Panic attacks, which incidentally are much the same as anxiety attack, will come quickly, and with a vengeance. They hit you like lightening and probably do as much damage. If you have had one I’m sure you pray you don’t get another. Well your prayers could be about to come true.
First & Worst Attack
My wife was hit with a very severe panic attack while she was driving the car. This could have been a disaster if she had crashed, or crashed into someone. After she, and me to be honest, got over the shock we did what everybody does. Went to see our doctor.
After the lecture that it’s all in her head we eventually got prescribed beta blockers. I mention “we” got prescribed beta blockers as I really felt I was involved as much as my wife in all this. Beta blockers work by slowing the heart. By doing this a panic attack shouldn’t build as the heart can’t race out of control.
We went for a drive and at the exact same location she felt an attack coming. Basically she had a panic attack while the drugs kept her heart rate slower. She said it was the strangest feeling having a panic attack but at the same time feeling quite calm.
Say No To Drugs
The drugs went straight in the trash as soon as we got home. Me driving this time. My wife never drove, not once, in the next 9 months. She had mixed feelings about it because she didn’t suffer panic attacks when she wasn’t driving.
We couldn’t let this situation go on. Her not being able to drive for fear of having an attack at the wheel. I went on the web and did a bit of digging. We tried a few different things, with mixed results. None of them worked properly, at least not for us.
We Tried ‘Em All
The search continued until we happened on another so called “cure”. We tried it, and first reports looked good. My wife had long since stopped any drugs so any success was clearly down to the new method. The first attempt at driving and she got the overwhelming senses of an attack coming. She put the system into gear and managed to come out unscathed. So far so good.
We had a chat later and she reported she definitely had an attack. But using the methods she was able to tone it down considerably. This knowledge alone boosted her confidence no end. She was sure the next time she could stop it all together. She didn’t.
Bit By Bit
But she did manage to decrease it effect. Each and every time she felt an attacking growing she decreased its effects. In less than a month she was able to know when an attack loomed. And more importantly stop it completely.
If panic attacks are the bane of your life you can either do nothing, or see your doctor and try some form of medication. Either way there’s a good chance you won’t get better any time soon.
Or you could decide to take control of your life and unlock the secret that will halt these anxiety attacks before they start. The key is at this website…
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Panic and anxiety attacks are on the increase. Who knows whether it’s our modern more stressful way of life or not. No matter the cause, they are increasing and causing more people more problems than ever.
Would you recognise a panic attack if you had one? That’s a hard one as the symptoms are wide ranging and can be quite mild, although they can also be terrifying. You may just feel a bit of a hot sweat. But you may also feel like your heart is bursting out of your chest.
I’m sure if you were having the latter symptoms you would be aware right now that you are having panic attacks and need help to stop them. If your symptoms are mild though, you may not even realise it’s a panic or anxiety attack. This could be a warning sign that things are about to get worse, much worse.
The first (bad) panic attack my wife suffered was actually while she was driving. It wasn’t the fact she had suffered an attack that hit her worst, but the fact she could easily have hit and killed someone or maybe even herself. This scenario just doesn’t bear thinking about.
If you haven’t been feeling yourself lately, maybe you’ve had one or two of these symptoms… Feeling anxious or on edge, can’t sleep, can’t concentrate, can’t sit still or feeling irritated. Having any of these mild symptoms could be a warning sign.
Before you actually get into a panic about these symptoms let me assure you there are many things that can cause these symptoms. And none of them are anything to worry about. An ill fitting item of clothing can cause you to fidget and too much coffee (caffeine) will definitely disrupt your sleep.
However if you think you may want to delve further and check out if you are a potential anxiety attack victim. A panic (anxiety) symptoms test will give you a better idea of whether you are at risk. The test involves answering yes or no to a few questions and adding your score up at the end.
Then you can decide if you need to take further action. You can find a panic attack symptoms test here.
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Are some people more prone to panic attacks than others? In short, yes. There are actual Physical differences have been observed among people who are prone to panic attacks compared to the average person. The following list outlines some of these differences.
1) Sensitivity to adrenalin and hormonal changes
In many cases, people with panic disorders (including agoraphobia) have adrenal glands that overproduce. Because of this, they are more likely to experience an adrenaline rush or “fight or flight” response when faced with a perceived psychological threat. This causes then to be more prone to panic attacks.
In patients with common panic symptoms, during times of extended stress, adrenaline and a hormone called cortisol (a stress fighting hormone) are overproduced by the adrenal gland.
This overproduction inhibits with the production of serotonin and dopamine. Serotonin and dopamine are neurotransmitters that stabilize a person’s mood and sense of well-being. When levels of dopamine and serotonin become low, your mood becomes unstable and you are less capable of fighting off stress.
In this state of chemical imbalance, you become more easily fatigued, your immune system is compromised, and you are more at risk for experiencing anxiety and panic attacks. Even after the original stressor is gone, you are more likely to remain in a higher state of anxiety.
2) Sensitivity to medications
A higher than normal sensitivity to medications, including side effects, is observed among panic disorder patients. The side effects and/or withdrawal symptoms for some medications, including anti-anxiety medications, often be similar to the symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks themselves. Because of this, medications prescribed to people who exhibit panic symptoms should be prescribed in smaller doses at first and then increased gradually as little as possible.
3) Sensitivity to physical stimulus
People who have panic attacks usually are more sensitive to temperature changes, sudden or loud sounds, bright lights, or other similar sources of physical stimuli. Physical stimulus can often overwhelm someone with panic disorder, create an aura of disorientation, and lead to a release of adrenaline (triggering the “fight or flight” reaction).
4) Sensitivity to large amounts of sodium lactate
Large amounts of sodium lactate in the bloodstream have been found by some researchers to cause panic attacks in people with panic disorder. When muscles convert sugar to energy, sodium lactate is produced. It is the basic solution in intravenous fluids given in the hospital.
In one study, panic disorder patients experienced a dramatic increase in blood flow to the temporal lobes of the brain when given sodium lactate. These are the same areas of the brain affected when subjects in other studies (who do not have panic disorder) are given an electric shock!
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