Definition of Panic Attack

A panic attack can be defined as a sudden and unjustified fear. More specifically, the American Psychiatric Association names the panic attack “the anxiety state which appears when lacking apparent threatening factors”. Most patients describe the panic attacks as situations characterized by a feeling related to severe stress, although much more powerful, intense and uncontrollable then the regular feeling of stress.

The Occurrence of Panic Attacks

Most people who are affected by these symptoms are young adults (between the ages of 25 and 30). In case these are not treated, they can come back again and again and intensify the fear and terror feelings. It is an established fact that these symptoms are frequent – in fact, almost 1.8 % of the world population has experienced such symptoms in a certain situation (all adults between ages 18 and 55).

The Most Common Symptoms of Panic Attacks

The symptoms of the panic attacks range from a patient to other and they even range from one panic attack to another. Still, the main symptoms can be classified into two basic categories: the physical ones and the physiological or mental ones. Basically, the physical symptoms are the ones which the patient feels physically (most of them being also noticeable to the surrounding people). The psychological symptoms are actually causing the physical ones and the patient is not aware of their unjustified character at the moment when the panic attacks occur.

The main physical symptoms are:

• Fast heart beat and/or heart palpitations
• Shivering, sweating, shaking (these can either be visible or the patient can feel them inside)
• Dizziness, sensation of passing out
• Difficulties when breathing: chocking sensation, chest pain, incapacity to inspire
• Stomach pains, discomfort, nausea
• Balance difficulties
• Blushing or paling
• Cold or hot shivers and vibes

The philological symptoms that appear frequently are:

• Sensation of unreal, dream, illusion
• Sensation of flying and getting away from your body
• Sensation of swoon or dying
• Fear of death, losing control, going crazy, and an imminent danger.
• Terror.

Other less common symptoms of panic attacks might include: crying, vomiting, loud internal dialogue or tunnel visions, but these specific symptoms range from patient to patient. From all these, fear is the one symptom which permanently appears in all panic attacks and it is the main cause of all the wide range of physical symptoms and minor psychological ones.

The Causes of the Panic Attack Symptoms

There is a wide range of causes which can lead to the appearance of panic attack symptoms and most of them are connected with problems like anxiety, neurosis, depression and other psychological affections. Basically, these symptoms tend to appear out of nowhere – the persons are engaged in a certain activity and then surrounded by an unjustified fear and increased stress, without any noticeable reason. Most patients who present panic attacks symptoms suffer from a certain panic disorder or an anxiety disorder. Panic disorders can be defined as affections which imply the sudden onset of fear and terror. The anxiety disorders include a variety of medical conditions, which range from social phobia to disorders like: obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic disorder, separation disorder and other types of phobia. Furthermore, the symptoms of panic attacks can also be caused by a series of adjustment disorders. This type of disorders is characterized by some maladaptive reactions to various stress sources.

Besides these, panic attacks can appear as a side effect of certain drugs. These most common of these drugs or substances are Ecstasy, Catovit, Sanorex, Prolintane, Cannabis, THC, Charas, Dope and Manzidol.

The Conclusion

Panic attacks should not be neglected, as they are a serious condition which can repeat and amplify in months or years. Most people who suffer from these attacks tend to neglect them, while considering them a simple manifestation of stress. Some patients do not even identify their problem, as they believe that the certain situations were, indeed, life threatening or dangerous – these are more severe cases of panic and anxiety disorders.