Panic attacks are very sudden periods of intense anxiety involving severe physical reactions. Often the attack comes on abruptly, with seemingly no apparent trigger.
The medical profession now recognizes this as a medical condition affecting about 2.4 million Americans. When chronic, the patient is often diagnosed with panic disorder or chronic anxiety disorder. It often begins during late adolescence and early adultfhood, and about twice the number of women get it as men.
Signs and Symptoms of panic attacks:
A panic attack involves tremendous anxiety, and can feel like the person is dying. Panic attacks usually last about 10 to 30 minutes, and can involve some of these symptoms: shortness of breath, rapid heart rate or chest pain, intense feeling of terror, dizziness or feeling faint, sensation of choking or smothering, trembling or shaking, hyperventilation, sweating, nausea or abdominal cramping, tingling or numbness in fingers or toes, chills or hot flashes, tightness in throat, a fear that you are losing control or are about to die. Often the sufferer thinks he or she is having a heart attack. A fear of future panic attacks is common, often causing the sufferer to avoid situations that may result in one.
Here are some common experiences with panic or anxiety attacks:
- The anticipation of a panic attack starts the wave cycle of anxiety in motion.
- The foundation of a future panic attack is laid hours before you actually experience one.
- The slightest stress trigger will then launch the full blown panic attack into motion.
- Panic manifests itself in approximately 20 minute wave-like formations.
