| Panic attacks are synonymous with anxiety attacks. | | | | going to follow which only adds to the anxiety he is |
| Panic attack or anxiety attack is a great deterrent of | | | | feeling. |
| normal life since it makes a person undergoing it to | | | | The body thinks that it is threatened by a dangerous |
| behave abnormally. If one experiences panic or | | | | situation. The physiological response is a reaction of |
| anxiety attacks frequently which make him miss out | | | | the body when confronted with symptoms of anxiety. |
| important scheduled activities, living a normal life is | | | | The body either tries to put up a brave fight or tries to |
| totally impossible. These attacks do not allow one to | | | | take a flight away from the symptoms. Either way, the |
| do the things he enjoys and loves. | | | | body gets tense, worked up and confused as a result |
| A typical panic or anxiety attack starts when the body | | | | of the stimuli provoking anxiety. It readies itself for a |
| quickly responds to the stimulus which provokes | | | | seeming battle. But once this feeling of worry or fear |
| anxiety. It could be anything in one's environment, | | | | subsides, the body takes the cue and then returns to a |
| sparking off worry, fear and anxiety for the patient. | | | | more calm and stable state. |
| For most people, these attacks come suddenly out of | | | | While the patient is undergoing the panic or anxiety |
| the blue, without any warning - as seemingly there | | | | attacks, his physical and psychological symptoms |
| could be no stimulus to start that attack. One may | | | | render it impossible for him to leave his house, drive or |
| wake up in the morning feeling tense with worry or | | | | undertake any physical or mental activity. The terror he |
| afraid for no reason at all. Once these symptoms start, | | | | feels is so consuming that it momentarily paralyzes him |
| it is very difficult for the person to control them. The | | | | so that he is unable to move. He feels sick physically |
| symptoms keep on building up to a scale when the | | | | and loses all desire to be active. This is very |
| body feels threatened by some sort of an external | | | | distressing especially if the person is required to work |
| situation. These pent-up feelings of extreme fear then | | | | on something or go somewhere. He fears all the time |
| manifest as the body's physiological reactions. | | | | that his panic attack or anxiety attack will be sparked |
| These anxiety symptoms cause the body to change | | | | off by something. This inhibits his life severely and puts |
| from its calm state to an agitated or nervous panic | | | | grave limitations on such a person at school or at |
| state. Patient feels physically ill with headaches, | | | | work. |
| nausea, chills or hot flashes, etc. He feels as if he is | | | | But for such people, help is always on hand if they |
| undergoing a heart attack due to the increased | | | | experience panic or anxiety attacks. They need to |
| palpitations of the heart, leading to a tightening feeling in | | | | confide in their healthcare professionals who will |
| the chest. One suspects a seizure because with the | | | | evaluate these persons and determine what help they |
| growing tension in the body, involuntary movements | | | | need. Most physicians may also take the help of a |
| like twitching or shakes or jittering start manifesting. | | | | therapist who needs to coach the patients to control |
| These physiological reactions render bringing the | | | | their anxiety levels and thus reduce the occurrence |
| anxiety level down virtually impossible. One begins to | | | | and severity of the panic or anxiety attacks they |
| dread that a more complicated medical problem is | | | | undergo. |