A panic attack is often defined as an anxiety disorder in which a person is faced with intense and sudden fear. This is a serious health problem as panic attacks are very sudden and unexpected and lead to different phobias amongst people. Mostly they are unprovoked and often become disabling.

There are basically two types of panic attacks. One is when people suffer from agoraphobia along with panic attacks and one is without it.

Panic Attacks with Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia is a condition where people are unable to step out of the house. These attacks can have a very serious impact and may lead to suicidal thoughts. There are some symptoms of a panic attack which materialize without any apparent cause. These include chest pains, nausea, dizziness, light headedness, stomach upset, racing or pounding heartbeats also known as palpitations, trembling, shaking, difficulty in breathing, tingling, chills, hot flashes, terror, nervous, fear of dying etc.

The duration of a panic attack varies from person to person but on average it is not known to last for more than 10 minutes. These attacks are also considered to be a symptom of a panic disorder. They are not to be taken lightly. Although panic attacks are not known to have one specific cause, there are a few reasons why people may face them.

Victims of Panic Attacks

Way of thinking, social stressors and biological vulnerabilities are some of the reasons why people may become victims of a panic attack. However, it is possible for people to get effective treatment for panic attacks. People can take some specific medications which can calm them and reduce the intensity of an attack.

In addition, some specific forms of psychotherapy are also helpful in bringing down a panic attack. One can consult a doctor to opt for the most effective method of treatment.

Anxiety attacks symptoms may be things that seem harmless, but they can actually do bad damage to your peace of mind. Anxiety attacks happen to everyone, and it can be quite disconcerting for those that are not aware of what the symptoms are. Because of this, they may think that these attacks are not something that must be paid attention to.

However, as each person has a different genetic makeup from the rest of the other people in the world, each person may also have a different set of symptoms. With that in mind, there are some symptoms that are commonly seen in most people who experience anxiety attacks. Here are a few anxiety attacks symptoms that are most common:

Physical Symptoms

There are times when anxiety attacks manifest through physical symptoms. Some of the more common ones are an increase in the intensity and sensitivity of pre-existing allergies, a feeling of electric jolts running through the body, a burning sensation on the skin, on the neck, chest, scalp or ears, chest tightness, or maybe even a sensation of choking. As was mentioned before, these symptoms can be very disconcerting, especially if you are not one who feels these kinds of things very often.

When you experience anxiety attacks symptoms like these, the first thing that you need to do is to calm yourself down. Most of the time, the physical signs of anxiety will be present when the panic starts to reside in the body. If you find that you are still experiencing these things even though you do not really feel like you are panicking anymore, then you must consult a doctor as soon as possible, especially if your symptoms touch on certain allergies that you have that could be hazardous to your health.

Mental Symptoms

Besides the physical manifestations of these anxiety attacks symptoms, there are also certain things that take place in the mental state of the person who is experiencing the attack.
Some of the things that may run through your head while you are having an anxiety attack could be worried thoughts about what people think of you, fear that you may be losing your mind, a sudden irrational fear about certain situations and/or objects, a heightened sense of self-consciousness and self-awareness, or maybe even the sudden need to sit near an exit point such as doors and windows.

Sudden thoughts like these can lead people to the fear that they are losing their mind. This can be quite disconcerting if it is happening to you. To make matters worse, these mental anxiety attacks symptoms are more often than not accompanied by the physical symptoms, which may lead to people doing irrational and “crazy-looking” things.
If you experience any of these symptoms or things that are quite like them, there is no need to worry. More often than not, anxiety attacks symptoms happen in relation to a certain situation happening in your life. Thus, they are completely normal.

What you need to do is to take into consideration what you are experiencing at the moment and try to determine the source of your panic. Chances are; things will be back to normal once your issues are resolved.

A lot of people who experience having panic attacks may not know how to deal with it. Anyone who experiences a panic attack for the first time may completely feel at a loss as to what is happening. This is completely understandable, as not many people know the symptoms of panic attacks, much more be able to identify it.

Overcoming panic attacks can be difficult but it is not impossible. It may be necessary to completely understand what characterizes these attacks to be able to come up with an effective solution to it.

Panic attacks are episodes of intense fear and apprehension that happens at a sudden onset. It can be caused by a number of different factors that include but are not limited to: heredity, emotional wellbeing, stress, a significant change in one’s life and possibly, alcohol and drug withdrawal. Below are some tips that you can employ to overcome panic attacks:

6 Simple Tips to Overcome Panic Attacks

1. Overcoming panic attacks is often difficult for some people because they feel as if they are alone and that no one can empathize with what they are going through. It is worth noting that 5% of the population will experience having panic attacks in their lifetime.
2. While panic attacks can be very frightening, they are harmless. No one has ever died from an attack without inflicting physical harm upon themselves. You may feel as if you are dying or having a heart attack but if you know exactly what you are going through, and then it would be easier to handle the situation and compose yourself.
3. If your panic attacks are recurring, consult a therapist right away or it may escalate into a full-blown panic disorder. A therapist can help make you understand the nature of these attacks, making it easier for you in overcoming panic attacks.
4. You may be prescribed with medication to treat panic attacks. Taking your medication is imperative in overcoming panic attacks. Kinds of medication prescribed for this condition typically include; antidepressants and sedatives.
5. Do not hesitate to talk to someone about it. Some people fear that what they are going through is not normal so they end up shutting everyone out of their lives lest they be mocked or laughed at. Panic attacks are nothing to be ashamed of and anyone can experience these attacks at any point in their lives.
6. Cooperate with your therapist. Some people refuse to talk with their therapist or to share their thoughts and sentiments about their attacks. Overcoming panic attacks would be difficult to do if you have to do it yourself. The help of a therapist, close friends and family can significantly make your situation a whole lot easier.

Panic attacks are completely normal. They are even treated by a lot of mental health professionals as a natural defence mechanism of the brain against extreme stress. Overcoming panic attacks is not as difficult as it may seem. You just have to be able to come to terms with what you are going through and find out what may be causing these attacks so that you can do something about it.

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For one, abnormally high anxiety levels can make you susceptible to a wide variety of anxiety disorders. Panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and phobia are only three of the most disruptive psychological illnesses that you can develop. By becoming aware of the different causes of anxiety, you can maintain healthy anxiety levels that will make you more productive in your day-to-day activities.

What Causes Abnormal Anxiety Levels?

Anxiety is usually triggered by stressful events in your life. You can be more vulnerable to anxiety than most people, while others can be more susceptible to anxiety than you are. If you are one of those people who easily get stressed and anxious, you can learn to manage it well. By adopting a positive outlook towards life and giving yourself a break every now and then, you can avoid harmful anxiety levels for good.

Aside from environmental factors, your family history is also included in the list of what causes anxiety. If one of your parents, grandparents, or other relatives have experienced anxiety disorders, you will also be more likely to develop an anxiety disorder amidst your busy schedules and hectic routines.

Lastly, your brains composition and chemistry can also make you more vulnerable or less susceptible to generalized anxiety disorder. If there are abnormal levels of specific neurotransmitters in your brain, important messages cannot properly get through your brain. This can change the way your brain reacts in certain situations and lead you to constant periods of anxiety.

Studies also show how the food you eat and the beverages you drink can also lead to unhealthy levels of stress and anxiety. Alcoholic drinks and caffeine were found to cause and to worsen anxiety. Nicotine from cigarettes is also included in medical records that show what causes anxiety.
What can I do about it?

Heart palpitations, sweating or flushing, numbness, stomach problems, and tensed muscles are only some of the symptoms of what causes anxiety. If you have recently experienced some of these symptoms, you must put your focus on how to restore your body’s proper anxiety levels.

A good way to stop incessant periods of anxiety is to stop avoiding the things that causes you stress and worry. Drinking too much alcohol or refusing to talk to a person you have recently argued with will only provide temporary relief to anxiety. If you really want to get rid of all the things that are causing you too much stress, you have to face your problems before everything is too late.

You can also prevent what causes anxiety by learning how to manage the stress in your daily routines. Keep an eye on your deadlines, work out an effective time table, and take a relaxing break from work every now and then.
Relaxation techniques will also help you decrease your anxiety levels. Meditation and yoga can free your mind from all your troubles and woes. Talk with a supportive family member or a friend to release all the negative feelings that you have bottled up for a while.

Now that you already know what causes anxiety and what you should do about it, you can live a life free from irrational worries and fears.

* Palpitations

* a pounding heart, or an accelerated heart rate

* Sweating

* Trembling or shaking

* Shortness of breath

* A choking sensation

* Chest pain or discomfort

* Nausea or stomach cramps

* Derealization (a feeling of unreality)

* Fear of losing control or going crazy

* Fear of dying Numbness or a tingling sensation

* Chills or hot flashes

…then you’ve experienced firsthand some of the possible symptoms of a panic or anxiety attack. If you are reading this page because a loved one suffers from these symptoms and you are trying to understand or help, it’s hard to appreciate what they go through.

Just try to imagine what it feels like to experience one, if you can.

Here is a typical example:

Standing in a supermarket queue, it’s been a long wait but only one customer to go before you make it to the cashier. Wait, what was that sensation? An unpleasant feeling forms in your throat, your chest feels tighter, now a sudden shortness of breath, and what do you know—your heart skips a beat. “Please, God, not here.”

A quick scan of the territory—is it threatening? Four unfriendly faces queue behind, one person in front. Pins and needles seem to prick you through your left arm, you feel slightly dizzy, and then the explosion of fear as you dread the worst. You are about to have a panic attack.

There is no doubt in your mind now that this is going to be a big one. Okay, focus: Remember what you have been taught, and it is time now to apply the coping techniques. Begin the deep breathing exercise your doctor recommended. In through the nose, out through the mouth.

Think relaxing thoughts, and again, while breathing in, think “Relax,” and then breathe out. But it doesn’t seem to be having any positive effect; in fact, just concentrating on breathing is making you feel self-conscious and more uptight.

Okay, coping technique 2:

Gradual muscle relaxation. Tense both shoulders, hold for 10 seconds, then release. Try it again. No; still no difference. The anxiety is getting worse and the very fact that you are out of coping techniques worsens your panic. If only you were surrounded by your family, or a close friend were beside you so you could feel more confident in dealing with this situation.

Now, the adrenaline is really pumping through your system, your body is tingling with uncomfortable sensations, and now the dreaded feeling of losing complete control engulfs your emotions. No one around you has any idea of the sheer terror you are experiencing. For them, it’s just a regular day and another frustratingly slow queue in the supermarket.

You are out of options. Time for Plan C.

The most basic coping skill of all is “fleeing.” Excuse yourself from the queue; you are slightly embarrassed as it is now that it is your turn to pay. The cashier is looking bewildered as you leave your shopping behind and stroll towards the door. There is no time for excuses—you need to be alone. You leave the supermarket and get into your car to ride it out alone. Could this be the big one? The one you fear will push you over the edge mentally and physically. Ten minutes later the panic subsides.

It’s 10:30 a.m. How are you going to make it through the rest of the day?

If you suffer from panic or anxiety attacks, the above scenerio probably sounds very familiar. It may have even induced feelings of anxiety and panic just reading it. The particular situations that trigger your panic and anxiety may differ; maybe the bodily sensations are a little different. Or maybe it happened to you for the first time on a plane, in the dentist chair, or even at home, while doing nothing in particular.

If you have ever had what has become known as a “panic attack,” take comfort in the fact that you are by no means alone.

A panic attack always comes with the acute sense of impending doom. You feel you are either about to lose your mind or one of your vital bodily functions is about to cease functioning and you will end your days right there among the canned goods and frozen food.

You are by no means alone; you’re not even one in a million. In America, it is estimated that almost 5% of the population suffer from some form of anxiety disorder. For some, it may be the infrequent panic attacks that only crop up in particular situations-like when having to speak in front of others, while, for other people, it can be so frequent and recurring that it inhibits them from leaving their home. Frequent panic attacks often develop into what medical physicians refer to as an “anxiety disorder.”

One of the first steps to regaining control of your life is getting helpful information. This site will give you that, and more.

The beginning of your recovery starts here. What you will learn is that there is a very good chance you are about to end the cycle of panic attacks in your life. You will learn not only to regain the carefree life you remember once having, but will also gain new confidence in living. Your answer to living free from “panic” or “anxiety attacks” is at hand.

This site demonstrates that the panic and anxiety that you have experienced will be the very key to your courage and success.

Begin the road to recovery by browsing through the site. While many of you may have read almost everything you can possibly read relating to panic and anxiety I assure you this site offers something very effective.

Did you know…?

The key difference between someone who is cured of panic attacks and those who are not is really very simple. The people who are cured no longer fear panic attacks. I’ll try to show you how to be one of these people as well.

What if I told you the trick to ending panic and anxiety attacks is to want to have one. That sounds strange, even contradictory, but let me explain.

The trick to panic attacks is wanting to have one-the wanting pushes it away. Can you have a panic attack in this very second? No!

You know the saying that "what you resist, persists." Well that saying applies perfectly to fear. If you resist a situation out of fear, the fear around that issue will persist. How do you stop resisting–you move directly into it, into the path of the anxiety, and by doing so it cannot persist.

In essence what this means is that if you daily voluntarily seek to have a panic attack, you cannot have one. Try in this very moment to have a panic attack and I will guarantee you cannot. You may not realize it but you have always decided to panic. You make the choice by saying this is beyond my control.

Another way to appreciate this is to imagine having a panic attack as like standing on a cliff’s edge. The anxiety seemingly pushes you closer to falling over the edge.

To be rid of the fear you must metaphorically jump. You must jump off the cliff edge and into the anxiety and fear and all the things that you fear most.

How do you jump? You jump by wanting to have a panic attack. You go about your day asking for anxiety and panic attacks to appear.

Your real safety is the fact that a panic attack will never harm you. That is medical fact. You are safe, the sensations are wild but no harm will come to you. Your heart is racing but no harm will come to you. The jump becomes nothing more than a two foot drop! Perfectly safe.

Learn more

http://www.panicportal.com

Joe Barry is an international panic disorder coach. His informative site on all issues related to panic and anxiety attacks can be found here: http://www.panicportal.com