Anxiety Support Groups

I myself, along with a few members of my family, suffer from panic attacks and general anxiety disorder.  I personally know the fear and trauma of experiencing a panic attack; it is one of the most intensely frightening, upsetting and uncomfortable experiences I have experienced in my life.

My sister, Jayne, who had her first panic attack a few weeks ago said to me, “Matty, it was horrible.  I locked myself in my room, stayed in bed under the covers and could not move, it was the most frightening thing I have ever experienced”.

What is a Panic Attack?
A panic attack is a sudden occurrence of an intense attack of fear for a relatively brief duration.

How long does a Panic Attack last?
The duration of a panic attack can vary depending on the situation, they can reach their peak within 10 minutes and can be as short as 20 seconds, which can occur in cycles lasting for extended periods, sometimes even hours.

What can trigger or cause Panic Attacks?

• Feeling short of breath or in some cases cannot breath.
• Fearing an oncoming heart attack or a nervous breakdown (first timers generally experience this).
• A fear or sense of dying which can leave sufferers with a feeling of ‘going crazy’.
• Faintness and/or nausea. This is usually due to the sheer physical and mental exertion caused by a panic attack.
• Fight-or-Flight Response.
• Hereditary – This applies to some long-term sufferers. (Unfortunately both sides of my family have history with panic disorders, myself and my uncle are the long-term sufferers.)
• Locations of past attacks –  Panic attacks can be brought on by the fear of a previous attack that has occurred in a certain place.
• Phobias
• Alcohol, drugs and some medications – Attacks can also occur from withdrawals of these substances.
• Illness (When I have a bad cold/flu it can trigger panic attacks where I experience trouble breathing and my throat feeling like it is going to close up).
• The feeling of being choked.  (As a result of this I have trouble wearing ties or anything close to my neck – Thank god for V-Neck Shirts!)

I hope this post has given a bit more of an insight to the causes of panic attacks.  Stay tuned to Anxiety Support Groups.

Matthew
Anxiety Support Groups