Searching for a Sign of Anxiety Attack

Searching for a sign of anxiety attack can be like looking for a needle in a haystack only not quite as concrete. At least with the needle, once you’ve found it you know that it’s a needle; it feels like a needle, it looks like a needle, and it likely is a needle. With a sign of anxiety attack, it could just as likely be a symptom to a great misdiagnosed problem as it could be a sign of anxiety attack. Seeking good professional help is the most important key to solving this mystery.

Fear is your body’s natural reaction to a lot of outside stimuli. It is normal for the body to react in such a way as to become anxious or fearful because this often protected our ancestors from a lot of problems and harm. It is not normal, however, for our bodies to be overtaken with fear to the point that physical symptoms begin to arise because of it. When this happens, it is usually the sign of a larger problem.

There are many common types of anxiety: fear, panic, worry, dread, obsession, and compulsion are just a few. Clearly, anxiety comes in a variety of forms and is not only represented by fear. It is also quite common. Most people experience anxiety in some form, experiencing it before or after stressful situations like a traumatic event or an important meeting with the boss of your company. Other times the anxiety comes quickly and without warning and for no reason at all.

Anxiety can Affect your Relationships

An anxiety disorder is a more disabling feeling of anxiety that actually is constant and consuming. Anxiety disorder causes people to completely withdraw emotionally and often physically from their family and friends. It can cause people to withdraw indoors and avoid social activities for reasons involving fear. An anxiety attack, conversely, is an unexpected episode that usually involves fear as oppose to an overwhelming feeling.

A sign of anxiety attack can be anything from irregular heartbeats to chest pain. They also include: shaking, twitching, trembling, hot flashes, chills, “rubber legs”, tingling in extremities, difficulty sleeping, unpredictable sleeping patterns, body tension, aches and pains, sweating, clamminess, and stomach problems such as nausea or “butterflies”.

There are also emotional signs including: fearfulness, a feeling of terror, insecurity, incredible self-consciousness, irritability, apprehension, dread, a desire to escape, a feeling you are going to perish, and other frightening emotions.

What is an Anxiety Panic Attack?

An anxiety panic attack is characterized as a panic attack that is induced due to unnatural levels of anxiety. This anxiety can be related to anything, the attacks are not just limited to major stressful events or concerns. Anxiety over a party, a loved one, even anxiety over what clothes to wear can cause an anxiety panic attack.

One of the key features of an anxiety panic attack is the focus of the attack. When a person experiences such panic, usually the panic has a central trigger. For some people, who tend to experience chronic panic attacks, the trigger tends to be the same thing. Agoraphobics, for instance, tend to have an anxiety panic attack anytime they travel beyond their safe distance, for some this can be just beyond their doorstep.

Triggers

For most people the trigger for an anxiety panic attack will vary with the situation. At times of extreme stress panic can trigger as the body’s natural reaction to the high levels of stress. This is known as the fight or flight reaction, and is widely accepted as the main reason behind any panic attack. When a person experiences an extremely stressful, or traumatic, event the body will react. A release of chemicals into a persons system will cause an extreme reaction to the situation.

An anxiety panic attack occurs when the chemicals are triggered by a reactive stressor. There is no need for it, but the body assumes there is some danger it must react to, this is a panic attack. An anxiety panic attack can be marked by many key factors. Overwhelming feelings of fear, and hopelessness are all signs of an attack. Other signs include increased heart rate, sweating, tingling in the extremities, headaches, nausea, extreme emotional fluctuations.

Symptoms

The list could go on for quite sometime, as symptoms tend to be a mixed bag when concerning panic. However, any panic sufferer will attest to the immense feeling of anxiety that accompanies an anxiety panic attack; as if there is nothing in the world that can help you, unfortunately it is one of the major common symptoms that mark an attack.

The good thing about an anxiety panic attack, if it can be said there is one, is that in most cases they can be controlled. Exercise, controlled breathing, healthy diet, relaxation techniques, even just someone to be there and listen, all of these can help control panics. For many the key is to find what causes the panic and reduce the effect that factor has on their life.

Finding Anxiety Attack Help

Getting good anxiety attack help is as easy as consulting your medical professional and taking their advice. It can also be complex, however, as some of that advice may require serious lifestyle changes and a difference in the choices you make in your daily life. There are several types of anxiety attack help that may be prescribed from group therapy to medication to color therapy to hypnosis. Any number or combination of a number of things can help anxiety attacks from taking over your life.

An anxiety attack is a sudden rush of physical and mental discomfort or trauma caused by unknown or known sources. Panic attacks could be generated through bad traffic, a stressful morning, or nothing at all. Generally, there are a series of symptoms that are experienced that typically signal the onslaught of an anxiety or panic attack. The symptoms can include anything from sweating profusely to having extreme heart palpitations. Getting anxiety attack help can be hard because of the unpredictability of these attacks.

Random or Planned?

Although panic attacks may seem to be random to some, there are actually a great number of factors and biochemical processes that occur during a panic attack that make it anything but chaotic at the outset. The human body actually reacts in a set number of stages, all of which help prepare the body and train it how to react. So, it stands to reason that if your body is trained to react poorly through a number of factors the likelihood that you will experience a panic attack is significantly greater than a healthier person.

For example, the likelihood of a generally out of shape individual with poor time management skills and poor stress management skills of experiencing a panic attack in a stressful situation is significantly higher than that of a well adjusted person that is confident with their time and stress management skills. This is because their bodies are trained to handle the situations while conversely the body types that are not will inevitably react poorly.

Get Help

Getting anxiety attack help can, therefore, be as simple as eating properly and taking good care of yourself. Having a good diet and feeding your body the nourishment it needs from day to day is an important step to equipping the organs and blood with the enzymes it needs to perform its job. Regular exercise is also integral to this goal, as well as regular rest and relaxation. Taking the time to enjoy life is some of the best anxiety attack help you can give yourself.

Panic Attack Treatment for Everyone!

First and foremost for any panic attack treatment, one must consult a doctor. Only under an expert in the domain supervision, should you proceed to conduct any panic attack treatment. While there are many therapies and medications available on the market, here are a few common options for panic attack treatment:

Behavior Therapy

This therapy helps to gain control over an individual behavior. Here the individual learn to cope with difficult situations through controlled exposure to the problems. Thus, getting back in charge and taking control once again of life.

Cognitive Therapy

This therapy works with changing unproductive or harmful thoughts to positive and constructive thinking... One learns to examine and distinguish realistic from unrealistic thoughts. Once again, as with the Behavior Therapy, the result achieved is that one gets back to controlling one’s life.

Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT)

This therapy is widely used by therapists, often referred as CBT. The benefit of combining these two panic attack treatments is that the patient learns recovery skills useful for a lifetime. Relaxation technique is another panic attack treatment that helps the patient to cope with stress – stress being one of the main causes of panic attacks. Some such relaxation techniques include breathing training and exercise, such as yoga and Pilates.

There is always specific medication for panic attack treatment.

Medication is very effective and is often used in combination with some of the above mentioned treatments. However, always keep in mind to consult your doctor for any panic attack treatment

Panic attack treatment is conducted over a period of a few months. It is almost always effective, but, do not expect results overnight. Also, get your family involved, you will need all the support and love you can get. Love cures most any illnesses or so they say!

Like any other treatment – panic attack treatment, requires commitment and perseverance. Positive thinking; the will to succeed; the love for life are any time a good approach

Panic attacks are caused by stress and excessive worries which are a part of our day to day life unfortunately; so, do not neglect yourself or your dear ones. Leave your work at your work place and time to relax.

Panic attacks can be treated, just like any other disorder/illness. It is important to acknowledge and seek for help. Also if you see the symptoms in others, do not hesitate to inform them or their next of kin. Take charge of yourself, take charge of life!

Panic Attack and Depression: You Don’t Have to Suffer

On average, fourteen million Americans suffer from major panic attack and depression. Three million Americans suffer from panic disorder. It is very common for those with major depression to also have panic attacks and elevated anxiety levels. Because panic can mimic other disorders, such as hypoglycemia, heart problems, asthma and many more serious conditions, sufferers who have not been diagnosed with panic disorder can feel afraid and tentative about their health.

If you are having panic attacks, but are unaware, and are also suffering from depression, then the two can aggravate the other until proper treatment is realized. As depression is another difficult illness to properly diagnose and treat, it is imperative to actively find treatment that works for you.

The Results of Panic Attack and Depression

People suffering from depression will feel bored, sad, hopeless, sluggish, alone and unloved. They may suffer from insomnia, and will have elevated anxiety levels. Because of this elevated anxiety, people with panic attack and depression will often experience panic attacks on a normal basis. When someone has more than one panic attack, they can develop a phobia towards the situation, or a fear to return to a specific place. Add in an already depressed view of the world, a worry that others find no worth in you, and you have a recipe for one miserable person.

Health care professionals are learning that the instances of panic attack and depression coinciding together are more common that thought. While not everyone who is depressed will have panic attacks, many people who suffer from panic may very well be depressed. There are certain SSRI antidepressants on the market today that are specifically recommended for use in treating anxiety along with depression.

Many people who suffer from depression do not know it. When someone who experiences panic attack and depressed has a panic attack, it can be very frightening. Oftentimes, people in the middle of panic attacks feel like they are going to die, or that will lose their minds and “go crazy”. This can prevent some from seeking treatment, as they do not understand what is happening to them, and fear the worse.

When the panic attack is over and the sufferer feels normal again, they may not think anything of it until it happens again. Many people who suffer from panic attacks do not realize that they are not alone. A person who is experiencing panic attack and depression may feel especially overwhelmed and will aggravate the situation by worrying and inflating the scenario in their mind. They may feel hopeless to the point where they cannot see how treatment would be effective.

Treatment for depression with panic attacks is available and very effective. Through any combination of medication, cognitive-behavior therapy and relaxation techniques, sufferers can gain control of their lives back.

The Cause of an Anxiety Attack in Todays World

What is the cause of anxiety attack? In today’s world anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness. In the United States alone 40 million (18.1%) of the adult population is affected. These numbers are on the increase all over the world, demanding immediate attention. Even though studies are usually made only on adults (over 18 years old), this disorder affects all age groups.

We all blame it on stress, too much work load or other over pressuring day to day activities. However, the scientists have found out the cause of anxiety attacks are:

Brian Biochemistry or chemical imbalance

There are two primary neurotransmitters; serotonin and dopamine, that affect a person’s feeling. Any imbalance of these chemicals can provoke a cause of anxiety attack expressed through feeling depressed or sad.

Genetics

Anxiety disorders are also inherited as they tend to run in the family, thus passing it on from one’s mother/father to the son/daughter or any other close relative. The structure of the brain and its process are inherited in totality and that can be another reason why people with chemical imbalance can pass on the anxiety disorder thus, being the cause of anxiety attack. Also growing up as a child in an abusive home, where the family expressed anxiety and violence constantly can be the cause of anxiety attack.

Fight or Flight Mechanism

When we sense danger, the body prepares itself to either fight or run away. This is known as fight or flight mechanism. This mechanism is triggered mostly by a part of the brain called Amygdale. Sometimes the brain misunderstands the message and a situation and translated it as dangerous when it is not in reality. This can be a cause of anxiety attack.

The symptoms are very real and frightening. Thus, convincing us that something is wrong and we get scared and untrusting. The flight or fight failure, the scientists say, is the main cause of panic attacks.

Along with the various medications, the scientists also have discovered the possibility to reserve these symptoms now, with the modern science and technology. Now, all we need to do is to learn to recognize these symptoms and consult the doctor as soon as possible. As any other disorder or illness, treated in time, it can be almost always treated successfully.

Be aware of your body and recognize when is giving you the wrong Symptoms.

What is a Child Panic Attack?

A child panic attack can be a very serious and frightening matter, both for the child and for the parents. In this brief article, I will outline some of the facts around a child panic attack and decipher some clues as to what parents can do for their children in this frightening and confusing time. Children experience emotional issues such as panic and anxiety much differently than adults, so education is as important as anything when dealing with this situation.

Children and teenagers experience panic attacks and often develop fears of going places because of this. They fear that should they engage in an activity, a panic attack may occur and embarrass them. There are many different types of child panic attack disorders.

GAD – Generalized Anxiety Disorder

GAD is an anxiety disorder that is generally known by the patient experiencing excessive worrying about a series of events. These events can either be in the past, in the present, or in the future so the time has little to do with the amount of “logical worry” that is applied. Sometimes children or teens worry about past events, conversations they may have had, upcoming events, school, friends, family, functions or any other possibility. Typically a child experiencing GAD cannot control the amount of time spent worrying about such things.

The best way known to treat GAD is through relaxation techniques and therapy. Generally talking children out of their worrying can work wonders, but a trained mental health physician is usually the best prepared to encounter such a disorder. Children are taught to use positive self-talk instead of the discouraging words of worry and are taught to generate a dialogue with others to explore their feelings. This child panic attack disorder does not generally have a prescribed medication.

Separation Anxiety Disorder

Children may experience panic when they are separated from loved ones or comfortable situations that they are used to. This generally applies to younger children who are separated from parents. The threat of separation from a caregiver often results in anxiety and occurs in cases such as when the child is left with a babysitter on a parents’ evening out on the town.

The child may avoid activities that result in separation from its caregivers and may worry excessively about the caregiver when they are gone. Normally the therapy involved includes recognition of these emotions and a good dose of reality: that nothing wrong happens, etc. Children are also taught coping skills to deal with the separation, often through role playing.

Qualified Anxiety Attack Treatment

There are certain steps you should take when considering anxiety attack treatment. First, identify the symptoms with a medical professional and establish a plan of attack. Remember that only a medically trained professional can properly diagnose an anxiety attack and can, therefore, prescribe a practical anxiety attack treatment. There are no miracle cures, generally, and attacking the symptoms of anxiety attacks only combats half of the problem overall.

Your doctors will likely rule out any associated medical conditions first. Some medications or diseases can bring about a lot of the symptoms of an anxiety attack and so these need to be determined and dealt with first in order to eliminate any possible other issues. A change in medication or a diagnosis of another disorder may in fact cure the panic and anxiety attacks. It is important to document your symptoms before visiting your doctor as you will be prepared to discuss them accurately.

There are a variety of conditions that may cause anxiety attacks or an anxiety attack disorder. They include but are not limited to: low blood sugar levels, certain heart conditions, excessive intake of caffeine, drug use, tumors (some tumors cause excess adrenaline which can lead to anxiety attacks), or an overactive thyroid gland. These conditions and others can lead to anxiety attacks and may be at the root of your problem. An effective anxiety attack treatment plan will deal with these conditions primarily.

Lifestyle is Key

It is also important to examine your lifestyle. If your anxiety levels are interrupting your ability to “live a normal life”, it is probably time to consult a professional. There are some signs or “red flags” to consider when determining if you are a candidate for a mental health professional that include: feeling unable to work, feeling unable to keep your normal behavior patterns or appearance or hygiene patterns, cutting off social connections, trouble sleeping, trouble eating, and trouble bathing. There are, of course, many other possibilities to these ideologies, but anxiety is a possibility to consider.

It is important to remember that stress and anxiety are parts of normal life for many people. Handling this stress, however, is the difference between an anxiety attack sufferer and a person that can cope properly. Seek out anxiety attack treatment plans if you are the former. A mental health professional can equip you with the tools with which to handle the “daily grind” and make more out of situations, overcome stress and anxiety, and get back to basic, healthy living.

Panic Attack Self Help Guide

So you’ve been diagnosed with having chronic panic attacks? Odds are if you are reading this then that is the case. Like most panic attack sufferers you are probably asking yourself two questions; why me? Is there a cure?

Unfortunately, there is no cure for chronic panic attacks. Most panic attack sufferers will have the potential to have attacks their whole life. For some this can be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, while for others it just their certain mode of thinking that causes the attacks. The purpose of this panic attack self help guide is to give any new or veteran sufferer of panic attacks a few helpful tips.

Tip one:

Panic attacks are all in your head. The reason why you have these attacks is probably unknown. One thing most doctors will agree on is that panic attacks are all in the victims head. Whether this is caused by a chemical imbalance, or not, the trigger for an attack has to come from the sufferer. So tip one is to remember that these attacks are all mental. Once you learn this step, and learn to believe it, then you will be well on your way to dealing with your panic.

Tip Two:

The second best tip this panic attack self help guide can tell you are that panic attacks often tend to be caused by certain lifestyles and certain personalities. People who tend to worry too much or dump too many stresses onto their own shoulders, also tend to be those most likely to sufferer from chronic panic attacks. So tip two is to examine your lifestyle; how are you living at the moment? Could your life be less stressful, and if so what is the main source of that stress?

Tip Three:

The third tip would have to be learning what exactly happens during a panic attack. Even with all the preventative medicine in the world, most panic attack sufferers will experience attacks from time to time. They will most likely not be that serious, but they will happen. So what occurs during a panic attack? When a person panics, the body is essentially triggering a “fight or flight” response to the source of the attack.

In most cases this drastic reaction is not needed and has no outlet once it is started. Tip three is to learn about this mechanism, and the best ways a person can counter it on their own.

Tip Four:

The fourth and final tip of this panic attack self help guide is the simplest of them all, see a doctor. There is a whole range of options for panic sufferers, and a physician is the best source of that knowledge.

Anxiety Attack, or Something Else?

Many people don't realize they are actually having an anxiety attack until they know what the definition of one is. An anxiety attack is a strong sensation that creates fear in oneself, as the symptoms can seem like you are actually dying. If you are someone who suffers from these kinds of attacks, it is important to know as much as you can about them as to help control them.

Causes of Anxiety Attacks

The cause of an anxiety attack can vary from person to person. They may be caused by an upsetting event in someone's life or a fear of something they have experienced growing up. Stress is a big contributor to anxiety attacks, but the possibilities are truthfully endless. Medication is a known trigger of an anxiety attack, and being less than active is known to be a contributor as well. In reality, there is not a particular known reason for people who experience these attacks, they are in short a body’s way of dealing with an overwhelming feeling in one way or another.

Some Symptoms of an Anxiety Attack

One of the main symptoms of an anxiety attack is extreme fear. Now, fear may be acknowledged as a symptom of anxiety, but in reality it is just the end result of the real symptoms. Before fear sets in, you are likely to experience one or more symptoms of anxiety which lead you to the fear. Chest pain due to a racing heart, shortness of breath, and dizziness are all symptoms you may experience before the fear sets in. In the end, any uncomfortable sensation that is realized which makes you become fearful for your life is considered a symptom of anxiety, and therefore should be treated as such until you can confirm your suspisions.

So, is it an Anxiety Attack?

Because so many symptoms that are realized during an anxiety attack are similar if not exactly like those of some other kind of condition, it is almost impossible to determine if what you have been feeling is due to an anxiety attack, or another condition. This is why it’s important to see a doctor and explain your symptoms, so that your physician can run the necessary tests in determining whether you have an underlying medical condition.

That needs to be dealt with or whether it is more than likely anxiety you are dealing with, at which point you can work with your doctor in finding ways to control it.

Anxiety Attack Heart Problems

Anxiety attack heart problems are any problems related to the cardiovascular system of your body that are caused by anxiety or panic attacks. Due to the very nature of a panic attack, it is not surprising that anxiety attack heart problems are among the leading causes of heart attacks or other cardiovascular issues among North Americans today. This is not to say that an anxiety or panic attack does not have a heavy effect on other systems of the body as well, but it’s effect on the heart and blood flow is easily measured and quite noticeably dangerous.

A panic attack is a sudden onset of fear or other terror that causes frightening symptoms that can paralyze a person in the mood of the moment. Many people report the notion of being “frozen by fear” and an anxiety attack definitely resembles that to a large degree. Patients discuss shaking, trembling, chills, numbness in extremities, heart palpitations, and trouble breathing among other things that are caused by the great difficulty of a panic attack.

Anxiety attack heart problems are common because of the close association stress has with other heart problems. Anxiety can accompany any heart disease or cardiac condition that causes a drop in blood pressure because of this close relationship in systems and bodily functions. This, in fact, causes a sudden decrease in cardiac output, which is the amount of blood being pumped by the heart. Anxiety is also closely related to (but not the cause of) a condition called mitral valve prolapse or MVP.

Panic attacks generate a common human response to danger: the “fight or flight” response. This was said to evolve from early human types that either fled danger or took it on if they could. Fight or flight generates a lot of biological processes because of the energy the body needs to perform either task. The heart races, the blood quickens, the eyes function differently, senses are heightened, and other parts of the body begin to react in other ways such as muscles tightening, etc.

Anxiety attack heart difficulties can arise from the heart being told to work too fast by the brain, which is in charge of the “fight or flight” mechanism. At this point, the body often decides to simply shut down because it’s easier on the systems involved. For this reason, the heart once again runs the virtual gamut of both beating faster and beating slower; calming the body down and slowing blood flow one moment and then speeding the body up and creating more blood flow the next minute.

How to Recognize an Anxiety Attack Symptom

If you have ever experienced being uncomfortable and feeling that something just isn’t right when it comes to your breathing or the way your body seems to be failing you, it is entirely possible you could have been experiencing an anxiety attack symptom. Let’s take a look at some of the symptoms that usually come with anxiety attacks.

A Pounding Heart

One of the more common of an anxiety attack symptom is a pounding heart. This symptom can be caused by a number of different anxiety attacks, from mild to severe. Many people who do have an attack tend to clutch at their chest in fear of a heart attack or other ailment, when in reality they are experiencing anxiety.

Shortness of Breath

Shortness of breath is another anxiety attack symptom that is seen a lot because of someone feeling panicked due to other symptoms they are experiencing. The shortness of breath can seem like your world is caving in, but by being able to recognize the symptom as part of an anxiety attack, you can more easily control this.

Lightheaded or Faint

Becoming lightheaded is one anxiety attack symptom that happens a lot in crowded areas. Many people have a phobia about being in crowds and becoming lightheaded or fainting is a common symptom that they experience. People will sometimes think they have a more serious issue, but it reality it's only one of the symptoms that are associated with anxiety attacks.

Fear of Losing Control

Another anxiety attack symptom that is almost always present in an attack is the fear of losing control. This fear comes from the seemingly uncontrollable symptoms that precede like becoming light headed with a racing heart, and shortness of breath. It is a natural feeling for us to feel as if we are losing control of our own bodies.

Overview

Anxiety attack symptoms vary and are not isolated to just one group of people. Everybody is different and may experience varying symptoms based on what their fears may be. Anxiety is a treatable problem and many people live normal lives once they learn to control there attacks. In the end, by visiting a physician to talk about the anxiety attack symptoms that bother you, a plan can be put in place as to how you can effectively overcome the symptoms as they occur, making it possible to ensure anxiety attacks do not have precedence over your life.

Choosing a Panic Attack Natural Remedy to Treat Panic Attacks

Do you suffer from panic attacks? You may enter a crowded store, or an airport, and suddenly are overcome with dizziness, trouble breathing and chest pains. You may feel unnaturally afraid all of the sudden, and in mortal danger. You are not alone.

Between 6.5 – 10% of Americans have been diagnosed with Panic Disorder, which means the individual has suffered more than one panic attack within a period of time. There are several successful treatments available from conventional physicians and therapists. But what about those who prefer alternative therapies?

How can you treat with a Panic Attack Natural Remedy

Many people are uncomfortable taking certain prescription drugs, especially antidepressants. There are many side effects to antidepressants that are undesirable and difficult to live with. Aside from behavioral therapies, antidepressants are the one chemical way to help people control their panic disorders. However, there are ways to help control this with a panic attack natural remedy.

Calming herbs such as lavender, valerian and passion flower and have been used successfully at the onset of a panic attack. Vitamins and amino acids can be combined successfully to help reduce the occurrence of panic attacks. Research vitamin B-complex, Omega-3 fatty acids, 5HTP, sAMe and L-taurine to see if they might benefit you in controlling your panic attacks. Some have found aromatherapy to be quite helpful. Scents like frankincense, neroli, sage, rose, ylang ylang and bergamot have been found to effectively calm people out of panic attacks when they start.

Aside from herbal and vitamin therapies, a lot of people who are searching for a panic attack natural remedy just want an alternative to antidepressants. Behavioral therapy has proven to be quite effective. Some have had success with a treatment known as EMDR [Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing]. This is a treatment that uses eye movements to discern information and reassign the way the brain processes it.

Other alternative and natural panic attack natural remedy choices take the form in hypnosis, acupuncture and massage therapy. Yoga or meditation can be utilized as well.

There are many options out there for sufferers of panic disorder who want to take control of their treatment and find a method they are most comfortable with. Since panic disorder is a serious medical condition, it is best to consult with a physician, therapist, herbalist or other professional for guidance in finding the best treatment for you.

What is a Panic Attack Disorder?

A panic attack disorder is a disorder that involves sudden surges of fear, often overwhelming surges. The difference between a simple attack and a full-on panic attack disorder is the length of time the symptoms persist and the gravity of the symptoms. Essentially, a panic attack disorder disrupts your life and causes you to completely revamp the way in which you go about your daily work, home life, and social life.

A panic disorder is a fairly common condition, however. Generally without warning the symptoms arrive and cause the sufferer to feel fearful, nervous, and frightened without reason. These episodes can last minutes, sometimes even hours, and can be very disabling to most people as they essentially can freeze a person like a “deer in the headlights”. Being paralyzed by fear is a very real notion to those that suffer with panic attacks on a regular basis.

The Cause

The cause for a panic attack is not usually obvious, but it is something that is generally “normal” as a part of a regular stressful modern life. The development of a panic attack disorder is usually associated with a lack of proper coping skills more than it is a brain function or a biological illness as the idea behind panic is a poor management of stressful situations.

Mental health professionals often prescribe a variety of types of therapy. These include color therapy and hypnosis but in general result in a discussion of the fears or anxiety triggers to comprise a proper coping plan that will ease the effects of the stressors. However, in some of the more serious cases various medications can also be prescribed to aide in the balancing of brain chemicals that the stress and the poor reactions to it may have unbalanced.

Symptoms

Panic attacks usually come with a set of symptoms that include: shaking, trembling, heart palpitations, sweating, chest pains, shortness of breath, choking or feeling like you may be choking, nausea, dizziness, cramping, tingling, numbness, chills, hot flashes, and even “out of body” experiences or feelings related to that experience. There are other symptoms as well, but many of these are dependent on the individual panic attack sufferer.

Once again, the difference between a panic attack and a panic attack disorder is the frequency and the overall gravity of the anxiety and the symptoms. Many of those with an attack disorder seek counselling and are prescribed medication as well to combat the effects of the symptoms. As anyone with a panic disorder will tell you, anxiety can be very crippling and without professional medical help can cause serious problems.

Agoraphobia Panic Attack Information

Agoraphobia is generally considered an anxiety or panic disorder, commonly referred to as the fear of traveling. This fear can range from not being able to travel a few hours away from the home, all the way down to not being able to leave your home all together. An agoraphobia panic attack is basically an attack that occurs when an agoraphobic attempts to go beyond their “safe” boundaries.

The problem with treating an agoraphobia panic attack is that the only real way to overcome the attack is for the person to attempt to push their limits. This is the reason why many agoraphobics tend to get worse before they get better. It is easy for an agoraphobic to ignore their problem, since all they have to do is not travel beyond their limits but unfortunately while being easy to ignore, agoraphobia also tends to be the most stifling of the symptoms that can arise from chronic panic disorder.

Begin With Baby Steps

The best thing an agoraphobic can do to stem their agoraphobia panic attacks, is to begin taking baby steps. Setting goals to overcome their attacks is the only way an agoraphobic will ever be able to finally master their fears. This process is best done with the help of family and friends, who can help you to make those steps all the while keeping the person assured of their relative safety.

It isn’t completely known what causes agoraphobic panic attacks, or why the panic attacks manifest in this form. It is suspected that many agoraphobics already had the propensity for being afraid of travel, with many of them being the type that experienced motion sickness before they ever experience panic attacks.

The Unknown

An Agoraphobia panic attack is particularly frustrating to the sufferer themselves. Mainly because the attack is even less rational then a standard panic attack. Why they experience a fear of traveling beyond a certain distance, or going to a certain place is unknown. But anyone of the numerous anxiety / panic disorders can take root and cause agoraphobia.

Social anxiety can lead to a fear of certain public places, especially grocery stores and other places that have a large gathering of people. On the other hand general panic disorder can cause the panic sufferer to become embarrassed of their own disorder, which leads to a fear of traveling outside and having a panic attack. It just goes to show the difficulties that are had in identifying and dealing with an agoraphobia panic attack.