It is a strange and horrific experience – your first Panic Attack – and you are probably wondering the same thing that millions of people have – what is it? – how do I control the symptoms? – and how can I treat this condition?
An Anxiety Attack – or sometimes referred to as a Panic Attack – is produced by a psycho-reactive abnormality in your brain’s reaction to an anxiety-provoking stimulus. What is regularly discarded out of hand by the mind of other, healthy non-sufferers cannot be dismissed in your mind.
The resulting spiral of unresolved conflict between the subconscious and conscious mind is what ultimately produces the anxiety attack. For many people, the resulting attack is not unlike a heart attack, because is combines rapid, pounding heartbeat with cold sweat, chest pain, and headache – even dizziness.
Because of confusing symptoms, the first-occurrence attack sufferer often goes to the emergency room. There they are told that there was no cardiac event that has occurred and that they are most likely the victim of their first panic attack.
It is important for you to understand the difference between a Panic Attack associated with Panic Phobia, and that associated with General Anxiety Disorder. General Anxiety Disorder, or GAD, is the more common disorder – affecting millions of Americans. Often linked to Depression and occurring more frequently in women and already depressed persons, the source of the anxiety is often everyday issues involving job, bills, family, and health.
It’s more serious cousin – Chronic Panic Phobia – or Panic Disorder is often confused with GAD but it is different in both causal stimulus and severity. Sufferers of Panic Disorder often sustain an attack with little or no warning, while the attack of the GAD sufferer is typically signaled by growing anxiety. Panic Disorder sufferers often cannot even relate what it was that they were thinking about or focusing on just prior to the attack. Panic Disorder is much more serious than GAD and should be treated with a triumvirate of treatments – medication, lifestyle, and therapy.
Sufferers of both conditions are routinely referred to their primary care physician for a complete physical, medication and suggested treatment of their anxiety attack. Often the treatment suggested will include significant alterations in your lifestyle. These normally will impact your diet, sleep, activity level – and specifically your level of strenuous exercise – along with the reduction of your intake of network news, competitive sports, argument/conflict in everyday activities and suggested entry into healing arts, yoga or meditation. It is the wise patient who becomes an informed patient.
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