Reason for panic attacks
Panic attacks and panic disorder - Symptoms and causes
Overview
A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause. Panic attacks can be very frightening. When panic attacks occur, you might think you're losing control, having a heart attack or even dying.
Many people have just one or two panic attacks in their lifetimes, and the problem goes away, perhaps when a stressful situation ends. But if you've had recurrent, unexpected panic attacks and spent long periods in constant fear of another attack, you may have a condition called panic disorder.
Although panic attacks themselves aren't life-threatening, they can be frightening and significantly affect your quality of life. But treatment can be very effective.
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Symptoms
Panic attacks typically begin suddenly, without warning. They can strike at any time — when you're driving a car, at the mall, sound asleep or in the middle of a business meeting. You may have occasional panic attacks, or they may occur frequently.
Panic attacks have many variations, but symptoms usually peak within minutes. You may feel fatigued and worn out after a panic attack subsides.
Panic attacks typically include some of these signs or symptoms:
- Sense of impending doom or danger
- Fear of loss of control or death
- Rapid, pounding heart rate
- Sweating
- Trembling or shaking
- Shortness of breath or tightness in your throat
- Chills
- Hot flashes
- Nausea
- Abdominal cramping
- Chest pain
- Headache
- Dizziness, lightheadedness or faintness
- Numbness or tingling sensation
- Feeling of unreality or detachment
One of the worst things about panic attacks is the intense fear that you'll have another one.
You may fear having panic attacks so much that you avoid certain situations where they may occur.
When to see a doctor
If you have panic attack symptoms, seek medical help as soon as possible. Panic attacks, while intensely uncomfortable, are not dangerous. But panic attacks are hard to manage on your own, and they may get worse without treatment.
Panic attack symptoms can also resemble symptoms of other serious health problems, such as a heart attack, so it's important to get evaluated by your primary care provider if you aren't sure what's causing your symptoms.
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Causes
It's not known what causes panic attacks or panic disorder, but these factors may play a role:
- Genetics
- Major stress
- Temperament that is more sensitive to stress or prone to negative emotions
- Certain changes in the way parts of your brain function
Panic attacks may come on suddenly and without warning at first, but over time, they're usually triggered by certain situations.
Some research suggests that your body's natural fight-or-flight response to danger is involved in panic attacks. For example, if a grizzly bear came after you, your body would react instinctively. Your heart rate and breathing would speed up as your body prepared for a life-threatening situation. Many of the same reactions occur in a panic attack. But it's unknown why a panic attack occurs when there's no obvious danger present.
More Information
- Nocturnal panic attacks: What causes them?
Risk factors
Symptoms of panic disorder often start in the late teens or early adulthood and affect more women than men.
Factors that may increase the risk of developing panic attacks or panic disorder include:
- Family history of panic attacks or panic disorder
- Major life stress, such as the death or serious illness of a loved one
- A traumatic event, such as sexual assault or a serious accident
- Major changes in your life, such as a divorce or the addition of a baby
- Smoking or excessive caffeine intake
- History of childhood physical or sexual abuse
Complications
Left untreated, panic attacks and panic disorder can affect almost every area of your life.
You may be so afraid of having more panic attacks that you live in a constant state of fear, ruining your quality of life.
Complications that panic attacks may cause or be linked to include:
- Development of specific phobias, such as fear of driving or leaving your home
- Frequent medical care for health concerns and other medical conditions
- Avoidance of social situations
- Problems at work or school
- Depression, anxiety disorders and other psychiatric disorders
- Increased risk of suicide or suicidal thoughts
- Alcohol or other substance misuse
- Financial problems
For some people, panic disorder may include agoraphobia — avoiding places or situations that cause you anxiety because you fear being unable to escape or get help if you have a panic attack. Or you may become reliant on others to be with you in order to leave your home.
Prevention
There's no sure way to prevent panic attacks or panic disorder.
However, these recommendations may help.
- Get treatment for panic attacks as soon as possible to help stop them from getting worse or becoming more frequent.
- Stick with your treatment plan to help prevent relapses or worsening of panic attack symptoms.
- Get regular physical activity, which may play a role in protecting against anxiety.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
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Panic disorder - NHS
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder where you regularly have sudden attacks of panic or fear.
Everyone experiences feelings of anxiety and panic at certain times. It's a natural response to stressful or dangerous situations.
But someone with panic disorder has feelings of anxiety, stress and panic regularly and at any time, often for no apparent reason.
Symptoms of panic disorder
Anxiety
Anxiety is a feeling of unease. It can range from mild to severe, and can include feelings of worry and fear. Panic is the most severe form of anxiety.
You may start to avoid certain situations because you fear they'll trigger another attack.
This can create a cycle of living "in fear of fear". It can add to your sense of panic and may cause you to have more attacks.
Panic attacks
During a panic attack you get a rush of intense mental and physical symptoms. It can come on very quickly and for no apparent reason.
A panic attack can be very frightening and distressing.
Symptoms include:
- a racing heartbeat
- feeling faint
- sweating
- nausea
- chest pain
- shortness of breath
- trembling
- hot flushes
- chills
- shaky limbs
- a choking sensation
- dizziness
- numbness or pins and needles
- dry mouth
- a need to go to the toilet
- ringing in your ears
- a feeling of dread or a fear of dying
- a churning stomach
- a tingling in your fingers
- feeling like you're not connected to your body
Most panic attacks last between 5 and 20 minutes.
Some have been reported to last up to an hour.
The number of attacks you have will depend on how severe your condition is. Some people have attacks once or twice a month, while others have them several times a week.
Although panic attacks are frightening, they're not dangerous. An attack will not cause you any physical harm, and it's unlikely you'll be admitted to hospital if you have one.
Be aware that most of these symptoms can also be symptoms of other conditions or problems, so you may not always be experiencing a panic attack.
For example, you may have a racing heartbeat if you have very low blood pressure.
When to get help
See a GP if you've been experiencing symptoms of panic disorder.
They'll ask you to describe your symptoms, how often you get them, and how long you have had them.
They may also carry out a physical examination to rule out other conditions that could be causing your symptoms.
It can sometimes be difficult to talk about your feelings, emotions and personal life, but try not to feel anxious or embarrassed.
You may be diagnosed with panic disorder if you have regular and unexpected panic attacks followed by at least a month of continuous worry or concern about having further attacks.
Treatments for panic disorder
Treatment aims to reduce the number of panic attacks you have and ease your symptoms.
Talking therapies and medicine are the main treatments for panic disorder. Your treatment will depend on your symptoms.
Psychological therapies
You can refer yourself directly to a psychological therapies service for treatment based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
If you prefer, you can see a GP and they can refer you.
Your therapist may discuss with you how you react when you have a panic attack and what you think about.
They can teach you ways of changing your behaviour to help you keep calm during an attack.
You may need to see your GP regularly while you're having CBT so they can assess your progress.
Medicine
If you and your doctor think it might be helpful, you may be prescribed:
- a type of antidepressant called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or, if SSRIs are not suitable, a tricyclic antidepressant (usually imipramine or clomipramine)
- an anti-epilepsy medicine such as pregabalin or, if your anxiety is severe, clonazepam (these medicines are also beneficial for treating anxiety)
Antidepressants can take 2 to 4 weeks before they start to work, and up to 8 weeks to work fully.
Keep taking your medicines, even if you feel they're not working, and only stop taking them if your GP advises you to do so.
Referral to a specialist
If your symptoms do not improve after CBT, medicine and connecting with a support group, your GP may refer you to a mental health specialist such as a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist.
The specialist will carry out an assessment and devise a treatment plan to help you manage your symptoms.
Video: Psychological therapies for stress, anxiety and depression
Animated video explaining self-referral to psychological therapies services for stress, anxiety or depression.
Media last reviewed: 14 March 2022
Media review due: 14 March 2025
Things you can try yourself
What to do during a panic attack
The next time you feel a panic attack coming on:
- do not fight it
- stay where you are, if possible
- breathe slowly and deeply
- remind yourself that the attack will pass
- focus on positive, peaceful and relaxing images
- remember it's not life threatening
Preventing a further attack
It may help to:
- read a self-help book for anxiety based on the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) – ask your GP to recommend one
- try complementary therapies such as massage and aromatherapy, or activities like yoga and pilates, to help you relax
- learn breathing techniques to help ease symptoms
- do regular physical exercise to reduce stress and tension
- avoid sugary food and drinks, caffeine and alcohol, and stop smoking, as all they can all make attacks worse
For more help, read how to deal with panic attacks.
Support groups
Panic disorder can have a big impact on your life, but support is available. It might help to speak to other people with the same condition, or to connect with a charity.
You may find the following links useful:
- Anxiety UK
- Mind: understanding anxiety and panic attacks
- No Panic
- Triumph Over Phobia (TOP UK)
Ask your GP about support groups for panic disorder near you.
Find anxiety services in your area
Complications of panic disorder
Panic disorder is treatable and you can make a full recovery. But it's best to get medical help as soon as you can.
If you do not get medical help, panic disorder can escalate and become very difficult to cope with.
You're more at risk of developing other mental health conditions, such as agoraphobia or other phobias, or an alcohol or drug problem.
Having panic disorder may affect your ability to drive. The law requires you to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) about a medical condition that could impact your driving ability.
Visit GOV.UK for further information about driving with a disability or health condition.
Causes
As with many mental health conditions, the exact cause of panic disorder is not fully understood.
But it's thought to be linked to a combination of things, including:
- a traumatic or very stressful life experience, such as bereavement
- having a close family member with panic disorder
- an imbalance of neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) in the brain
Panic disorder in children
Panic disorder is more common in teenagers than in younger children.
Panic attacks can be particularly hard for children and young people to deal with. Severe panic disorder may affect their development and learning.
If your child has the signs and symptoms of panic disorder, they should see a GP.
After taking a detailed medical history the GP will carry out a thorough physical examination to rule out any physical causes for the symptoms.
They may refer your child to a specialist for further assessment and treatment. The specialist may recommend a course of CBT for your child.
Screening for other anxiety disorders may also be needed to help find the cause of your child's panic attacks.
Read more about anxiety disorders in children or find out about mental health services for children and young people.
causes, symptoms and treatment of all types of diseases in the FSCC FMBA
Panic attacks are a fairly common occurrence.
Statistically, about 30% of the population experience one or more brief episodes of unmotivated anxiety attacks. Panic attacks on a regular basis are suffered by 5% of people, and in a latent (hidden) form - about 10%. As a rule, middle-aged people are susceptible to episodes of panic attacks. It is worth noting that more and more elderly people are now seeking help with complaints of anxiety episodes.
Causes of panic attacks
An emotional experience such as anxiety is of paramount importance in the development of panic attacks. Anxiety is a condition that is manifested both emotionally by a feeling of anxiety, excitement, and physically by increased heart rate, excessive sweating, chest tightness, and weakness. Panic attacks are different for everyone. In some people, the component of motor excitation predominates, others note such respiratory disorders as shortness of breath, lack of air. Some people have gastrointestinal disorders (nausea, flatulence, diarrhea).
All the processes described above are vegetative manifestations of the anxiety state.
The feeling of anxiety is characteristic of every person and is normally an adaptive mechanism. For example, a student experiences anxiety on the eve of a major exam. But anxiety can also be pathological. It often happens that an anxious state takes possession of a person in situations that do not pose a real threat at all. Maladaptive (pathological) anxiety is characterized by inadequate perception of the situation as threatening. These anxiety states interfere with many daily tasks. The person believes that he is not able to cope with a possible threat.
Risk factors
Stress, physical and emotional overload, alcohol consumption, lack of sleep, chronic diseases can trigger the development of panic attacks.
These factors, affecting the autonomic nervous system, change the normal course of physiological processes. For example, drinking alcohol leads to increased heart rate, increased sweating, and nausea. Lack of sleep causes a person to lose energy. A person thinks about these symptoms, he becomes confident that violations occur in the body.
Such thoughts are responsible for the appearance of anxiety. Against this background, there is an active release of the stress hormone - adrenaline, the symptoms of the autonomic nervous system intensify.
A person begins to think about the likelihood of developing such serious diseases as stroke, heart attack, insanity. The feeling of anxiety transforms into a panic attack. After an episode of a panic attack, a feeling of weakness is characteristic. A vicious circle is formed, which is called the "vicious circle of anxiety." The described mechanism leads to social maladaptation.
What is a panic attack? Symptoms of panic attacks
A panic attack is a sudden attack of intense fear that causes severe physical reactions in the absence of real danger or apparent cause.
Panic attacks usually begin suddenly, without warning. They can strike at any time during daily tasks. Panic episodes can be intermittent or occur quite frequently.
The complex of the following symptoms develops within minutes and may last up to 2 hours:
- palpitations
- violation of inhalation and exhalation
- tightness, chest pains
- headaches
- increased perspiration
- nausea, diarrhea
- dizziness, presyncope
- abdominal cramps
- chills and hot flashes
- feeling of numbness and tingling in certain areas of the body
The following mental changes are characteristic of panic attacks:0030
Every time after an attack, a person's greatest fear is a recurrence of an episode of a panic attack.
Unfortunately, panic attacks actually tend to recur if you don't seek professional help in time.
It should be noted that clinical studies on panic attacks indicate that the experience of panic disorder does not lead to threatening severe outcomes, which patients fear so much (death from strokes, heart attacks).
However, panic attacks seriously change the mental background of a person, which leads to the following complications:
- development of social maladjustment. The person tries to avoid social contacts as much as possible in order to reduce the risk of developing an anxiety condition
- excessive painful control over one's physical condition, unreasonable suspiciousness
- the formation of secondary depression due to severe symptoms that a person experiences, the loss of all hope for recovery
- the use of alcohol, psychotropic substances in order to relieve tension, as a result, the development of dependence.
It is now very important to raise public awareness about the disorder of panic attacks.
Anxiety can and should be corrected and treated. In most cases, patients turn to the stage when the disease is already protracted. As a result, reduced working capacity, financial problems, loss of social contacts.
For the treatment of panic episodes, we use the author's method of therapy, which allows you to heal from panic attacks in 10-12 sessions.
Therapy is aimed at relieving symptoms that block a person's full life. Therapy allows you to look at yourself from the outside, change your attitude towards yourself, realize that it is possible to control reality for your own benefit and maximum comfort. Consolidation of the result occurs with the help of hypnosuggestive techniques.
Our method is effective and affordable. Its application gives positive results in a short time.
Treatment of panic attacks in the hospital FSCC FMBA
The doctors of our center provide comprehensive treatment of patients subject to panic attacks in a neurological hospital.
Panic attacks are known to be accompanied by manifestations from various body systems. At the same time, the patient develops an idea of serious violations in the work of internal organs, while the basis of panic attacks is a change in the mental background. It is the correction of the mental state that underlies the treatment of panic attacks.
Round-the-clock stay of the patient under the supervision of a multidisciplinary team of hospital doctors makes it possible to conduct an examination, identify real disorders and deviations in the functioning of internal organs. The results of examinations, conversations with doctors, including psychotherapists, help the patient understand that the cause of the development of panic attacks lies in the mental imbalance that has arisen.
The doctors of our center have been successfully using the author's technique for a long time, which allows for 10-12 sessions to achieve recovery and release the patient from panic attacks, as well as to consolidate the positive result obtained.
symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention
Contents of the article
- Symptoms and signs of a panic attack
- Causes of panic attacks
- Risk factors
- What is the danger of panic attacks
- When to see a doctor
- Preparing for a doctor's visit
- Panic Attack Diagnosis
- Treatment
- Home remedies
- Myths and dangerous misconceptions in the treatment of panic attacks
- Prophylaxis
- How to make an appointment with a psychotherapist
Faced with unexplained agonizing bouts of anxiety and severe anxiety, not everyone can understand what is happening to them.
In fact, such a condition in modern medicine is called a panic attack. A feature of this disease are the reasons for its appearance that have not been fully clarified. The occurrence of a panic attack is always sudden and is accompanied by somatic disorders, increased heart rate, dizziness and loss of control.
Symptoms and signs of a panic attack
Data from medical studies confirm that about 5% of the inhabitants of megacities suffer from panic attacks today. Anxiety is accompanied by the following signs of a panic attack:
- feeling of doom and fear of death;
- difficulty breathing and dry mouth;
- severe headaches and dizziness;
- increased sweating;
- nausea;
- increased heart rate;
- weakness and numbness of the limbs;
- a feeling of loss of control and unreality of what is happening around.
People who often experience such a problem need to know how to deal with a panic attack on their own and do it the right way.
Causes of Panic Attacks
Panic attacks with uncontrollable fears are associated primarily with neurological disorders. But the true causes of the development of panic attacks today remain poorly understood. As practice shows, signs of a panic attack can appear in the following cases:
- for vegetovascular dystonia;
- against the background of a stressful condition;
- for genetic predisposition;
- in the presence of mental illness.
To this list, you can also add excessive physical activity, being among a large crowd of people, the consequences of hormone therapy, ischemia or stroke, emotional instability of the individual.
Risk factors
Symptoms of panic attacks may appear due to some risk factors:
- hereditary predisposition;
- presence of thyroid disease;
- constant stress in the family, at work, loss of a loved one;
- low self-esteem and great suspicion;
- persistent sleep disturbances;
- excessive consumption of alcohol;
- uncontrolled intake of drugs without a doctor's prescription and caffeinated drinks;
- the presence of phobias.
What is the danger of panic attacks
Anxiety and panic attacks cannot cause death in a person, but if symptoms and signs of this disorder appear frequently, medical attention should be sought. Otherwise, the risks of developing phobias increase when a person, fearing a recurrence of an attack, will deliberately avoid people, visit supermarkets, and use public transport. There are cases when people became recluses.
Since the fear of panic attacks is considered a mental disorder, if left untreated, serious complications can appear, such as:
- asthenia;
- insomnia;
- depressive conditions;
- phobias;
- neurasthenia;
- neurosis from panic attacks.
Refusal of timely treatment can lead to a personality disorder, which in the advanced stage cannot be cured. Some people suffering from frequent panic attacks may experience food refusal with the subsequent development of dystrophy and diseases of the internal organs.
Not knowing how to cope with a panic attack, often a person closes in on himself and avoids visiting a professional psychologist, and then the situation can worsen up to suicide.
When to see a doctor
Attacks and symptoms of a panic attack in women and men are not life-threatening, but if left untreated, their frequency and intensity can increase, as a result of which a person becomes a hostage to such situations, he cannot live and work normally. Without delay, make an appointment with our psychotherapists at JSC "Medicina" (clinic of Academician Roitberg) in the Central District of Moscow, if you have at least once encountered a sudden condition that is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- headache, dizziness;
- shortness of breath, shortness of breath;
- fear of death;
- tachycardia, interruptions in the work of the heart;
- increased sweating, chills;
- tremor, numbness of limbs;
- nausea, pain and cramps in the abdomen.
A panic attack doctor - a specialist with extensive experience and a wealth of professional knowledge knows how to get rid of panic attacks effectively.
Preparing for a doctor's visit
Before visiting a psychotherapist, no special preparation is required, but you should be prepared to tell him in detail and in detail about the symptoms and signs of the disease that you experienced during moments of panic. It is important to answer all questions frankly so that the doctor can get a complete picture of the problem and determine how to treat panic attacks.
Panic Attack Diagnosis
Diagnosing the disorder is not easy, even for an experienced professional, as the symptoms of panic attacks can be similar to other mental disorders.
Therefore, an accurate diagnosis includes a number of medical measures:
- external examination of the patient;
- reflex test;
- electrocardiogram;
- examining the abdomen for the presence/absence of internal bleeding;
- listening to the lungs;
- blood pressure measurement.
In order to rule out other pathologies and accurately establish that the patient is suffering from panic attacks, diagnostics are carried out using modern equipment, special tests and analyses.
Heart rhythm disturbance is studied not by one cardiogram, but by wearing the device for 2 days. With myocardial ischemia, the electrocardiogram is taken at rest with a load. In addition, an ultrasound of the heart is performed. An MRI is performed to rule out a stroke. An MRI is also done to rule out a brain tumor. To rule out bronchial asthma, the patient is tested for allergens and breath tests. Ultrasound studies are performed to determine the presence / absence of internal bleeding.
The presence of mental disorders is determined by a psychotherapist.
Important! If the symptoms of a mental attack with impaired coordination, partial hearing loss, impaired coordination of movements, visual impairment, the occurrence of convulsions of the upper and lower extremities were observed once, then they are not considered signs of the disease.
JSC "Medicina" (clinic of Academician Roitberg) in the Central District of Moscow (nearby metro stations Mayakovskaya, Belorusskaya, Novoslobodskaya, Tverskaya, Chekhovskaya) has all the necessary resources to make an accurate diagnosis and provide qualified assistance to patients.
Treatment
A panic attack is not a sentence, but a completely curable condition. Achievements of modern medicine can reduce the frequency and intensity of seizures, and then completely get rid of this problem. The greatest efficiency is achieved through the use of psychotherapeutic and drug treatment in combination.
Note that the key point in the treatment of panic attacks in women and men is the use of individual psychotherapy. It is this method that makes it possible to determine the causes of fear and teach the patient to control his condition.
In addition, the treatment of panic attacks is carried out using different methods of psychotherapy, depending on how panic attacks manifest themselves:
- cognitive behavioral therapy;
- hypnosuggestive therapy;
- autogenic training.
The most effective form of treatment is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which involves removing the patterns of thought and behavior that cause panic attacks.
With the help of a psychotherapist, the patient learns to look and perceive fears not “automatically”, but in a real light. Using a safe method, the doctor simulates situations that cause panic attacks, which allow you to dull the feeling of fear over time, and then the disease can be overcome.
Hypnosuggestive therapy is based on suggestion with a targeted effect on the anxiety state. By receiving correct and positive attitudes from the doctor, the patient learns to overcome panic, protect himself from stress and cope with a panic attack on his own.
Home remedies
If you have had panic attacks, you should know what to do when you have a panic attack. It is recommended that you always have a sedative in the form of an infusion or sedative tablets with you.
Seizures can be controlled by massaging the fingertips and earlobes. Learn to convince yourself that all fears are unfounded and do not pose a threat to you.
Once you learn to look at things realistically, you will be able to get rid of panic attacks. It is necessary to sleep enough, eat healthy food, avoid watching programs and movies that cause psycho-emotional overload and stress. After a panic attack, try not to withdraw into yourself, but look at the world positively, and treat yourself to a cup of tea with mint and honey at night!
Myths and dangerous misconceptions in the treatment of panic attacks
There are various myths about panic attacks, including that they can turn into schizophrenia. In fact, neurosis and panic attacks are related, and this emotional disorder is effectively treated by specialists who know how to deal with panic attacks.
Many people are convinced that there is no effective treatment for such a problem, believing that the pills will have to be taken until death.
