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"It started
10 years ago. I was sitting in a seminar in a hotel and
this thing came out of the clear blue. I felt like I was
dying.
"For
me, a panic attack is almost a violent experience. I
feel like I'm going insane. It makes me feel like I'm
losing control in a very extreme way. My heart pounds
really hard, things seem unreal, and there's this very
strong feeling of impending doom.
"In
between attacks there is this dread and anxiety that
it's going to happen again. It can be very debilitating,
trying to escape those feelings of panic."
People with
panic disorder have feelings of terror that strike suddenly
and repeatedly with no warning. They can't predict when
an attack will occur, and many develop intense anxiety
between episodes, worrying when and where the next one
will strike. In between times there is a persistent,
lingering worry that another attack could come any minute.
When a panic
attack strikes, most likely your heart pounds and you
may feel sweaty, weak, faint, or dizzy. Your hands may
tingle or feel numb, and you might feel flushed or chilled.
You may have chest pain or smothering sensations, a
sense of unreality, or fear of impending doom or loss
of control. You may genuinely believe you're having
a heart attack or stroke, losing your mind, or on the
verge of death. Attacks can occur any time, even during
nondream sleep. While most attacks average a couple
of minutes, occasionally they can go on for up to 10
minutes. In rare cases, they may last an hour or more.
There are
three types of Panic Attacks:
1. Unexpected - the attack "comes out of the blue"
without warning and for no discernable reason.
2. Situational - situations in which an individual always
has an attack, for example, upon entering a tunnel.
3. Situationally Predisoposed - situations in which
an individual is likely to have a panic attack, but
does not always have one. An example of this would be
an individual who sometimes has attacks while driving.
Panic Disorder
is diagnosed when an individual suffers at least two
unexpected Panic Attacks, followed by at least 1 month
of concern over having another attack. Sufferers are
also prone to situationally predisposed attacks. The
frequency and severity of the attacks varies from person
to person, an individual might suffer from repeated
attacks for weeks, while another will have short bursts
of very severe attacks.
The sufferer
often worries about the physical and emotional consequences
of the panic attacks. Many become convinced that the
attacks indicate an undiagnosed illness and will submit
to frequent medical tests. Even after tests come back
negative, a person with panic disorder will remain worried
that they have a physical illness. Some individuals
will change their behavioral patterns, avoiding the
scene of a previous attack for example, in the hopes
of preventing having another attack.
Take
a Panic Disorders Self Test
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