Am I Having a Panic Attack?

When it comes to patients who suffer from panic attack disorder, therapy and prescription medications can be highly effective in treating the disorder. However, there are also effective self help techniques that a person can engage in as well.

• Learn about the disorder. – Educating one’s self about the different aspects of the condition can allow a person to learn how to deal with each of them as they arise. The multiple sensations and experiences that a person feels during an attack can be rather disorienting. Furthermore, as the individual begins to perform research, he or she will learn about the resources that are available for individuals with this condition.

• Avoid the use of nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine products. – Because they serve as stimulants, tobacco and caffeine products can antagonize the symptoms of a panic attack. They also serve to keep the central nervous system in a heightened state of alert, which may make an individual more susceptible to a panic attack. Caffeinated beverages include carbonated sodas and coffee. There are also certain medications, like diet pills and cold medication, which also contain stimulants. Alcohol is actually considered a depressant for the human body, but many individuals who suffer from panic attacks use alcohol to self medicate. This can allow alcohol to become a physical or psychological coping technique, which encourages dependency.

• Breathing techniques. – During a panic attack, hyperventilation often occurs. This form of irregular breathing can intensify the symptoms that a person feels during an attack, like light-headedness and the tightness of the chest. On the other hand, deep breathing techniques can force a person’s body to relax. This coping technique can allow an individual to relax their body in a variety of situations when they begin to feel stress.

• Practice relaxation techniques. – Certain forms of exercise, like yoga and meditation, can actually strengthen the body’s ability to relax, which is essential in combating the negative symptoms that a panic attack produces. In addition to promoting relaxation, these techniques can also increase a person’s overall well being if they are incorporated into a person’s daily routine.

Complementary or supplementary medicine is highly popular in the United States, as well as abroad. It has been estimated that as much as 40% of the U.S. population uses this form of medicine, and it is often used to treat panic attack disorder and its symptoms. This form of therapy includes herbal supplements, concentrated vitamins, amino acids, and fish oils. Some of the most common herbal medicines used to treat this particular disorder include:

• St. John’s Wort – This is the most popular form of alternative medication. The chemicals it contains, hyperforin and hypericin, are thought to contain anti depressive effects. Its effectiveness lies in the fact it promotes the maintenance and well being of key neurotransmitters in the brain, like serotonin, dopamine, and GABBA. The maintenance of these neurotransmitters is necessary to control mood fluctuations.

• Valerian Root – This naturally occurring supplement has a direct sedative effect on the central nervous system of the body. It is also commonly used to treat headaches and those who have difficulty sleeping. According to the results of clinical trials, when taken for thirty days or more, Valerian Root is effective at decreasing feelings of nervousness or anxiety.

• Rhodiola Rosea – This lesser known natural supplement is quite popular in Russia for its adaptogenic properties. Currently, the FDA is testing it in clinical trials. In preclinical trials, it has been found to support and maintain the major neurotransmitters in the brain. Furthermore, there is anecdotal evidence that is beneficial in promoting and supporting cognitive functions, like memory and attention.

• Bacopa – Bacopa is an all natural agent that is effective at calming and suppressing the negative effects that anxiety and panic disorder can have on a person. Clinical studies have shown that bacopa can also significantly improve insomnia and mental fatigue. By reducing the amount of stress an individual is under, the frequency and severity of their panic attacks are reduced.

• Ginseng – The beneficial properties of ginseng have been known to man for decades. However, recent clinical tests have shown that this supplement may be beneficial in treating panic attack disorder. Ginseng may also increase the effectiveness of cognitive functions, like memory quality and memory improvement.

Although behavioral therapy and cognitive therapy are the most common forms of therapy for panic attack disorder, there are several different forms of lesser known therapies that can be equally effective. For example, literary therapy involves the use books, articles, and writing materials to promote the process of healing. Through their writings, an individual is able to identify patterns that could potentially be harmful to them or antagonize their panic attacks. Once these patterns have been identified, the individual and their therapist can focus upon addressing them. This particular form of therapy is adept at allowing a person to resolve issues that may be causing stress in their lives, which can affect the frequency and the severity of their panic attacks.

In a similar manner, the idea of talk therapy incorporates the idea of healing through communication. A therapist can teach an individual how to seek out and establish a support network when the stress of their condition becomes overwhelming. Talk therapy can also be beneficial in identifying harmful patterns in one’s life and to discuss ideas on how to deal with these patterns. Simply having an individual who has a different perspective on a particular situation can be highly beneficial. This prevents the same issues from continually disrupting a person’s life. This form of therapy has the additional benefit in the fact that it can also improve the manners in which a person relates to another.

If an individual has developed avoidance syndrome or agoraphobia as a result of their panic attack disorder, then a therapist may choose to use exposure therapy as a means of treating their panic attack disorder. In exposure therapy, an individual is gradually exposed to the people, places, or social situations that they avoid under carefully controlled conditions. Through repeated exposure to the negative stimulus, the feared object or situation gradually loses its fearful properties. This allows an individual to gain a greater sense of control over their reactions to panic attacks in different locations. Furthermore, this form of therapy can alleviate the amount and duration of the stress that an individual lives with. Copious amounts of stress are often thought to increase the frequency and severity of a person’s panic attacks.

Because the specific triggers for panic attacks often go undetermined, an individual who frequently suffers from them lives in constant fear of when the next one will occur. This persistent fear actually places an individual at an elevated risk for incurring another attack. The emotional feelings that a panic attack provokes in a person can often lead them to avoid certain social gatherings or settings. For example, if a person were to suffer a panic attack while driving in a car, he or she may encounter residual anxiety that prevents them from comfortably driving or riding in a car again. The lack of transportation can impact their lives in a variety of manners. The same principle can be applied to those who have panic attacks in grocery stores, workplaces, restaurants, or other frequented public locations.

Unfortunately, individuals who suffer from panic attacks are placed at an elevated risk for engaging in risky or destructive activities as they attempt to self medicate themselves. For example, if the attacks are severe and frequent enough, a person is at an elevated risk for engaging in alcohol or drug abuse. Similarly, these individuals also have a higher rate of attempted suicide than their unaffected counterparts. Due to the time and expense that are invested in emergency room visits, they may become financially dependent upon friends or family members. Because they may not feel emotionally or physically well, they are also less likely to engage in hobbies, sports, or other beneficial activities.

As aforementioned, in the most extreme cases, untreated panic attacks can cause a person to develop “situational avoidance”. Situational avoidance can potentially lead to the development of agoraphobia, which is substantially more difficult to treat. The fear of a panic attack becomes so debilitating that an individual would rather remain shuttered away in their home. Despite the seriousness of panic attack disorder, it is important for a person to bear in mind that even if they have suffered one or two panic attacks, they do not necessarily have panic attack disorder. The primary symptom of this disorder is a perpetual dread of when the next attack will occur. However, if this symptom applies to an individual, he or she should seek professional, medical treatment.

When a panic attack occurs, its symptoms are manifested through the three primary systems of the human body: the mental system, the physical system, and the behavioral system. In the mental system, the fight or flight response shifts an individual’s brain to begin scanning their surroundings for perceived threats. This high state of alert impedes on an individual’s ability to concentrate, focus, and remember certain items. If a perceived stimulus cannot be found, the trail of one’s thoughts can often turn inward. A person begins to blame themselves for their condition. These detrimental thoughts form a perpetuating cycle. As a person becomes more anxious due to their self blame, they are placed at a higher risk for incurring another panic attack.

When danger is perceived by the human brain, it begins sending signals to the autonomic nerve system, which forms physical system’s response during a panic attack. As the body prepares itself for “fight or flight”, it affects the normal operations of many prominent systems of the human body. For example, an individual’s heart rate begins to increase, which increases their rate of respiration. Because the body’s metabolism is increasing rapidly, copious amounts of fatty acids and sugars are released into the bloodstream as well. Because the brain and the nerve cells of the autonomic system are firing messages rapidly to one another, a tingling sensation or numbness may occur in the outer extremities. These symptoms mimic those of a heart attack or stroke, and they are often identified incorrectly.

Because the aforementioned systems in the body are preparing the body to fight or run, the behavioral system reacts by producing overwhelming urges of aggression or the need to escape. In social settings where such responses are not permissible, an individual can often feel trapped, which intensifies their feelings. As a coping mechanism, many individuals begin to avoid setting foot into public places where these feelings may occur. Far from being beneficial, this type of avoidance can condition unhealthy behavioral responses and affect the quality of a person’s life. Understanding how these three systems work in conjunction with one another during a panic attack will allow an individual to take an active part in devising a treatment regimen that will deal with their symptoms. If the symptoms are severe enough, the help of medical professional is recommended.