Stop Panic Attack

Panic attacks seem like they come right out of nowhere. Whether you have never had a panic attack before, or whether you know the feeling, it is good to know what symptoms to expect, what causes them and most importantly how to react when they come. It is estimated that approximately sixty million Americans will suffer from at least one panic attack in their lifetime. Of those sixty million, at least two million will develop reoccurring attacks, or panic syndrome. When you are in the middle of a severe attack, it can seem like there is no way out. Contrary to what you may be feeling, there is a way to stop panic attack. Before you can treat panic attacks, you must know what they are and what causes them.

What happens during a panic attack?

It is important to know what symptoms to expect during a panic attack so you can recognize what you are experiencing and find a way to overcome it. When you are experiencing a panic attack common physical symptoms include: racing heart beat, shortness of breath, feelings of being choked, nausea, sweating, and feelings of detachment from your surroundings. These are just a few of the many symptoms that can be present when you are experiencing a panic attack.

In many cases, the symptoms are directly related to the cause of the attack and can lead to phobia of the surroundings that caused the attack. For example, if a person has experienced such an attack in an elevator, and the symptoms were feeling strangled, gasping for breath, and an out of control heartbeat, it is common for those symptoms to be present whenever that person is in an elevator in the future. This can cause a phobia of riding in elevators for the victim, even when there is no real danger. For friends, family, and colleagues of panic syndrome victims, it can seem like panic attacks develop without cause or warning, when in fact, they have very real causes.

What causes panic attacks?

A panic attack may be a one-time occurrence caused by a situation where you may have felt in physical danger. You may easily overcome this fear and move on. The vast majority of victims will develop a phobia of the situation and want to avoid it in the future. Situations where you feel put on the spot, in physical danger, or under immense pressure cause you to panic and bring on an attack. For some people, situations like public speaking, crossing a high bridge, or riding in an elevator can bring on an attack. In the future, those same situations will always have a likely hood of bringing on an attack. Is there a way to train your body to cope with those situations?

How to stop panic attack

Behavioral therapy is thought to be the most successful form of treating panic disorder. If you feel afraid that you might have an attack in a public place where there is no one to help you, or where you might feel embarrassed, the solution is not to avoid public places. Agoraphobia, or the fear of public places, is common with people in the advanced stages of panic disorder. The way to get over that fear is to recognize that the situation is not really as bad as it seems. For example, even if you do get a panic attack while on the road, the worst that can happen is that you will have to pull over and calm down. When you realize that every situation is controllable, it helps you have more self-esteem and control which forces panic attacks to subside. When you are in control, panic automatically dies away.

A behavioral therapist can help you to regain your control in situations where you feel you have none. For example, if you are afraid of going blank when you are in front of a crowd, you can go to public speaking lessons to rid yourself of that phobia. Once the root of the problem, which is fear, is gone, you will be able to face that situation again confidently. Even if you cannot stop panic attack, therapy can teach you to cope with them so they are not disabling events.