| Copyright (c) 2007 Kevin Reilly | | | | your body senses danger, your adrenalin will kick |
| After a panic attack has occurred, many times a | | | | in. This usually occurs when you feel fear that |
| visit to the emergency room follows to ensure | | | | something might happen or is happening. The |
| that a heart attack, stroke, or some other | | | | Fight-or-Flight response is discussed in more detail |
| serious ailment has not just happened. After | | | | in our next article. These sensations lead us to |
| every test possible, the doctor comes up with a | | | | believe that they are symptoms of some type of |
| diagnosis. He tells you that all of your tests have | | | | serious underlying illness, or that we are |
| come back negative and what you are | | | | experiencing a major health risk. |
| experiencing is normal and harmless. He explains | | | | Many individuals that have encountered these |
| that you are experiencing panic attacks. The | | | | dreadful panic attacks feel as if they are losing |
| doctor prescribes medicine, a follow up checkup | | | | control and worse yet, going crazy. The fear that |
| with your general practitioner, and then sends you | | | | is caused by these sensations leads us into being |
| on your way. As the doctor is explaining this, | | | | apprehensive about going out into the public. |
| thoughts are racing through your mind. How can | | | | These attacks affect our sleep. We tend to |
| this be normal and harmless? The doctor just | | | | constantly need to sleep in order to escape from |
| cannot be right. He has to be missing something. | | | | the attacks because it is on our mind from the |
| After leaving the hospital and feeling as if the | | | | time we wake up until the time we go to sleep. |
| doctor has completely misdiagnosed your | | | | The bad news is that you can experience a panic |
| situation, you have decided to take it upon | | | | attack even in your sleep! The good news is that |
| yourself to grasp what this new diagnosis means. | | | | there are treatments and remedies that you can |
| Grasping the fact that the diagnosis of panic | | | | take to overcome these attacks. |
| attacks is correct is the first step to conquering | | | | It is a common fact that women experience |
| them. According to The Lancet, panic attacks are | | | | panic attacks more than men. However, both can |
| sudden, sometimes unexpected paroxysmal | | | | be subjected to it. Whether male or female, the |
| bursts of severe anxiety accompanied by several | | | | attacks are very distressful. At some point in |
| physical symptoms. (eg. Cardio respiratory, | | | | their lifetime, millions will experience these |
| otoneurological, gastrointestinal, or autonomic) | | | | distressful attacks and will be searching for |
| Such attacks are often striking in their initial | | | | answers like you. Now that you know what panic |
| presentation, affect the individual's function, and | | | | attacks are, you should learn what the symptoms |
| could be progressive and disabling, especially if | | | | (sensations) are so you can identify them next |
| accompanied by agoraphobia (an extreme form | | | | time with your panic attack. Grasping panic |
| of phobic avoidance). (Roy-Byrne & Steine, 2006) | | | | attacks is your first step to recovery! |
| In other words, panic attacks are caused from a | | | | Reference: Roy-Byrne, P., Craske, M., & Stein, M. |
| build up of stress and anxiety, which led you to | | | | (2006, September 16). Panic disorder. Lancet, |
| feel sensations in many areas of your body. You | | | | 368(9540), 1023-1032. Retrieved November 12, |
| then experience the Fight-or-Flight response. | | | | 2007, from Psychology and Behavioral Sciences |
| What does Fight-or-Flight response mean? When | | | | Collection database. |