Panic Attacks: Anxiety at its Most Shattering

All these scenarios could be the symptoms of overwhelming fear and dread. These are the symptoms of panic attacks, often experienced as part of anxiety and stress disorders. Panic attacks create intense sensation of terror and discomfort along with physical symptoms.

Who’s at risk?

Many people have panic attacks at least once, and often have only one. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), panic attacks start in the late teens or early adulthood. There is also a serious and treatable condition, called panic disorder.

A panic disorder features many occurrences of panic attacks through life, often for no reason. As per an NIMH estimate, around 6 million Americans suffer from panic disorder, two-thirds of them being women.

Signs of panic attack

Although it may sound silly to anyone who’s ever experienced one, panic attacks can be hard to diagnose. Panic attacks share symptoms with many other conditions, including serious breathing and heart disorders. Many people experiencing panic attacks often land in emergency rooms, only to find that they're healthy. This has caused many anxiety patients to suffer in silence, convinced they are hypochondriacs. But they’re not. A panic attack is a medical disorder, and is treatable.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America outlines a long list of attack symptoms. A panic attack will include at least four of the following:

1. Heart symptoms: An accelerated heartbeat, heart palpitations or a pounding heart. Sometimes people feel pain or discomfort in their chest as well.
2. Breathing problems: Feeling choking or smothering sensations and shortness of breath.
3. Skin sensations: Feeling chills or sensations of heat. Paresthesia – numbness or tingling sensation – is also a common sign.
4. Perception symptoms: Experiencing fears of losing one’s mind and dying. Some people experience intense feelings of unreality or detachment from the self. Feelings of intense self-doubt and worthlessness are also common.

More symptoms include nausea and feeling dizzy, or like he or she is going to faint.

Panic attacks are treatable

Cognitive behavior therapy is a type of psychotherapy that can teach patients with panic disorder to manage thoughts, reactions and behaviors, which trigger panic attacks. There are also anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications that treat panic attacks. Panic attacks need treatment. Not only can they hamper an individual’s ability to function and enjoy life, they often occur along with substance abuse and depressive disorders.

The Anxiety Treatment Centers of California offer resources and information on a wide variety of anxiety disorders. Anxiety treatment center California can treat various conditions that comprise anxiety spectrum disorder — including adult panic anxiety syndrome — can, in most instances, be treated by a combination of psychotherapy and medications. If you or someone you know is dealing with panic disorders, we can help you find more information or even start an appropriate anxiety disorder treatment in California tailored for your needs. Please contact one of our trained counselors today at 855-972-9459.