It comes in many forms, and in many situations. You wake up suddenly, your heart is pounding, you're sweating bullets and, you can hardly breathe. Or maybe you are just about to go into a job interview, or make a speech. You heart starts racing, you're sweating, your whole body is shaking and you get dizzy. You think maybe you're going crazy or that you're going to die. Fear begets fear and panic begets panic and within moments you are convinced that you really are dying.
Welcome to your first panic attack. You've just experienced some of the most common anxiety panic attack symptoms.
The good news is - you're not going to die, you're not going crazy, and you're definitely not alone. Studies show that 75% of people worldwide have, or will, experience anxiety panic attack symptoms at least once in their lifetime.
Your first panic attack is an extremely traumatic experience. This often leads people to develop an uncontrollable fear of recurrent attacks, thus exacerbating the problem. The fear of the attack itself can actually trigger another attack.
This fear feeds on itself, growing and growing until the victim's life is affected. They may start to withdraw from the world, shutting themselves in, in an effort to protect themselves from the life events that can sometimes trigger the anxiety panic attack symptom.
Anxiety Explained
All animals, humans included, have natural self-preservation instincts. This instinct is normal and necessary to survival. It is what triggers the body to release certain chemicals and hormones into the bloodstream that allow us to react to the threat at hand. Think back to the last time you had a scare. Maybe it was a close call with an automobile accident, or maybe you narrowly avoided being hit by a bus. That instant physical reaction that allowed you to react so quickly and instinctively was what we often refer to as the "fight or flight" reaction.
Anxiety and panic attacks happen when that system misfires, causing our bodies to engage the "fight or flight" reaction even when there is no danger. Our panic stems in part from a lack of understanding of the source of the fear, and how we're supposed to react to it. Because we don't know whether to fight or flee, we feel vulnerable to our fear, completely oblivious to the fact that there is no real threat.
Unfortunately, after the horror of the first attack, many panic attack sufferers end up with subsequent attacks being one of their greatest fears. This fear can quickly consume the victim. Ironically, this often leads to another attack.
The fear of having another attack makes us all the more vulnerable to future attacks because we dwell on the fear and blow it out of proportion, causing a trigger-happy alarm. Conversely, by refusing to dwell on the fear of once again falling victim to anxiety panic attack symptoms, the chances of us falling prey to another panic attack are considerably reduced.
The best tip for panic attack avoidance is to not be afraid of having one. You don't need medication and other so-called anxiety attack panic treatments. Anyone can avoid panic attacks by being prepared to take them on.
Another tip for panic attacks - be proactive. Don't bother looking for an anxiety attack panic treatment that will reduce the frequency of your attacks. Look for effective methods of facing them head on. By dealing with your anxiety panic attack symptoms, you are putting yourself in control of anxiety, instead of letting the anxiety control you.
By : Emily King
