themselves will lessen in frequency and severity and, hopefully, disappear altogether.

Despite the clear recommendations by NICE, the availability of Cognitive Therapy remains limited in the NHS. If your GP or local Mental Health Trust is unable to provide the appropriate treatment for your condition, they may be able to recommend a therapist in the private sector.

By: Karen Hastings, Hertfordshire (Free Download Anxiety Treatment eBook)

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What Are Panic Attacks? How Do I Stop Them?

Panic attacks are intense feelings of fear and anxiety that can come on suddenly. They can be associated with one or more physical symptoms, including rapid heart beat, shaking, rapid breathing (shallow breathing), tingling sensations in the arms or face (pins and needles), and feeling dizzy or light-headed, like the world is “closing in on you.”

Many people fear that they will pass out or die during a panic attack, but the attacks are not physically harmful and often fade away within 10-30 minutes.

But even though panic attacks are not considered physically harmful, they are certainly emotionally harmful, often causing a fragile state of mind, wherein the sufferer obsesses over the possibility of another attack occurring. Unfortunately, this obsessive “loop” often leads to more panic attacks, producing a “cycle of panic and anxiety” that can be difficult to break.

There is also much evidence to suggest that the elevated stress levels associated with panic attacks weaken the immune system; so learning to deal with them effectively is in fact a health issue, not just an emotional health issue.

Medication is sometimes used to “cover up” symptoms of panic attacks, but in my experience, there are only two proven methods of stopping them: breathing exercises and cognitive stress reduction techniques (thinking yourself out of a panic attack). A combination of these two often produces the best results.

You can find a lot of information about breathing exercises online, but a good basic technique is to sit quietly and concentrate on slowing your breathing, making sure that you exhale longer than you inhale. This reduces slightly the amount of oxygen you are taking in, and has a calming effect that is noticeable within minutes.

We normally think of more oxygen to our system is good thing, but too much oxygen can lead to hyperventilation, which is known to produce an anxiety. You’ve probably seen the old “breathe into a paper bag” technique. This operates on the same principle: reduce the oxygen intake (slightly) to calm the central nervous system.

Cognitive stress reduction techniques are also effective and can be used in conjunction with breathing exercises to reduce anxiety and panic symptoms. Taking the time to learn a few of these techniques can improve your ability to deal with stress and anxiety and even stop panic attacks from occurring in some cases.

An easy but effective technique is one I call “Questions and Answers.” To begin, be seated comfortably with your eyes closed, and begin mentally asking yourself the following questions:

What does it feel like to be calm and relaxed?

How would it feel right now if I were at peace with myself and the world?

How would it feel to be ________ right now? (Fill in the blank with the name of someone calm, relaxed and in control. It could be a friend, a celebrity or anyone who represents these qualities to you)

Ask the above questions calmly and slowly to yourself, pausing between each question to consider the answer. You can repeat these questions to yourself many times–just remember to ask the questions slowly and pause each time to consider the answer.

Using a cognitive technique like “Questions and Answers,” combined with simple breathing exercises is one of the most effective ways of stopping panic attacks, and preventing them in the future. The more you practice these exercises, the better you will get at it, and the less panic attacks will be a part of your life.

By: Jon Mercer (Get FREE Anxiety Treatment)

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How to Give the Right Anxiety Treatment

Anxiety comes with fear and uncertainty that can lead to panic attacks and the feeling that you have lost control. There can be a genetic link and it may even be on a subconscious level. How to give the right anxiety treatment depends on the response that you have when you are under anxiety. The severity of a person’s anxiety and how much it is affecting their life will both have an affect on the anxiety treatment that is utilized.

There are two types of anxiety attacks either chronic or acute. When the attack is acute it can last for just a few minutes or for a couple of hours. The panic or feeling of terror that is experienced does not have a rational cause and you can not associate it with rational thought. It makes it difficult to find the right anxiety treatment without finding the cause of your anxiety and recognizing the symptoms that are associated with anxiety.

The symptoms that come with anxiety include dizziness, nausea, hyperventilation, and even chest pains. How to give the right anxiety treatment is largely dependant upon the symptoms. Other symptoms include cold sweats, irregular heartbeats and hand tremors. These symptoms make how to give the right anxiety treatment more difficult since the severity and side effects of the symptoms will have an affect on the correct treatment for you.

There can be stiffness in the muscles of the extremities which can even involve tingling. Losing touch with reality can cause those suffering to experience hyperventilation which makes the attacks worse. In more severe cases the one experiencing the anxiety attack can lose consciousness and even be at risk of losing their life.

The symptoms of chronic anxiety last longer though they may be less severe. Fatigue and insomnia can go along with the anxiety which can make the symptoms all the more difficult to live with. You will need to see a doctor to make sure that it is in fact anxiety and not a more serious condition; this way you can have a better idea of the correct treatment for you.

Naturopathy is one treatment for anxiety which does not require a medical prescription. It is a way of changing what you take in and what you do. The change has to be complete in order to make a change in your life and make the symptoms better. You don’t want to simply mask the symptoms of anxiety but you want to make the cause of the anxiety go away.

Aromatherapy is ancient method of healing that can be rather effective at treating anxiety. The essential oils help the body to return to its normal balance. The relaxation that the scents induce will let the mind regain control over the emotions that you are feeling. It is incredible for a wide range of problems and can be combined with other anxiety treatments. Massage therapy can incorporate aromatherapy as long as the essential oils used are diluted. The use of aromatic oils can reduce the feelings of anxiety and panic that a person is experiencing. Liquid extracts can have an effect that is long lasting when it comes to finding a solution to your anxiety.

How to give the right anxiety treatment will have a lot to do with the individual suffering from the anxiety attacks. Herbs are known for their positive effects on the systems of the body. The correct amount of herbal medication has to be determined through trial and error. The digestive system of the person being treated will have a lot to do with whether or not herbs are effective for them. Liquid extracts from herbs will be digested faster than regular herbs which will allow results to appear faster.

How to give the right anxiety treatment will also be largely dependant on the person that is experiencing the symptoms of anxiety.

By: Ronen David (Get FREE Anxiety Treatment)

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