Several researches point out that only 5% of the population is experiencing panic attacks, at least within their lifetimes.
It may be true that many people are less likely to have an experience regarding anxiety attacks panic attacks within their lifetime. However, there are a significant number of people who actually experience a serious panic disorder, often characterized by repeated panic attacks.
What then is a panic attack?
Usually, fight and flight responses, especially when it recurs out of context, is the basic definition of a panic attack. Commonly, it is also characterized, developing with no apparent reason, by sudden feelings of terror or fear. It may strike at the most unexpected circumstances, such as when you are asleep.
Generally, people feels like they are dying or that they are having a heart attack, when experiencing such anxiety attacks panic attacks. Also, people who are affected by panic disorder usually speaks out that they are afraid, for they may be already “going crazy,” which very likely leads them to act as if they are struggling to get out of this certain situation.
Following are the symptoms of panic attack
Following are the most common symptoms that show you are actually having a panic attack. It is important for you to lookout for the following circumstances:
• Shortness of breath, having a rapid heart rate, trembling and excessive sweating
• Cases of hyperventilation, usually with chills and hot flashes
• Having headaches, pain in the chest and having cramps on the abdomen
• A feeling of dizziness, nausea and eventual fainting
• Feeling of death caused by suffocation or throat tightening
How serious are panic attacks?
It may be true that most of these attacks are actually harmless. However, these attacks are still serious in medical conditions, as they affect adversely one’s emotions and decision making abilities.
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 may be best
Many people do not actually realize that panic attacks can actually be cared at home. Doing the following steps may help you to stop panic attacks:
1. Be conscious of tensions in your muscles. Always relax your shoulders.
2. It helps to progressively tense and then relaxing muscle groups, especially large ones. Take a deep breath in after tightening the left leg and then breathe out after relaxing those muscles. Move up then your body-from legs, calves and thighs to your stomachs, shoulders and then the face.
3. Taking a deep breathe to allow air to your diaphragm and then breath slowly after 3 to 4 seconds is a wise thing to do. Slowing down breathing does many wonders.
4. Remember that you are not going crazy. Also, if you are able to talk, then you can breath. Being able to talk naturally means being able to breathe. Refrain from thinking that you are going crazy.
Mistaking a serious illness, such as a heart attack, is one big risk in self care. Seeking the help of a professional is still a wise idea.
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