Panic Attacks Symptoms
Where these anxiety attacks comes from is anybody’s guess. There are those who believe they are caused by a particular thing but there are other times there does not seem to be a reason. They may seem terrifying at the time they are occurring but the truth is they are just the mind and the body letting us know there is something to be worried about and we should prepare to leave this situation. Much of this is attributed to the fight or flight theory but the wires get crossed and there is no real threat to be found. The attacks are usually spurred by imagined threats. The anxiety attack can cause sweating palms, a heart beat that races wildly, profuse perspiring, feeling that you are going to die and the weakness that renders you unable to do anything about these feelings. The one thing most people said about anxiety attacks was they made them feel as if they were losing their mind.
Sweating, shaking, nervousness and a since of faintness are all symptoms of anxiety attacks. The thoughts cannot be shut off and the more they think the more panicked they become. The incidence of being in a crowded store will cause a panic attack to kick in faster.
Here are a few of the most common causes of panic attacks:
1. Too much caffeine and nicotine. These act as powerful stimulants which can heightened symptoms such as fast breathing, tingling and numbing, racing heartbeat, and chest tightness.
2. Family history. Sometimes this problem tends to run in families. For example, if your mother or father was a sufferer of anxiety attacks, then you are more than likely to become one as well. But this does not mean that everyone with a family history of panic and anxiety will develop symptoms.
3. An inflammation of the inner ear called labyrinthitis can cause an anxiety attack to begin for some people.
4. Starting or stopping certain medications. If you are beginning an SSRI or are stopping usage of that and other medications, then you may experience feelings of anxiety.
5. Your attitude must be positive. The more you dwell on the bad things that you think are going to happen, the more miserable you will become. If you can keep your cool during the first few minutes of an attack, you will have the strength to overcome.
The first ten minutes are the worst. If you can keep good thoughts in your head the attacks will get further and further apart. The one thing you should keep in mind is that you will not die from these attacks. Since you already know what to expect, it will be easier to keep calm while you are having one. The ones that you have over and over are just the result of being scared you will have an attack. This is the start of the cycle. In order to help yourself you must find out the cause behind anxiety attacks. The research you do will allow you to know as much about panic attacks and what works and what does not.
The symptoms you feel will not get any worse and they may get better if you take care of breaking this cycle. The best way you can accomplish this is to tell yourself you are not going to have any more attacks. And do not expect them. If you do this, you will notice they get further apart and less frightening. The belief that they are harmless should be reinforced so that you can take care of anxiety attacks.