Anxiety & Panic Attacks - Symptoms & Treatment
What to do when your "Flight or Fight" Response gets out of control
Oct 2, 2008
Anxiety is a natural response of the human body to a potentially dangerous situation. It is the “flight or fight” response, which releases adrenaline into the bloodstream and enables to either fight for our life or run away very very quickly! When a person is experiencing the “flight or fight” response when they are not in a potentially dangerous situation, this is known as abnormal anxiety and can create feelings that the person is going crazy or having a heart attack or frustration at what is wrong with me.
According to the World Federation for Mental Health, mental health disorders including anxiety and panic disorders affect 450 million people worldwide across all socio-economic groups and cultures.
The symptoms of panic attacks
People commonly express the sentiment that they thought they were having a heart attack or going crazy when they experienced their first panic attacked. Symptoms of having a panic attack include sweating, shaking, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, feeling dizzy or nauseous, fearful of dying or going crazy, having hot or cold flushes and feeling detached from your surroundings. A person experiencing 4 or more of the above symptoms is experiencing a panic attack. The symptoms of a panic attack last for 10 minutes only but the fear of having another attack lingers and can lead to a person withdrawing from situations where they have had panic attacks in the past. This withdrawal can lead to agoraphobia.
Treatments
Treatments for anxiety and panic attacks include medication, psychotherapy and alternative therapies. Medication treatments for anxiety and panic attacks include some anti-depressants and benzodiazepines – your health care practitioner will discuss with you the best type of medication based treatment for you.
Psychotherapy, normally in the form of cognitive behavioural therapy, can provide a person with skills to manage their panic attacks. Anxiety and panic attacks may sometimes be triggered by unhelpful thinking patterns, such as seeing everything as black and white or believing that if something has gone wrong it must be your fault, etc. Cognitive behavioural therapy is normally provided by a psychologist, psychiatrist or mental health worker; however a reputable online program, known as MoodGym has been established by the Australian National University.
Other treatments that may be helpful for people experiencing anxiety and panic attacks include journaling, relaxation practice, exercising regularly and eating nutritious food, essential oils and reducing the consumption of alcohol and other drugs.
How can I help
If you have noticed changed behaviours in a friend or family member which are indicative of anxiety and panic attacks, let that person know, talk openly with them and help them to find information and treatment options. Encourage the person to face their fears but do not push them or tell them to “snap out of it”. Anxiety and Panic Attacks are a medical condition, not a lifestyle choice.
With treatment, a person can live a full and active life that is no limited by disabling fear. The road to recovery from anxiety is a long and winding one with many potential pitfalls along the way. However with care from professionals and support from family members and friends, this insidious condition can be beaten.
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