| I'll be frank. The truth is that no one knows exactly, for | | | | recover nicely. |
| sure exactly what panic attacks causes are. It's | | | | Problems seem to come up when there is chronic, |
| probably the case the causes of panic attacks are a | | | | low-grade, ongoing stress is no chance for recovery |
| little different for everybody. Obviously we'd like to | | | | and rejuvenation. It's as if our protective fight-or-flight |
| know the cause because sometimes that gives us a | | | | response is on high alert and a hair trigger - anything |
| clue about treatment. For that reason, there's been a | | | | can set it off at full power. That's what a panic |
| lot of ongoing research into the origins of panic attacks. | | | | episode seems to be. |
| In this article I want to mention three suspected | | | | This implies that learning techniques to manage and |
| factors. | | | | defuse chronic stress may be helpful in preventing or |
| Before I begin, I want to make the point that I use the | | | | treating anxiety problems. Something as simple as |
| term anxiety attack and panic attack roughly | | | | regular practicing deep breathing helps. Even better |
| interchangeably. I'm sure a psychologist would make a | | | | you can learn more profound ways of defusing stress |
| specific distinction, but for most laypeople the | | | | naturally. |
| difference is more a matter of degree, with panic | | | | Changes in Brain Chemistry May Lead to Panic |
| being more intense than an episode of anxiety. | | | | Another possible cause of anxiety problems that's |
| Possible Panic Attack Cause 1 | | | | being proposed more frequently is a chemical |
| That being said, one possible cause of panic attacks is | | | | imbalance in the brain. As a matter of fact, that's being |
| heredity. There's no doubt that there is a higher | | | | proposed as to cause of many psychological and |
| incidence of panic attacks and some families and | | | | psychiatric disorders such as depression. |
| others. It's not entirely clear how much of this is related | | | | The implication of this is that the anxiety can be |
| to actual genetic inheritance and how much is related | | | | treated by correcting the chemical imbalance or using |
| to family situations and coping mechanisms that family | | | | drugs. While it does appear that medication can help |
| members tend to employ. | | | | some forms of anxiety and panic it's also possible to |
| Research is suggesting that there is some genetic | | | | change brain chemistry without resorting to them. |
| component, but even if there is that does not mean | | | | Exciting research in the fields of |
| you're doomed to suffer anxiety and panic attacks | | | | psychoneuroimmuniology and neuroplasticity shows |
| just because a close family member has them. Having | | | | just how malleable the human brain is. |
| a gene, particularly for this situation, indicates more a | | | | Those three possible causes are the ones focused on |
| predisposition to a problem then an indication that you | | | | most of the time. But as I said in the beginning, no one |
| are definitely going to experience it. | | | | really knows for sure what panic attack causes are. In |
| If experiencing panic is related to maladaptive | | | | a way, it's not crucial to know the cause. Much more |
| approaches to life that you learn growing up, it's very | | | | important is to know what to do about a panic attack |
| possible to learn new approaches. In fact that's what | | | | if you're suffering from them. Fortunately, you don't |
| many very successful panic attack methods do. | | | | need to know the cause to be able to treat them |
| Chronic Stress As a Possible Cause of Acute Anxiety | | | | effectively. |
| There's also some suggestion that a chronic stress | | | | Though our society tends to look to drugs for the |
| can predispose a person to develop an anxiety or | | | | answer to everything, for psychological problems the |
| panic disorder. We seem to be able to handle an | | | | best long-term answers don't involve medications. This |
| acute, severe episode of stress fairly well. The event | | | | especially applies to panic attacks. |
| itself is no fun but if there's no recurring stress we can | | | | |