The symptoms of a panic attack can be extremely frightening and debilitating. They include:
- perspiration and cold sweats
- heart palpitations
- dizziness
- being short of breath, panting, gasping
- tingling sensations, numbness and muscle tension
- slowing down of time
- dryness of the mouth
It isn't surprising then that many people who experience panic attacks misinterpret these signs and believe that they are having a heart attack. Although anxiety is the main cause of panic attacks, it is important to realize that the above symptoms are really a physical reaction to fearful thoughts.
Understanding the Flight or Fight Mechanism is the Key
The flight or fight mechanism happens on the brain stem, rather than in the thinking part of the brain (the cerebral cortex). The brain stem is regarded as a primitive brain that deals with basic reactions. The need to run away from danger, or turn and fight it, is triggered by a small organ in the brain stem called the amygdala.
The amygdala governs the production of adrenaline, a hormone that enables the body to react speedily in an emergency. When one has a scary thought the Amygdala sends instructions to the adrenal glands to make large quantities of adrenaline so that the whole body is geared up to run away or to attack.
But what if the perceived threat isn't something physical like a lion, rather a thought or an unpleasant feeling? In this case the body still produces adrenaline, but there is nowhere to run and nothing to do with it. The adrenaline builds up in the blood stream to the point that one feels constantly fearful, anxious and unwell. It doesn't take much to trigger the next panic attack.
Underlying Psychological Causes of Panic Attacks
There is usually a psychological trigger for panic attacks. A person who is anxious in social settings may be thinking "I am being watched", or "Everybody thinks I am weird". Past experience of being nervous or being abused causes the Amygdala to activate, bypassing the thinking part of the brain. The body is flooded with adrenaline and a full blown panic attack takes place.
How to Prevent Panic Attacks Through Slow Breathing
Because of the link between the breath and the adrenals, panting sends messages to the brain that there is imminent danger and adrenaline is produced. This situation can be avoided by slowing the breathing down; try counting to ten on each in breath and out breath. This has the added advantage of making the cerebral cortex work - drawing the focus away from the brain stem.
This technique needs to be used frequently at first in order to bring adrenaline down to normal levels, so that the body is not "primed" to have a panic attack.
Low Self Worth and Low Self Esteem Cause Anxiety Disorders
It is usually a scary thought that is the trigger, and often unhelpful self attitudes underlie these scary thoughts. These might include feelings of lack of self worth, low confidence, failure etc. and often relate back to situations of abuse or negative/critical parenting. This gives rise to feelings of inadequacy in social situations and fuels problems like agoraphobia and social anxiety.
Many People Have Conquered Panic Attacks
Understanding the physical and emotional causes of panic attacks is half the battle. Knowledge is power, so the old saying goes and this certainly applies to panic attacks. In this case it is through gaining self knowledge and understanding the roots of anxiety that is the route to recovery.
References
Understanding Obsessions And Compulsions
Dr Frank Tallis, Sheldon Press, ISBN 13: 978-0-85969-652-4
