Do you feel your heart beating wildly like you have ran a thousand miles? If you have experienced recurrent severe anxiety attacks you may be suffering from Panic Disorder (PD). This is different from the anxiety reactions you normally experience when you face stressful events in your life.
The most common symptoms of panic disorder is: sudden nervousness and intense fear coupled with hyperventilation, and shortness of breath. Panic disorder can occur anytime, anywhere and this can cause embarrassment and affect behavioral patterns. If you don’t treat anxiety attacks right away it can cause more problems. Sometimes Panic disorder can be mistaken us life- threatening disorder like heart attack or heart disease this wrong notion can trigger other attacks.
Causes of panic disorder
The causes of panic disorder could be hereditary, it had been noted in studies that panic disorder runs in families. Alcoholism and drug dependence or drug abuse can also cause panic disorder. Other causes like psychological factors, stress and the environment can also cause panic disorder. Physical illness, heavy responsibilities, and medications and major stress can also trigger panic attacks. Other abnormalities such as hyperthyroidism, hypoglycemia can trigger panic disorder. Smoking can also trigger panic attacks as this changes normal respiratory function and smokers experience shortness of breath.
What you can do to get rid of your panic disorder.
• The first step you should take towards recovery is educating yourself about panic disorder. If you understand what’s happening to you the tendency is for you to be less anxious and be able to cope. Teach yourself coping abilities and skills on relaxation.
• With your loved one try simple psychotherapy exercises that will enable you to experience and understand the mechanism of the body and its responses to certain stimuli. Jog or run in place and feel your heart beat race, constantly remind yourself that the racing heart is a normal response of the body to the activity, sit on a spinning chair and let your loved one spin it for you experience the sensation of nausea and dizziness, breathe through a straw and experience shortness of breath. Do this daily under guidance of a loved one, or a doctor or psychotherapist for it to be successful.
• You should always put into mind that panic disorder symptoms like shortness of breath, hyperventilation, etc. are not life-threatening and always assure yourself that you are not going crazy.
• You could also join psychotherapy groups or other panic disorder support group in your community. Sharing your experiences, sharing positive feedbacks with others and knowing that you are not alone can boost your morale. Your panic disorder will seem ordinary in a group of fellow sufferers.
If your condition calls for medication doctors usually prescribe benzodiazepines and SSRI anti-depressants. The best thing to do if you think you need medication is to consult your own doctor. The best recommendation for the treatment of panic disorder is education and psychotherapy exercises and treatment . But for you to be able to be treated permanently you have to cooperate and perform your exercises daily and religiously.
