Juliette (not her real name) fears shopping at peak times. The people around her seem too great in number and consistently make her irritable as she tries not to drop her groceries and escape from the store. After her first Panic Attack she stopped shopping at peak hours, and waits until late at night to avoid peak shopping hours. She never knows when and where it will hit her next.
The panic reaction is typical. It’s embedded in our “”Fight or Flight” reaction, the animal instinct in us that marks every circumstance to choose whether it’s safe, or if a fight or flight will come forth. We can defend ourselves now, or we can run.
For many this reaction is too touchy. Every day activities we take for granted can initiate the desire to run away. They find that they are freaking out at every turn, and even a normal task like grocery shopping is overwhelming in Juliette’s case.
The American Psychiatric Association identifies a panic attack as a noted condition, adding a list of symptoms such as tremors, shortness of breath and pain in the chest. To those who suffer it’s surreal, even though most of the population will never experience this type of situation.
Research suggests that Panic Attacks could be inherited, especially when there are identical twins. Other studies show that those who had strict parents might accidentally encourage the forming of panic and anxiety disorder in their children.
Many of us have phobias, which don’t have a reason for us to have Panic Attacks. It could be insects, snakes or heights that are the most common reasons, but the fear is for obvious reasons, and once that thing that induces fear is removed the phobia is gone. Those who have attacks have no reason, and it happens at any time.
Occasionally, a prescription drug can cause an attack. Ritalin and Quinolone based drugs can are the most common reported for causing Panic Attacks. When this occurs, the elimination of those medicines will stop the symptoms and attacks.
Panic Disorder, as the most severe cases are known, is likely to first occur before the age of 24 and occurs almost twice as often in women as in men. In a study carried out in 2004, 40% reported that their first attacks were before the age of 20.
Untreated, Panic Disorder can develop to the stage where the affected individual is unable to live a normal life. Although a stigma tends to be attached to it with sufferers being concerned about being diagnosed as mentally ill, the condition can be treated by different ways and modern drugs. Anybody with concerns about symptoms should discuss the matter with their family doctor at the earliest opportunity.
Learn more about Panic Attack’s Release. Visit Yuval Harpaz’s site where you can download a self-help guide about how to Start Reducing Stress NOW and what it can do for you.