Understanding the real causes of panic attacks is essential, if you want to be successful in treating them. As the famous saying goes – know your enemy. In this article we’ll try to shed some light on it and help you understand a bit more about this very common disorder.
A panic attack is part of our innate biological response system often called the fight or flight response. We could say that this is our body’s own alarm system. What you should know is that this system is there to protect us and that it’s a very complex thing.
Because this response uses a wide range of very basic physiological and psychological mechanisms it’s practically impossible to just turn it off. But this is actually not a problem here. The alarm itself is not a real problem, the problem is in its oversensitivity. That is what causes panic attacks – our oversensitive alarm systems.
Why is it triggered so easily? This is the real question. Why is it so oversensitive? Sadly, the answer is not very straightforward. There are many different causes.
Usually, it’s a combination of different factors: stress, genetic predispositions, brain chemistry, personality, major life events, and so on. All this things can contribute to the problem. But there is nothing that we can pinpoint. Have you ever wondered why there are still no pharmaceutical solutions? It’s because pills need something evident to target.
So that is it? Nothing can be done? Off course not, there is always hope. Not just hope, but a real possibility. However, we have to look at the problem from a different point of view. As mentioned earlier, we have to focus on the oversensitivity of our alarm and not the alarm itself. And can we correct this oversensitiveness? Yes, we can.
We can actually reprogram it. This is possible. It won’t happen overnight and it will require time and effort, but it is possible. Thousands of people have done it and can now enjoy a panic free life. You should try it too. It’s called cognitive behavioral therapy.
Get more information about treatment of panic attacks and how to successfully deal with them by clicking here.