Panic attacks are periods when the sufferer is gripped by a sudden, intense, and usually irrational fear or apprehension. Attacks do not last long, but they can be sudden and very debilitating. People who experience panic attacks often experience anticipatory anxiety as well as the symptoms of fear or anxiety such as a racing heart, clammy and sweaty hands, and other symptoms of the fight or light response. Some panic attacks may also resemble a heart attack or a nervous breakdown, a fact that makes this condition one of the most frightening conditions anyone can suffer from. A previous panic attack can also predispose a person to fear more episodes that might happen, which can also contribute to recurring panic attacks.

Symptoms of Panic Attacks Common symptoms of panic attacks include heavy and rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, sweating, trembling and shaking, feelings of dizziness, feelings of nausea, feeling like one is being choked, a heavy or painful sensation in the chest, abdominal discomfort, tunnel vision, and a fear of losing control. Severe panic attacks give sufferers a feeling of impending death. Some sufferers also report feeling chills or hot flashes. Other symptoms are more common in some cultures than others are. These include neck soreness, tinnitus, and uncontrollable fits of screaming or crying. All these symptoms are found in the DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for a Panic Attack, which is used by professionals as the standard for diagnosing individuals with this condition.

Causes of Panic Attacks

There is no known single cause for panic attacks. These attacks can occur unexpectedly, and even while the person is asleep. However, studies have shown that a number of factors may be working together to predispose the person to panic attacks. These factors include family history, organic brain abnormalities, presence of life stressors, and medication use.

The disorder has been found to run in families. Anyone who has a close relative who has been diagnosed with the condition is more likely to suffer from panic attacks as well. Twins have an even higher predisposition of having a panic attack if one twin has the disorder. However, panic attacks have also occurred in people with no familiar predisposition to the condition. Panic attacks have also been found to occur in a certain demographic. Most people suffer their first panic attacks in early adulthood and the condition affects women more frequently than men.

Environment has been found to play a role in the development of panic attacks in some people. People who were raised in strict households and individuals who were frequently exposed to stressful situations tend to suffer from panic attacks more than people who were raised in stable and normal environments. Being raised with mistaken beliefs and the presence of anxiety-inducing situations because of past traumatic experience also play a role in the occurrence of panic attacks.

Medications may also contribute to the occurrence of panic attacks

The condition is listed as a side effect of drugs such as Ritalin and even some types of antibiotics. This is solved by either a change in dosage or a change in medication. The SSRI class of antidepressants is also widely known to cause anxiety in patients taking it, predisposing them to bouts of panic attacks.

Treatment for Panic Attacks

Panic attacks can be brought under control with the right mix of physiological therapies and medications, supplemented by cognitive behavioral therapy. In cognitive behavioral therapy, education to inform the sufferer what he or she is suffering from is often a major factor that aids the sufferer in controlling his responses to the attacks. The therapy also helps people train their minds in replacing anxiety-inducing thoughts with more realistic and positive ways of viewing  panic attacks. Psychoanalytic therapy has also been found effective in getting to the underlying psychological causes of panic attacks and is responsible for fewer relapses among sufferers. Medications are also very important in the management of panic attacks.

Antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs such as benzodiazepines have been used extensively throughout the years in the management of panic disorders.   Paper Bag Rebreathing for Acute Panic Attacks People who suffer from panic attacks are taught how to perform paper bag re-breathing, which is a very effective short-term treatment for  panic attacks. However, this method is only effective when hyperventilation is the trigger of the attack. If not, other modes of management might be more effective and less harmful to the patient. Patients may also be taught deep breathing techniques that include extending the exhalation or humming while breathing in order to re-balance oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood.

Living with Panic Attacks

People who have experienced  panic attacks in the past may live with a recurring fear that the attack may happen again. This fear of a future panic attacks can be managed and controlled by understanding what causes the attacks and being familiar with the body’s response to it. Diet can also play a role in keeping panic attacks at bay. Caffeine, alcohol, and foods with high sugar content should be eliminated from the diet since these often worsen panic attacks. Learning how to use deep breathing techniques to facilitate muscle relaxation is also useful when one feels an impending panic attack. While it may not prevent the attack from occurring, it can help the person respond to the panic attacks in a calm, positive way.

Individuals who are prone to panic attacks should have company for the most part of the day. One of the most frightening experiences is suffering through feelings of impending death alone. Having someone who can offer reassurance can help sufferers look at the attack objectively and help facilitate a positive response. One can also make use of various products that allow sufferers deal with their panic attacks at home. Products like Panic Puzzle offer a complete self-help kit that includes cognitive behavioral training and audio books that sufferers can listen to when feeling an impending attack. A great feature of the Panic Puzzle program is the Anxiety Helix, which teaches sufferers to get down to the root cause of the panic attack in order to eliminate the condition completely.

Panic attacks are frightful and debilitating situations that can severely affect the normal, day-to-day living of the sufferer. Fortunately, people suffering from this condition have a number of management and treatment modalities that can help them cope with the attacks and lessen the risk of recurrence. The right stress management techniques and a solid and stable support network can help people cope with panic attacks and live productive, normal lives.

Panic attacks or anxieties affect at minimum 20% of the United States population. This amount equals out to about 60 million people. Even if you do not have localized attacks, you most likely still feel anxious about decisions regarding things in your daily life that you feel you may or may not have control over. How can you continue living the normal life you so desperately desire when these anxieties and panic attacks are constantly threatening to overtake you? That question is exactly what this blog post will address and discuss.

Panic Attacks and Their Symptoms

First things first, you must know what exactly panic attacks are. They are a “sudden feeling of acute and disabling anxiety’, typically lasting longer than ten minutes.  In fact, according to medicinenet.com, panic attacks are sudden, often unexpected, seemingly unprovoked, and usually completely disabling. They will, at some point, peak in intensity, and they may go away with or without medical assistance. They can come in the form of difficulties breathing, fainting spells, dizziness, nausea, and so on. These are just symptoms of panic attacks, though. The attack itself is an extension of an anxiety problem within the mind. What other symptoms can be manifested during panic attacks? They vary according to each individual. In addition to the symptoms mentioned above, you might also experience chest pains, heart palpitations, hot flashes or chills, the inexplicable desire to escape, and a dreamlike sensation. While these symptoms may seem debilitating at the time, it is important to remember that most panic attacks, while admittedly terrifying, are actually physically harmless.

Causes of Panic Attacks

There are many factors that contribute to panic attacks and related anxiety disorders. Because anxiety is very individualized, concrete causes are somewhat difficult to come by. Sometimes people inherit the tendency to panic, and other times panic is a learned behavior. They can be caused by certain medical conditions, or even some popular medications like Ritalin, various Diabetes medicines, and quinine. Food additives and dyes have also been linked to panic attacks. It is important for you to take a look at your particular situation to try and determine what possible causes relate to your experience with panic attacks.

In addition to these causes, one prevalent and plausible theory relating to the causes of panic attacks is the one that involves the body’s natural “fight or flight” tendency. Basically, our bodies are designed to react automatically when we are in a dangerous or stressful situation, helping us to either stand and fight, or deal with, the situation or run away. The problem comes in when our body produces the adrenaline needed for these types of situations when, in fact, we are not in any danger.

Preventing Panic Attacks

As that old adage goes, “the best defense is a good offense.” With that in mind, the best way to deal with panic attacks is to determine the most likely causes and work to prevent yourself from ever getting anxious enough to have a full-blown panic attack. There are numerous methods of doing this. Breathing deeply, thinking about something else, making a manageable list of things to do, breaking large tasks into smaller ones, taking a walk, and talking to someone immediately are just a few of the ways you can attempt to ward off an attack. For any prevention method to work, though, you must have confidence that it can work. Believe in yourself and the power and control you can exert over your panic attacks; otherwise, you will never be able to truly conquer your fears or keep your panic attacks from occurring.

One great method that has recently come on the market is the Panic Puzzle Program. It is a step-by-step program designed by an individual, Rich Presta, who has suffered from numerous panic attacks just like you. He claims to be able to teach you the ultimate strategies in panic attacks prevention. Some strategies he teaches you in his course are as follows:

• A four step technique that is supposed to end your panic attacks permanently

• An exercise that retrains your mind to react with calm instead of panic attacks

• How to stop feeling surprised when you panic attacks pop up and instead see them coming

• How to stop obsessing about all the things in your life that cause you overdue stress, such as personal health, job, family, etc.

• How to relax and laugh at yourself

• Identifying the five patterns of thinking that you must always avoid

• What to do when others do not understand you or support your methods for dealing with your panic attacks

• And so much more!

When you purchase his panic attacks cure program, you get the complete Panic Puzzle manual, both in print and audio format, a Rescue audio session, an audio series on Anxiety-Free Masterminds, and many other bonus gifts.

Or you can check our my review on the product here ——-> Panic Attacks

Tips for Dealing with Panic Attacks

Are you unable or unwilling to spend the money on Presta’s program? There are still some other tips, tricks, and techniques you can use to combat and deal with panic attacks.  First, you must recognize that panic attacks typically stems from anticipation – what could happen instead of what is actually happening. The first step to prevention is not allowing yourself to indulge in such thoughts. Focus on what you are doing right now, even if you have to be your own personal narrator to keep yourself distracted. If that isn’t getting the job done, practice relaxing breathing techniques. Breathe in and out slowly. It is also important to accept your panic attacks. Tell yourself that you can succeed, even if you do feel a little anxious. Don’t fight your feelings, accept them and deal with them so that you can continue on with your day. If an panic attacks sneaks up on you and you do not have time for prevention strategies, here are some tips to help yourself calm down:

• Breathe into a paper bag

• Take a walk in an open space

• Take a hot shower

• Call a friend

• Give yourself pep talk; remind yourself that this will not kill you

• Listen to some relaxing music

Remember, you may not succeed in preventing a panic attacks every time. The important thing is not to give up. Keep practicing your techniques and believing that you can prevent the next one. Panic attacks and anxieties are distressful, but they do not have to keep you from living your life. Get informed about what causes your panic attacks, notice which symptoms you most often experience, and use the techniques mentioned in this blog to effectively deal with your panic attacks – and remember, you CAN succeed in living a normal life, even if you occasionally suffer from panic attacks.

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