Frequent heartbeat, pressure surge, shortness of breath, lack of oxygen, trembling of the legs and arms, nausea and unconscious fear in a seemingly empty place is a symptom of a panic attack. And that's not all manifestations. In addition to these manifestations, panic attack syndrome is also often accompanied by scattered attention and thinking (it is difficult to collect thoughts, pull yourself together), internal trembling, a sharp burst of sweating or chills, pain in the heart, numbness of the extremities. The fear of death or insanity against the background of these appearances already looks quite natural. What provokes the symptom of a panic attack, is it a serious pathology or an annoying episode? Where to go with this and is it necessary?
Am I going crazy?
Every person who is faced with this is unlikely to forget the horror caused by this condition, and even begins to suspect one form or another of insanity. According to medical statistics, about 10% of people on earth have experienced panic attack syndrome, the symptoms of which ranged from overt to more vague. Moreover, women most often suffer from this disorder, about twice as manymen. At risk are people who abuse alcohol, are prone to depression and those whose blood relatives have similar disorders, as well as emotional natures belonging to an anxious, suspicious, hysterical personality type. The symptom of a panic attack, as, in fact, the syndrome of the same name, is not a disease and, moreover, does not indicate a mental illness. However, it can be a concomitant or even rather a consequential factor in many diseases, both mental (psychological) and somatic.
Am I sick?
The first episode often occurs against a completely favorable background, with no apparent external causes. It can be provoked by a phobia, diabetes mellitus of both types, malfunctions in the thyroid gland, hormonal imbalance. Attacks, as a rule, tend to recur, therefore, to begin with, a person will need a thorough and comprehensive examination, which will reveal their root cause. In any case, a competent and intelligent specialist will not treat a single symptom of a panic attack or their combination as an independent disease, because such treatment is symptomatic, and therefore ineffective, superficial.
Doctor, will I be cured?
What specialist can help the suffering? Definitely a psychotherapist. The psychologist in this case will be powerless, since similar symptoms can, as already mentioned, be given out by somatic diseases, which means that the specialist shouldhave a medical education, which a psychologist simply does not have. It is the psychotherapist who will be able to choose the optimal complex for each individual case from pharmacological and psychotherapeutic methods. Each person has his own panic attack, the symptoms (a forum dedicated to this problem confirms this) can vary and manifest themselves with different strengths. Therefore, the treatment is prescribed differently: auto-training, breathing and relaxation techniques will help to remove fear, to get together. And drugs in the form of droppers or tablets normalize the state of processes in the body.
