Panic Attacks (PA) is a common mental disorder. The panic is caused mainly by anxious and hypochondriacs, with a sensitive mentality. Women are more emotional because of their nature and more men are prone to panic disorders.
What are panic attacks?
Panic attacks (other names: episodic paroxysmal anxiety, vegetative crisis, cardioneurosis) - spontaneous irrational occurrence of severe anxiety, accompanied by various vegetative symptoms and emotional arousal of varying intensity: from severe stress to panic. Occur in response to an external stress factor.
Scientists and doctors put forward various theories of the emergence of the panic attack syndrome. The term (PA) was introduced by American physicians in 1980. According to statistics, about 20% of the people of the terrestrial population are prone to frustration. The indicator varies for different countries and ethnic groups, for example in America it exceeds 2%. What is a panic attack? The person first encountering the manifestations of the disorder is lost, and is not ready to adequately help himself or his relatives.
Panic Attacks - Symptoms
In the classic description, signs of panic attack represent a vivid clinical picture. The attack can proceed without a pronounced state of anxiety, only with bodily manifestations, in our time - this is often a common type of panic "panic-free". Regardless of the reasons for causing the PA, the following sudden physiological symptoms are likely:
- severe headache with pulsation (if you measure the pressure will be high;
- pain behind the sternum;
- a sharp lack of air, a state of suffocation;
- tremor of extremities;
- profuse (cold) sweating;
- severe chills;
- disorders of the stomach, intestines (pain, diarrhea);
- impaired coordination.
Mental manifestations of an attack:
- anxiety (from minor, pinching to severe acute);
- the fear of death and the likelihood of going insane;
- disorientation in space;
- obsessive negative thoughts.
How long does a panic attack last?
The duration and intensity of mild to moderate panic attacks can range from a few minutes rarely to 1 hour, the attack itself lasts no more than 15 minutes, and refers directly to "chaos" in thoughts and attacks of fear, the rest of the time is the body's response to high adrenaline rush. Strong panic attacks occur and develop at lightning speed, lasting more than 1 hour, accompanied by severe, debilitating symptoms.
What are the most dangerous panic attacks?
Panic attacks do not lead to death, although they can be debilitating. The consequences of panic attacks seriously worsen the quality of human life. Any stressful situation leaves a mark on the psyche. The event has passed, but the emotional charge of the past situation can be superimposed on other similar or unrelated situations, gradually reducing the comfort zone. For example, a person is afraid to fly on airplanes, refuses to fly, and suddenly, he discovers how a panic attack hits him on a trip in the subway or other transport.
Panic attacks - the causes of
A panic attack is studied by different specialists, hypotheses and theories are put forward, none of which gives a full detailed picture of the causes of the onset of a lightning anxiety condition. Features of the course of the physiological processes of the organism in conjunction with the psychological climate of the person and factors of the environment are the causes of panic disorder - all together or separately. Probable hypotheses:
- Genetic predisposition.
- The peculiarity of metabolic processes (catecholamine hypothesis) - the cortex of the adrenal gland produces and releases into the blood the excess level of hormones adrenaline, norepinephrine.
- Somatic diseases:
- Cardiovascular system (angina, heart ischemia, myocardial infarction);
- endocrine system (especially thyroid disease, menstrual irregularity );
- mental illness (schizophrenia, psychosis);
- oncology (adrenal pheochromocytoma);
- alcohol and drug intoxication.
- Physiological conditions: the onset of menstruation, the period of puberty, pregnancy and especially childbirth can trigger the process of formation of PA.
Panic attacks and IRR
Vegeto-vascular dystonia (VSD) is a disease described by Soviet doctors, in Russia it is a common diagnosis among the population. VSD - is a dysfunctional malfunction in the work of the autonomic nervous system. Panic attacks with VSD are frequent and determine the symptom of the disease, which can talk about the psychological and neurological causes of the disorder.
Panic attacks at night
Panic attacks in a dream are also characterized by suddenness, and prompt the body to immediately go into wakefulness. A panic attack at night often occurs against the background of oxygen starvation of the brain (lack of air, wrong position of the body during sleep). Other factors:
- traumatic situations during the day or some time;
- Unusual or unfamiliar place to sleep (in a foreign city, country);
- nightmarish dreams;
- a sudden fear of suffocation.
Panic attacks with a hangover
Alcohol is considered available to people "antidepressant", helping to drown out the symptoms of anxiety and failure. There comes a time when another glass of alcoholic drink does not save, and in the morning panic attacks after alcohol show themselves a vivid symptom: the fear of death and the likelihood of going insane. Later seizures are fixed and arise, even if a person did not drink the day before.
Panic attacks with cervical osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis and panic attacks - can be interrelated. The cervical spine is provided with large arteries, the transmission of which leads to insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain. This happens - as a result of various injuries of the cervical vertebrae, their displacement, the formation of bone growths. Treatment of osteochondrosis as the main disease, facilitates the human condition.
Panic attacks - what to do?
Help in panic attacks before a person gets to a specialist, is built on self-help or help from relatives. What should a person do if he first felt a panic attack? It is necessary to calm down. There are several ways to relax, it's focusing on external objects, objects, concentration on breathing and counting. Breathing equipment:
- a slow inhalation and a slower exhalation into closed palms, a paper bag;
- lying in bed: watching and counting for inspiration and exhalation (breathing belly).
Panic attacks, if overtaken during sleep, you need to turn on a dim light, drink cool water and ventilate the room. After an attack, you can drink warm water and go back to bed. Positive challenges in response to negative thoughts can help cope with the panic. The help of specialists is necessary if the attacks come back and become frequent.
How to treat panic attacks?
The panic attack syndrome can occur against a background of other diseases. How to get rid of panic attacks if the cause is psychological? The doctor-psychotherapist prescribes (depending on the severity of the symptoms) individual therapy using sedatives and tranquilizers. Positively proved themselves in the treatment of neurotic anxiety disorders: cognitive-behavioral and body-oriented therapy. A person learns in a group or individually - relaxation, meditation and breathing techniques.
How to get rid of a panic attack yourself?
People can not always seek qualified help. How to deal with panic attacks alone and what to do in case of a sudden attack? Psychotherapists recommend:
- Track the state with the help of a diary, in which you must evaluate the intensity of panic on a 10-point scale. Record in the diary of situations that led to emotional outbursts and actions that helped to get out of the attack:
- meditation;
- conscious breathing;
- conversation with a loved one;
- account in the mind of complex numbers.
- A healthy balanced diet.
- The correct regime of the day (full sleep and rest).
- Moderate exercise - are a good prevention of relapse.