Panic attacks are extremely scary. Panic sufferers often think they are having a heart attack and rush to see their doctor or end up in an emergency room. Which is exactly what they should do. An accurate diagnosis is the first step in alleviating panic attacks. A diagnosis is vital, because panic attacks mimic a number of potentially serious medical conditions. The next step is treatment. No one should have to endure repeated bouts of distressing panic. Also, early treatment can prevent the condition from becoming chronic.
Not all panic attacks are the same. Symptoms are unique to the individual patient. However, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, typical symptoms are:

Racing or pounding heart Sweating, flushing, or chills Chest pain or tightness Shortness of breath, or choking or choking sensation Dizziness, lightheadedness, tingling, or numbness Tremors or shaking Nausea or abdominal discomfort Fear of losing control

Sometimes panic attacks seem to come out of the blue with no rhyme or reason. This is not true with a phobia, such as agoraphobia, which has a distinctive pattern. Agoraphobics may have a seizure in situations from which escape is difficult or embarrassing (ie, on a bridge, in a crowded theater). Someone who is afraid of flying may have a panic attack when entering an airplane, or perhaps when contemplating a flight. Then the person could be frightened by the “idea” of having another panic attack. The panic attack itself becomes the dreaded event. He or she begins to avoid situations associated with the attacks. This can become a distressing pattern that is difficult to break free of.

Cognitive theorists believe that our thoughts create our anxiety. Consider these examples for a moment. A professional athlete constantly felt his chest contract and his heart pound every time he went through a tunnel. A woman walking her dog in a park a few blocks from her home suddenly felt dizzy. If the athlete were asked what she thought immediately before the symptoms started, she might say, “Tunnels can collapse. If this one collapses, I’ll be buried alive. I won’t be able to breathe. I’ll suffocate.” As he imagined possible engineering errors, a visualization of a collapsing tunnel suddenly flashed through his mind. She gasped for breath.

Let’s go back to the woman in the park. If she is asked about her thoughts before passing out, she might reply, “I’m too far from home to scream if someone jumps out of the bushes and grabs me. No one will hear me. They could kill me.” Simultaneously, she visualized a huge Neanderthal man bearing down on her. It is very likely that thoughts of her and visualizations of her contributed to the material they reacted to. According to Aaron T. Beck (1976), we can learn to “observe that a thought links the eternal stimulus with the emotional response.” In other words, “tunnel” does not indicate danger, until the thought “it will collapse” links it, stimulating the emotional response, anxiety.

As stated above, the symptoms of a panic attack are frightening. The attacks are especially disturbing when one does not understand why the body reacts in such a strange way. A panic attack is an example of one’s body doing what it was designed to do, but at the wrong time. Seizures are part of the body’s warning or alarm system. He is saying: “Be alert, there is danger, react!” The autonomic nervous system cannot differentiate between a legitimate hazard (an 18-wheeler going haywire) and the environmental stress “created” by life in the global web century. Heredity, other biological factors, stressful life circumstances, and thought patterns that create unnecessary stress all combine to encourage the onset of panic attacks. The specific panic mechanism is unknown. However, rest assured, researchers are eagerly searching for answers.

Is there any good news? Yes, panic attacks can and often are treated successfully. Cognitive behavioral therapy and medication are commonly recommended treatments. Anti-anxiety medications work quickly to relieve distressing symptoms. Cognitive-behavioral therapy provides tools with which to cope in a more adaptive way, thus reducing the probability that panic attacks will recur. What can you do if you are currently experiencing panic attacks? Here are some suggestions: – Don’t panic, panic attacks can’t hurt you.

– Write down everything you can remember about your seizure immediately after it happens (you’ll gather important information about when, where, and under what circumstances your seizures occur).

-Be careful with those scary thoughts (The tunnel will not collapse. That’s a safer bet than the lottery.).

– Tell yourself: “I will not look crazy, collapse, die or lose control.”

– Try to breathe deeply. Inhale through your nose, hold your breath for a few seconds, and then exhale through your mouth. We tend to take small, quick, shallow breaths when we’re anxious, which can exacerbate the problem.

– Get professional help. Panic attacks are not an uncommon stress reaction. Panic sufferers have plenty of company. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 3 million Americans will have panic disorder at some point in their lives.

Copyright, Dr. Dorothy McCoy (2005)