Panic Attacks – How Do You Know If You’ve Got It?

Getting help with panic attacks is easier once you face the fact that you are suffering from it.  The most difficult part of treating this particular condition is the failure to recognize it from the onset.  Panic attacks can be easily missed – everyone has an anxious moment once in a while and feeling exceedingly nervous in any given situation is a common thing.

The difference between a normal occurrence of nervousness and a panic attack, however, is that:

1.    Panic attack comes frequently and has a specific duration.  Normally, an attack lasts between 5 and 15 minutes, although more severe cases have these attacks going on for longer.  Panic attack also comes on more often.

2.    There is often no obvious reason for feeling anxious in a panic attack.  Usually, sufferers will say they have absolutely no idea why they are feeling extremely anxious and scared in that moment – very unlike a normal anxious moment where you feel that way because of an upcoming important moment, like a presentation or wedding.

3.    Panic attack often comes with a feeling of fear whilst a normal anxious feeling is basically just that – anxiety.  During a panic attack, the victims also feel afraid for their lives and will distrust everyone and everything around them.  For instance, they may insist that there is danger outside the home and refuse to leave it for any reason whatsoever.  Or while walking on a busy street, they may suddenly duck under a table or attempt to find some kind of shelter in the belief that something might fall on them or shoot at them.

4.    In a panic attack, there is strong physical evidence to show cause.  In most cases, the sufferer trembles and this can be so obvious that coffee spills in a cup in his or her hand.  Other evident signs are shortness of breath or breathing difficulty and more often than not, the victims will put a hand on their chest to try slow down the beating of their hearts.  This is not normal behavior in a normal nervous situation.

5.    Panic attack is part of anxiety disorder, which means the sufferer may show signs of other anxiety disorder like unexplained phobias, obsessive compulsive behavior and post traumatic stress disorder.  These may cause the sufferer to act and react in very unreasonable ways.

Experiencing panic attacks have serious implication.  For one, it will impact your daily life – taking away your right to freedom and impede your ability to do your simple everyday tasks like doing your groceries, walking your dog, driving or even picking up your kids.
To get real help in treating this, anxiety disorder medication is sometimes prescribed.  These should only be given by a licensed practitioner as improper medication can lead to dire circumstances.  These are also prescribed after a proper diagnosis is done on the sufferer.

As anxiety disorder is caused by feelings of acute anxiety and fear, panic attack cures often focus on calming the sufferer.  Pills and medication that are prescribed also have to take into consideration the age of the sufferer.  The older the panic attack victim, the more dangerous such calming prescription will be as they may cause unwarranted side effects – especially since older people have a harder time remembering the right dosages.  Doctors prescribing such medication also have to do so with care as these medications, as with most drugs, carry with them the risks of dependence and withdrawal symptoms.

As such, most people prefer panic attack cures that are more holistic in approach.  These include cognitive therapy like counseling and even hypnotherapy.  Others may seek treatment in yoga and meditation, which helps to calm the mind and spirit – which they swear works better than any pill.  Even medical practitioners believe that treatment that focuses on the mind have more far-reaching and permanent effects that swallowing pills as it works at the core of the problem instead of treating its symptoms.

Anxiety disorder always has a trigger and the best way to get treated for it is to source for its trigger(s) and face it.  This may take time or it could be quick, depending on how willing the sufferer is to explore what could be an emotionally painful memory or incidence.  This is one of the main reasons why anxiety disorder medication is never used in isolation, without some sort of counseling or therapy.

Help with panic attacks can be pretty debilitating with the use of pills which is why they are only prescribed for those with very severe symptoms or rendered totally incapable of daily life during an attack.  Otherwise, using less direct methods like improving on one’s lifestyle with exercise and enough sleep may be enough.