What are Panic attacks? Their symptoms and causes.

Major depressive disorder is one of the most common mental disorders; it affects around 16 million people worldwide. People with major depressive disorder experience prolonged sadness, loss of interest in daily activities, and weight gain or loss. People with this disorder also have feelings of guilt, helplessness, and excessive sleepiness. Treatment for depression includes talk therapy— also called counseling— as well as medications. Doctors can prescribe antidepressants to help you regulate your emotions and reduce your symptoms. Antidepressants are more effective when taken along with therapy; talk therapy can help you understand your emotions and develop healthy lifestyle choices. While treatment for depression works for many, there is still a lack of awareness about this condition among the general public.

 

What is panic attack?

Panic attacks are a mental health condition that is characterized by an intense fear with the accompanying physical symptoms. They can make you feel like you are about to die, like you can't breathe, or like something terrible is going to happen. Panic attacks are the worst nightmare, you are unable to do anything and just want to be free from all the suffocation and horror. Most people who have them will get better with time and treatment, but some people will continue to have panic attacks for years.

The purpose of this article is to help the reader better understand what a panic attack is, how it feels like and how one might overcome it.

Difference between panic attack and anxiety.

Panic attacks and anxiety are different. Panic attacks are a sudden intense feeling of fear or worry, while anxiety is persistent, ongoing unease that can grow into panic.

Unlike panic attacks, anxiety can last for hours or days and it can be focused on one thing or many things at the same time. There's no single cause for panic attacks but there are ways to overcome them.

Panic attacks are a serious mental illness that is characterized by intense fear, panic and a sense of impending doom.

Panic attacks are also called ‘anxiety disorder’ as they are sometimes mistakenly thought to be the same thing. The typical symptoms of panic attacks include extreme feelings of fear, thoughts that something bad is happening or going to happen (e.g., having a heart attack), chest pain, breathlessness and sweating. Panic attacks typically last from 5-20 minutes but can persist for hours.

Panic attack vs anxiety:

Anxiety is more of an ongoing problem whereas a person who has panic attack can be free from it for weeks, months or even years at a time.

Panic attacks can happen to anyone and it is important to understand the difference between panic and anxiety.

A panic attack is a sudden, intense feeling of fear in which you think something terrible is about to happen. It can be accompanied by physical symptoms such as sweating, heart racing, dizziness, nausea or even vomiting. Anxiety manifests itself differently from a panic attack. Anxiety symptoms are more internal - tense muscles, problems concentrating on a task at hand or even an increased sensitivity to ordinary sounds.

What is the cause of panic attacks?

Panic attacks can be caused by a variety of mental illnesses. The most common cause is panic disorder, which affects many people with anxiety. Other possible causes include: post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorders.

The cause of panic attacks is largely unknown. However, it is believed that there are many factors which play a role in what can lead to a panic attack. There are many factors which may trigger panic attacks for some people. For example, some people may have phobic disorders such as a fear of heights or tight spaces. Someone who has had anxiety for a long time might also have panic attacks triggered by being under pressure or feeling insecure about their future and the stability of their life.

Some environmental factors might also contribute to the onset of a panic attack. Such as certain sounds, like alarms or loud noises; or certain sights, like bright lights or crowds.

 

We should not diagnose someone as having panic attack if they are exhibiting symptoms of a different mental illness or medical condition. For example, people who are experiencing heart palpitations could have an underlying heart condition. They should consult their doctor before being diagnosed with the first thing that comes to mind - panic attack

Symptoms of panic attacks

The symptoms of a panic attack are intense and can cause a person to think that they are dying. This can lead to hyperventilation, chest pain, and feeling detached from oneself. Often these panic attacks are due to an underlying mental illness such as Social Anxiety Disorder or Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Other causes can be disorder in the serotonin system or due to substance use.

Panic attacks are usually the cause of having a panic disorder. They can be caused by many things like stressful life events, excessive caffeine intake, and stimulant drugs.

Panic attacks are diagnosed when the person experiences at least four of the following symptoms:

- Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate

- Sweating

- Trembling or shaking

- Shortness of breath or a sensation of smothering

- A feeling of choking

- Chest pain or discomfort

- Nausea or abdominal distress

- Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint

CNS and Panic Attacks

Panic attacks usually occur when a person’s sympathetic nervous system is overactive. Panic attacks can also be caused by stress, sleep deprivation, and other factors. A panic attack can be described as a sudden feeling of intense terror or fear accompanied by severe physical reactions. People who have experienced panic attacks often say they were scared they might die, lose control, or that their body will be harmed.

A medical condition called panic disorder is the most common cause of panic attacks. The other mental illnesses that can be the cause for a person to experience panic are generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).