Panic attacks and Panic Disorder | What Causes Them and How You Can Prevent Them

The Panic Attack Experience:

Body develops into own corset. The past, the present, and the future are all one force. Without gravity, a swing can reach alarming heights. People and objects lose their outline. Numerous poets and authors have attempted to describe the experience of having a panic attack, which is so overwhelming that many individuals mistake it for having a heart attack, a stroke, or another serious medical emergency.

Although?panic attacks?don't injure a person physically over the long term, the fear of another attack might limit a person's everyday activities and lead to additional panic attacks. According to studies, over one-third of us will go through at least one panic episode in our lifetimes. No one wants to go through another experience, whether it is their first, hundredth, or they are witnessing someone else go through one. Even learning about them can be unsettling, but it's essential since comprehending panic attacks is the first step to preventing them.

How to Calm a Panic Attack 5 Effective Techniques:

A panic episode is fundamentally an exaggeration of the body's typical physiological reaction to perceived danger. The amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for processing fear, is where this reaction begins. Adrenaline is released when the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated by the amygdala's perception of danger. To supply blood and oxygen to the muscles in the arms and legs, adrenaline causes an increase in heart rate and breathing rate. The brain receives oxygen as a result, which increases mental alertness and responsiveness. This reaction is greatly amplified during a panic attack beyond what would be helpful in a dangerous scenario, leading to a racing heart, laboured breathing, or hyperventilation. Lightheadedness and numbness in the hands and feet are brought on by changes in blood flow.

The 10-Minute Panic Attack: How to Survive and Thrive

Typically, a panic episode peaks in 10 minutes or less. Then, taking over from the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex activates the parasympathetic nervous system. Acetylcholine, a hormone that lowers heart rate and progressively calms panic attacks, is released as a result of this. The body's perception of danger during a panic episode is sufficient to set off the same chain of events that would occur in the event of a genuine threat. We don't know for sure why this occurs, but occasionally environmental signals that conjure up painful memories from the past might cause a panic attack.

Anxiety disorders like PTSD, social anxiety disorder, OCD, and generalised anxiety disorder can all include panic attacks. A diagnosis of panic disorder can be made based on recurrent panic attacks, frequent fear about potential attacks, and behavioural adjustments to prevent panic attacks.

CBT and Antidepressants: The Two Main Treatments for Panic Disorder

Cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT, and antidepressant medication are the two main therapies for panic disorder. Although a person who responds to one may not react to the other, both receive roughly 40% of responses. Antidepressant drugs do have certain negative effects, and 50% of people who quit taking them relapse. CBT, on the other hand, lasts longer and only has a 20% relapse rate. The purpose of CBT therapy for panic disorder is to teach patients practical skills they can use to exert bodily control over the feelings and ideas that come with a panic attack.

CBT starts with a discussion of the physiological factors that lead to a panic attack, then moves into breath and muscle exercises that are meant to help people actively manage their breathing. The next step is cognitive restructuring, which entails recognising and replacing the frequent thoughts that occur during attacks, such as the belief that you'll stop breathing, have a heart attack, or die, with more accurate ones.

Get Ready to Face Your Fears: The Next Stage of Panic Attack Treatment

Exposure to the physiological feelings and circumstances that often cause a panic attack is the next stage of treatment. The intention is to alter the perception that these feelings and circumstances are harmful through experience. Taking these actions in the midst of an assault is difficult, even after CBT. But with practise, these techniques can help people avoid attacks altogether, defuse them, and ultimately loosen the grip terror has over their lives. Many Panickers find comfort outside of formal therapy from the same ideas CBT tries to instil: that hanging on to fear won't help, but letting it escalate panic can. Even if you've never experienced one, knowing panic attacks will enable you to see one in someone else or in yourself, and spotting them is the first step in preventing them.

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