Panic Attacks Help

 

After the doctor diagnosed me with General Anxiety Disorder and told me that was causing me to have panic attacks, my mind was literally flooded with questions. Luckily, he spent some time with me explaining anxiety and how it was causing my attacks. The following information is what he passed on to me, and other things I have picked up in my research.

 What are Panic Attacks?

 In a nutshell, panic attacks are just the triggering of the bodies “Fight or Flight Response”. It is this response that keeps us safe from danger and protects us from attackers. When triggered it causes our body to go through many changes. Your heart and respiration rate increases, your senses become heightened and blood flow increases to the core muscle groups making them tense and ready for action.

 Sound familiar?

 Well it certainly should. Those are several of the main symptoms of a panic attack. Normally, when your “Fight or Flight Response” is triggered you are not totally aware of all these changes happening to you because you are preoccupied with the situation that triggered it. The problem is when these physiological changes take place without the normal danger stimulus. These changes taken out of context, the absence of obvious danger, are what cause panic attacks.

The Fight or Flight Response

 The Fight or Flight Response is actually your best friend. It is sort of like your Guardian Angel. It helps you to run like the wind when being chased by a vicious dog, or it gives you strength of a professional fighter to allow you to defend your self against an attacker. All good things when it happens at the right time, but down right terrifying when it happens outside of a dangerous situation.

 The main component of the Fight or Flight response is adrenalin, which is secreted into the blood stream by the adrenal glands. Adrenalin entering your blood stream causes the physiological responses we discussed above. Making our bodies ready to avoid or neutralize a threat.

 Ever here those stories about the 105 pound mom lifting a car off her trapped child? Well, that my friends is adrenalin and the Fight or Flight Response in full action doing what it was designed to do.

Adrenalin As Your Enemy

 So, this brings us back to the original question of, “What are panic attacks?”.

 It is simply the body firing a full adrenalin rush at an inappropriate time. The body reacts to this dose of adrenalin just as it would in a life threatening situation. That is what is causing the racing heart, increased breathing rate and the sense that you can suddenly feel every fiber in your body.

 Since there is no real danger present, you become all too aware of the changes going on inside your body. Sadly, this heightens the effect even more because it causes you to panic even more over these strange feelings, not to mention the pounding heart and heavy breathing, you are experiencing. It really is a vicious cycle that keeps building on itself until you are fully involved in a full-blown panic attack.

 So, that is what is actually going on when you have a panic attack. While it is frightening when it happens, and is most certainly very uncomfortable, there really is no serious danger to you. It is just a natural bodily process that is designed to protect you going a bit haywire. The key is getting control of this process to keep it from happening, and if it does happen, getting it under control quickly.