Panic syndrome is an anxiety disorder that is accompanied by panic attacks, a condition in which a person suddenly becomes very worried, anxious and unable to pull themselves together. People can radically change their behavior for a month (or more), while it is not known how this may turn out in the future and when the next panic attack will occur, which they expect at any moment (in the DSR-IVR reference books, this is called a contrived attack). Panic syndrome is different from agoraphobia (fear of public places and overcrowding), although many "alarmists" suffer from this disease. Panic attacks happen suddenly, catching a person by surprise and thereby unnerving him, because he does not know when it will happen again. Panic disorder can be caused by both a health condition and a chemical imbalance in the body. In the DGS-IV-TR, panic syndrome is not synonymous with anxiety. While anxiety develops against the background of a person's constant stress and is by no means a critical condition (the duration varies from several days to several months), panic attacks are sudden acute attacks panic attacks that come suddenly, while they quickly pass, but are extremely acute. Panic attacks occur in both children and adults. A young, fragile mind perceives them much more painfully, because children often do not understand what is happening and are frightened, and parents "lose heart" because they do not know how to help. To determine the cause of the disorder, doctors use a special screening form (patient health questionnaires), on the basis of which a diagnosis is made. In some cases, panic syndrome leads to disability, but it can be controlled and at the moment it is being successfully treated. Because of the severe symptoms that accompany panic disorder, it is often mistaken for a fatal heart attack. This misconception often provokes new panic attacks (some of which can be categorized as "contrived"). "Alarmists" often go to emergency rooms, and sometimes more than one test is required to establish the true cause, which makes a person even more panicky. There are three types of panic attacks: unexpected, situational, and situationally predictable.

Signs and symptoms

People with panic syndrome regularly have panic attacks, during which they suddenly and unconsciously become very anxious and unable to pull themselves together. This lasts, on average, about ten minutes, however, both short-term (1-5 minutes) and longer (20-60 minutes or more) panic attacks are possible, which continue until the necessary measures are taken to withdraw a person from this state. Attacks increase and decrease, and this can last for hours, and the symptoms vary depending on the duration of the panic attacks. In some cases, a panic attack can be extremely acute and then "on the rise". Typical symptoms of panic attacks include rapid heartbeat, increased sweating, dizziness, shortness of breath, tremors, uncontrollable fears such as the fear of losing control and going crazy, fear of death, and shallow rapid breathing (and fear of suffocation). Other symptoms include sweating, perceived breathlessness, paralysis, chest pain, nausea, nausea or agitation, “coldness on the skin” or “hot flashes”, loss of consciousness, crying, and a sense of an altered reality. In addition, the person is sure that he is in imminent danger. People with panic attacks want to avoid situations that provoke panic attacks. Anxiety in panic syndrome is more acute and episodic than in general anxiety disorder. Panic attacks can occur under the influence of certain external stimuli (for example, a person saw a mouse) or the environment (for example, a dentist's office). Sometimes they appear “from scratch”. Some people have panic attacks on a regular basis, say daily or weekly. External manifestations of panic attacks often "alienate" a person from society (which "results" in embarrassment, social stigmatization, isolation from society, etc.). Symptom-limited attacks are very similar to panic attacks, but they have fewer symptoms. Many people with PD have both attacks.

Causes of Panic Disorder

Psychological models

There are many reasons why panic syndrome occurs, this is individual for everyone, but scientists have come to the conclusion that this disease can be called "familial", and therefore heredity plays an important role (that is, PS is inherited). In addition, the disorder has been found to be concomitant with many other inherited disorders, such as bipolar disorder, and is common in people with a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. Physiological factors, stressful life situations, transitional periods in life, environmental factors and increased suspiciousness, according to scientists, also play a role (at the initial stage). Often, the earliest attacks occur with physical illness, severe stress, or certain medications. People who are accustomed to “taking on too much” are also at risk. People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are also more likely to suffer from panic syndrome than others. According to some reports, hypoglycemia, overactive thyroid gland, mitral valve prolapse, otitis media, pheochromocytoma, and various respiratory diseases can cause or worsen panic syndrome. People with PS have weakened pre-pulse inhibition. Many SSRIs initially cause side effects, thereby provoking the first panic attacks in healthy peoplewho were originally treated for depression.

Drug addiction

Drug addiction often "overlaps" with panic attacks. Most of the participants in one of the studies in this area (63% of alcoholics) admitted that they started drinking alcohol before the onset of panic attacks, like most drug addicts (59%). In the course of this experiment, a close relationship was established between panic and drug (alcohol) dependence. For most people, panic attacks began while taking drugs or alcohol (when a persistent addiction has already formed). Another study of 100 methamphetamine addicts analyzed psychiatric comorbidities in 36% of the participants. These were mainly affective and psychotic disorders, less often - anxiety disorders (only 7% of the participants in the experiment).

Smoking

Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of developing panic syndrome with / without agoraphobia and panic attacks. This risk is especially high among those who started smoking as a teenager or young adult. Despite the fact that the exact mechanism of the effect of smoking on PS is still unknown, there are a number of opinions on this matter. According to one hypothesis, smoking cigarettes causes changes in respiratory function (smokers often do not have enough air), against which people panic (respiratory symptoms are a characteristic sign of panic). Difficulty (or rapid) breathing is often observed in very restless children ("fidgets"), who are also at risk. As a stimulant, nicotine may well trigger panic attacks. And, nevertheless, people who quit smoking often also show increased anxiety, against the background of which panic attacks often occur. Other scientists believe that people with panic disorder deliberately start smoking as a self-medication, believing that cigarettes relieve stress and reduce anxiety. Nicotine and other psychotropic substances with an "antidepressant effect" found in cigarette smoke act as monoamine oxidase inhibitors in the brain, thus affecting our mood (they have a kind of sedative effect, depending on the dose).

Caffeine

Series results clinical research suggest that there is a positive relationship between caffeine use and panic syndrome. People with PS are more susceptible to the aphrodisiac effects of caffeine. One example of this is a fast heartbeat.

Alcohol and sedatives

About 30% of people with panic disorder use alcohol and 17% use other psychotropic drugs. In this experiment, it is 61% () and 7.9% (other psychotropic substances), respectively. The use of light drugs and alcohol only aggravates the symptoms of PS, like most stimulants (such as cocaine), since they increase the symptoms of anxiety (in particular, speed up the heartbeat). Deacon and Valentine (2000) conducted a study (involving young people who had recurrent panic attacks) looking at the relationship between panic attacks and substance use. During the experiment, scientists concluded that these people consume more alcohol and sedatives for therapeutic purposes than completely healthy members of the control group. This finding does not contradict the hypothesis put forward by Cox, Norton, Dorward, and Fergusson (1989), according to which people with panic syndrome practice self-medication in the belief that certain substances will help relieve their panic symptoms. Taking this into account, one must nevertheless take into account the fact that a certain percentage of the population, resorting to self-medication, does not consider it necessary to seek professional medical help. It is known that in some cases people find out about their diagnosis only after going to the clinic (when they want to get rid of their addiction to self-medication). If at first alcohol helps to partially relieve the symptoms of panic, then when abused, the disease only worsens, since alcohol poisoning occurs, but people with alcohol withdrawal syndrome are especially hard. This applies not only to alcohol, but also to drugs (the principle of action of alcohol is similar to the principle of action of benzodiazepines, which are sometimes prescribed as tranquilizers for people with alcohol dependence). Chronic alcohol use markedly aggravates panic disorder, as it changes brain chemistry and distorts its basic functions. About 10% of “alarmists”, when refusing benzodiazepines, have pronounced withdrawal symptoms, which are not so easy to get rid of. These symptoms are somewhat similar to the condition of a person in the first couple of months after discontinuation of the drug, but they are less pronounced. It is not known whether these “persistent” withdrawal symptoms are related to actual drug withdrawal or whether they are due to damage to neuronal structure due to chronic benzodiazepine use or withdrawal. And, nevertheless, over time (we are talking about months and years), the symptoms become less pronounced and eventually disappear. Many patients attending centers psychiatric care in order to cure various mental illnesses, in particular, anxiety disorders, such as panic syndrome or social phobia, symptoms of this kind appeared due to alcohol abuse or sedatives... And, conversely, sometimes the disorder itself is the reason for the use of alcohol or sedatives, which in this case only aggravate the existing mental illness. If the body is poisoned with alcohol or sedatives (due to abuse), a person suffering from a mental disorder will not get better after medication (and other) treatment, since only the effect is treated, not the cause. With alcohol withdrawal or benzodiazepine withdrawal, people with "sedative" symptoms recover more slowly.

Mechanism

Some scientists are convinced that panic syndrome occurs against a background of a chemical imbalance in the limbic system and one of its regulatory chemical elements, GABA-A. When GABA-A synthesis slows down, the tonsils “receive” false information, according to which our body reacts to stress (the so-called “adaptive anti-stress reaction of reactivation”), against which physiological symptoms appear, which subsequently lead to the development of a mental disorder. Clonazepam, an anti-convulsive benzodiazepine with a long half-life from the body, effectively inhibits the progression of these symptoms (in other words, blocks them). Recently, scientists have begun to distinguish between mediators and moderators of various aspects of panic syndrome. One of these mediators is the partial pressure of carbon dioxide, which serves as an "intermediate" between patients with panic syndrome, who learn to breathe correctly, and their degree of anxiety; thus, when performing breathing exercises, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the arterial blood is influenced, and this makes the person less restless. Another mediator is hypochondria (the “connecting link” between anxiety and panic symptoms); thus, when a person is anxious, hypochondria appears, which in turn affects the symptoms of panic syndrome. Tangible threat avoidance, which regulates the relationship between anxiety and agoraphobia, is one of the moderators of panic disorder; thus, the severity of this indicator determines the potential severity of agoraphobia, which develops as a result of increased anxiety. Another regulator of panic syndrome (recently discovered) is the genetic variability of the gene containing the galanin gene code; variations in this gene regulate the relationship between panic disorder in women and the "severity" of symptoms.

Diagnosis

The JEM-IV-TR handbook states that diagnostic criteria panic syndrome are sudden, periodic panic attacks, followed by "characteristic behavior" (at least one "outbreak" per month), constant fear of new panic attacks or their consequences. There are two types of panic disorder, with and without agoraphobia. A diagnosis is not made if the panic attacks are caused by a drug or medical condition, or if their symptoms are more similar to those of other mental disorders.

Treatment

Panic syndrome presents a serious threat for human health, but it is successfully treated, although there is no “universal” medicine in this case. Today, there is an urgent need to find drugs and treatment methods that would maximally (as far as possible) eradicate this ailment and effectively fight relapses. Alternative treatments for panic syndrome include cognitive behavioral therapy and “positive self-talk” (often used by “alarmists”). According to some reports, 85-90% of patients treated with CBT recover completely (within 12 weeks). If CBT does not help, then "comes" to the rescue. drug treatment, which, first of all, consists in taking SSRIs.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy aims to subtly force a person to ignore stimuli that make a person feel anxious and anxious. The authors of this technique believe that when faced “face to face” with the very cause of anxiety, a person “sweeps aside” some of the irrational fears that previously made him panic. Each session begins with relaxing breathing exercises, followed by changes in physical sensations (as anxiety begins to "penetrate" the cells of the body). For many people, keeping a special “journal” is a good motivation. In other cases, therapists may "impose" a feeling of anxiety on the patient in order to understand the very essence of the problem (to get to the root of the problem). Associated factors such as clinical depression, personality disorders, and alcoholism often make this type of treatment ineffective. As with many mental health conditions, support from family and friends is essential to speed recovery. Often, when a person suddenly has another attack of unexplained panic, someone close to him (who is "aware" of the problem) helps him. More serious and active treatment involves visiting special "support groups", thanks to which a person understands the cause of his panic and it becomes much easier for him to "pull himself together." Two reputable organizations in the fight against panic disorder (American Psychiatric Association and American Medical Association) at early stages diseases recommend cognitive behavioral therapy or one of the varieties of psychopharmacological therapy. According to some reports, combination therapy is especially effective. Alternatively, a person can help themselves on their own, provided they are familiar with the principles of CBT. He can get the necessary instructions from a book or a website, while absentee support from the attending physician (via e-mail, SMS, etc.) is not excluded. According to a systems analysis of this type of therapy, scientists have found that sites, books, and other CBT materials do help some people. Panic disorders and social phobia are best studied in this context.

Psychotherapy

Panic syndrome is different from phobias, although the latter is usually a consequence of PS. CBT and one of the types of psychodynamic psychotherapy are especially effective (this has been proven in the course of a number of experiments) in the treatment of PS with / without agoraphobia (and). Based on the results of a series of randomized clinical tests, the scientists concluded that in the case of CBT, a complete cure occurs in 70-90% of patients (as of 2 years after the end of therapy). If we consider the problem in a clinical aspect, then often good results Combination therapy (psychotherapy + drug treatment) helps to achieve, however, the results of research in this area are not so impressive. Against the background of combination therapy in patients, the first improvements are observed already 6-8 weeks after the start of treatment. Psychotherapy increases the effectiveness of drugs by reducing the likelihood of relapse in people who stop taking drugs, and also helps people who are immune to the effects of drugs. CBT aims to help the patient change their thoughts, thereby blocking the anxious thoughts that provoke panic. In the course of one of the studies (with a control group), scientists came to the conclusion that in 87% of cases the method of interconceptual therapy is effective, during which specialists deliberately cause panic symptoms in the patient, allowing them to manifest themselves in a "safe environment" (under the supervision of a specialist) ... Induction of symptoms usually takes one minute. Symptoms:

deliberate hyperventilation of the lungs - gives rise to light-headedness, derealization, defocused vision, dizziness;

rotation on a chair - dizziness, disorientation in space;

breathing through the tube - shortness of breath, narrowing of the airways;

holding your breath - creates a feeling as if a person is suffocating;

running on the spot - heart palpitations, respiration, perspiration;

squeezing the body - creates a feeling of tension and alertness.

The basic principle of the "induction" method is to perform exercises, after which the person develops panic attack symptoms, although none of the above symptoms reflects the essence of a panic attack, which is a real heartbreaking panic. Induction of symptoms should be carried out 3-5 times a day, until the patient's disturbing associations with these symptoms disappear. Treatment often lasts for weeks. Repetitions allow a person to get used to the inner feeling of the absence of fear, after which (if no serious complications have arisen) the brain (hippocampus and amygdala) "remembers" that there is no need to be afraid (in response to the above impulses), while the sympathetic nervous system is partially deactivated. And yet, in real life Panic can build up whether a person is afraid of certain symptoms or not. For example, you may not be afraid of a rapid heart rate, hyperventilation, or derealization, but panic (as you know, panic gives rise to other symptoms of PS). Psychiatrists want to get their patients to accept their panic attacks calmly, which is not so easy and requires unlimited mind control and should not affect the patient's level (and lifestyle). At the same time, there is a real threat of loss of consciousness due to hyperventilation of the lungs, heart attack with rapid heartbeat, insanity against the background of derealization, etc. Patients with PS accompanied by agoraphobia are helped by traditional cognitive therapy, during which the “alarmist-agoraphobe”, together with his attending physician, gradually “plunges” into the true cause of the panic. Another clinically effective form of psychotherapy is psychodynamic psychotherapy, which focuses on panic, in particular addiction and its role in the development of PS, fear of separation and anger. The adherents of this theory believe that due to biochemical vulnerability and / or early psychological "trauma", people with PS are afraid of independence and depend on other people who, in their opinion, are able to protect them, which often translates into fear of separation and defensive anger. First, the stress factors that give rise to panic attacks are identified, after which the psychodynamics of "conflicts" preceding PS and "defense mechanisms" (with the help of which a person tries to isolate themselves from everyone) are analyzed, with special emphasis on transfer and fear of separation, which lie at the heart of the doctor-patient relationship. Comparative clinical studies have shown that techniques such as total muscle relaxation and breathing exercises do not achieve the desired effect in the fight against panic attacks. What's more, breathing exercises often increase the risk of relapse. Help qualified specialist will help avoid panic attacks, or at least make them less "acute" and frequent, thereby helping a huge number of people with panic syndrome. Of course, relapses are possible, but they are also effectively treated. F.J. Van Apeldoorn and colleagues (2011) have shown that combination therapy (SSRI + CBT) has an additive effect. Gloucester and colleagues (2011) continued to analyze the role of therapist in CBT. They blindly divided patients into two groups: those who received CBT under the supervision of a therapist, and those who received CBT on their own, following instructions. Scientists noticed that the first group responded faster to treatment, but the positive effect of CBT (relief of PS symptoms) in both groups was approximately the same. This discovery justified the need for CBT programs specifically designed for people who cannot use the services of a personal therapist for financial or geographical reasons (in some places there are no CBT centers). Kozitsky and colleagues (2011) analyzed the effectiveness of self-directed CBT (SPCT) using the example of situations in which the patient does not have the opportunity to see a therapist. Their research suggests that SCBT (in combination with SSRIs) can be as effective as GP-controlled CBT (+ SSRIs). Each of the above studies, in one way or another, contributed to the development of a new research era, when the methods of treatment are becoming much more accessible and simpler.

Drug treatment

Panic syndrome is effectively treated with certain medications. First of all, we are talking about selective inhibitors reuptake of serotonin, which, unlike benzodiazepines, do not cause addiction, dependence (and an overdose is not dangerous). While there is little evidence to suggest that medication has a direct effect on phobias, there have been several successful studies suggesting that medication for panic attacks greatly facilitates the treatment of phobias. The list of medicines includes:

Other treatments

Some people stop worrying and panicking after quitting caffeine. However, among the withdrawal symptoms, increased anxiety is often manifested, which then disappears.

Epidemiology

Panic syndrome usually appears in adolescence; about half of the “alarmists” got sick before the age of 24, especially those who had psychological trauma in childhood. And, nevertheless, according to some reports, PS is most often manifested at the age of 25-30 years. Women are twice as likely to develop PS as men. Panic disorder can sometimes last for months or even years, depending on when the person begins treatment and the treatments. If left untreated, PS can take on extremely acute forms when a person is constantly overcome by panic attacks, and he manically tries to avoid it, which is fraught with insanity. Moreover, many people, against the background of the struggle with this ailment, begin to deteriorate relations with relatives and friends, they lose their jobs, etc. Many "alarmists" hide from everyone that they are sick, fearing that they will be "branded" as feeble-minded. In some cases, symptoms appear regularly over several months or even years, followed by a "quiet period". Sometimes the severity of symptoms does not change throughout the disease. According to some reports, many "alarmists" (especially those who got sick in childhood) with age, the symptoms stop (for example, after 50 years). In 2000, the World Health Organization established that the incidence rate of PS in different countries very similar. In terms of age, the incidence per 100,000 people ranges from 309 (Africa) to 330 (East Asia) for men and from 613 (Africa) to 649 (North America, Oceania and Europe) for women.

Panic syndrome in children

In a retrospective study, 40% of adults with panic syndrome admitted to having the disease before the age of 20. In an article on the phenomenon of adolescent PS, Dailer et al. (2004) concluded that it was only in recent years that they began to talk about this phenomenon. The results of relevant studies indicate that the symptoms of juvenile panic disorder almost completely duplicate the symptoms of an adult (in particular, heart palpitations, sweating, tremors, hot flashes, nausea, abdominal pain and "coldness on the skin"). In adults, panic disorder can coexist with many others mental illness... The same comorbidities are found in children with juvenile PS. Last and Strauss (1989) conducted an experiment with a group of 17 adolescents with panic disorder, during which they concluded that among the comorbidities of PS, anxiety disorders, clinical depression and conduct disorders are mainly found. Issau et al (1999) also found a high rate of comorbidities in an experiment with local adolescents with panic attacks or juvenile PS. Within the group, the following comorbidities were identified: clinical depression (80%), dysthymic disorder (40%), general anxiety disorder (40%), somatoform disorders (40%), drug addiction (40%), and specific phobias (20%). Based on these data, Dailer et al (2004) conducted their study, during which similar results were obtained (42 adolescents with juvenile PS were participants in the experiment). In contrast to children with non-panic anxiety disorders, “alarmists” are more at risk of developing clinical depression and bipolar disorder. Children differ from adolescents and adults in terms of the perception of the surrounding reality and the expression of their feelings and emotions. As in adults, children with juvenile PS have physical symptoms, such as rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, nausea and abdominal pain, dizziness and even loss of consciousness. In addition, children often have cognitive symptoms of PS, including fear of death, feelings of self-alienation, fear of losing control and going crazy, but they are unable to speak out their fears that are beyond their understanding. They just know that they are very afraid of something. Children can only describe the physical symptoms of panic disorder. Parents often "give up" at the sight of the suffering of their beloved child. However, it is the parents who can help give a name to this or that fear and make the child stop being afraid of it. The role of parents in treating children diagnosed with panic disorder is illustrated in a study by McKay & Starch (2011). They distinguish several levels of parental involvement in the problem. First of all, you need to assess the whole situation. Parents, together with their children, are questioned about their attitude to this ailment and their expectations from treatment in the future, at the same time identifying the level of anxiety in the child and the situation in the family (how often conflicts occur, etc.). The second level implies the process of treatment itself, during which the therapist should meet with the family (as “one whole”) as often as possible. Ideally, all family members should have an understanding of, or better yet, receive training in CBT, as this will help the child rationalize and confront their fears “face to face” instead of “including” “emergency behavior”. McKay & Storch (2011) argue that for the treatment of PS in children to be more effective, parents must have the necessary set of therapies and see a therapist together. Despite the available data on the existence of the phenomenon of early panic disorder, the DDS-IV-TR lists only six types of mental disorders in children: separation anxiety disorder, general anxiety disorder, specific phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder (or social phobia) and post-traumatic stress. Panic is not on this list.

The emotional sphere of a person is rich and varied, and the orientation of dominant emotions depends on the characteristics of the neuropsychiatric system, reflexes of the body to internal and external factors and pathogens. The more stable a person's psyche, the more positive emotions in his life. However, negative reactions of the psychoemotional sphere, such as discontent, fear, irritation and disappointment, are inherent emotions of a person. Some people experience them and successfully forget, while for others the feeling of the experienced fear returns with regular repetition, worsening the quality of life.

Panic attacks can be managed without medication.

In this article, we will talk about panic, which can act not only as an ordinary negative emotion, but also be an indicator of serious malfunctions in the nervous, psychological and emotional spheres of the body. Consider what panic attacks are, their symptoms and treatment, why they don't bother some people and cause significant discomfort to others.

Causes of Panic Attacks

There is not a single person on the globe who has not experienced a feeling of fear at least once in his life. With this protective reflex, the body responds to any inexplicable, unknown, dangerous or alarming phenomenon. Most often, the feeling of fear disappears without a trace, as soon as negative stimuli disappear, a person realizes that he is safe. Such precedents are considered an adequate response of the body to negative situations, explained by the standard instinct of self-preservation, which works in unforeseen conditions.

Another thing is when fear begins to haunt a person, manifesting itself systematically again after the experienced situation. Each time, such reactions of the body are often more intense, they are formed unmotivated, and fear from an ordinary emotion turns into a panic attack.

Panic influxes of fear significantly worsen the quality of life of a sick person who is afraid to endure an attack again, feels insecure, begins to fear for his physiological state, and sometimes even thinks that he is simply “going crazy”. Why then some people can experience stress and forget about it forever, while life returns others again and again to a previously experienced state. Despite the insufficient study of the effect of panic, scientists identify several types of reasons that are the reason for the recurrence of panic attacks: factors of a physiological, psychological and social nature.

The causes of panic attacks of a physiological or somatic class are considered the most explainable and rational precedents. Fear of the somatic type evolves against the background of a person's existing diseases, which are classified as intractable or chronic ailments. In such a situation, the patient begins to fear for his life, thoughts about his health do not go out of his head, and the body, through an excess of negative emotions, is protected by panic counteraction. The most common physiological pathologies that can systematically cause panic fear are complex heart disease, hormonal changes in the body, or uncontrolled intake of drugs with a large number of side effects.

Psychological reasons can also be factors in the occurrence of causeless panic. Such factors include phobias, serious mental disorders, which include paranoia or schizophrenia, and regular depression. And also a panic attack can evolve against the background of a previously experienced dangerous situation that led to injury. In this case, the person has a fear of going through an unpleasant precedent again, and an attack of panic progresses under conditions that at least minimally remind of the experience.

For reasons of a social nature, include fear of an important task ahead, fear of failure or failure, ridicule from others. Often, panic fear against the background of social factors progresses in adolescents, who are more emotionally only learning to adapt to the volatility and troubles of society and idealize the opinion of their peers.

Panic attack symptoms

To understand that it is panic attacks that haunt a person, and not ordinary fear, as a standard reaction to negative factors, it is important to know the symptomatology that indicates pathology. The symptoms of the disease, like the causes, are classified by medicine into several types, depending on which area of \u200b\u200bthe body is most affected during periods of attacks. Figuratively, the severity of the disease is divided into the following categories: mental signs, physiological consequences, hidden or masking symptoms. Symptoms of the physiological class are manifested most often against the background of multiple diseases. The most common symptoms of panic attacks in this category are:

1. From the side of the heart and vascular systems may manifest as a feeling of lack of air, shortness of breath, pain in the region of the heart, headaches or dizziness.
2. Excessive sweating, which is accompanied by a feeling of heat or flashes of cold.
3. Discomfort from the gastrointestinal tract is most often manifested by nausea, often with bouts of vomiting, stool disorder.
4. Frequent urination.
5. Feeling of dry mouth.

Physiological symptoms most often appear spontaneously and disappear after a few minutes. The following symptoms are most often the psychological signs of panic:

1. Unexplained feeling of anxiety or life-threatening danger.
2. Desire to disappear, hide in a secluded place.
3. Deformation of the perception of the surrounding world, a feeling of detachment from what is happening.
4. Numbness of the body, inability to move.

Such symptoms can appear against the background of a previous nervous shock or in conditions that remind a person of negative, previously experienced precedents. The most rare is the symptomatology of a camouflaged panic attack. In such situations, the manifested panic can be recognized by temporary, complete or partial loss of hearing, voice or vision, impaired coordination, convulsive states. An important point is that during such attacks, a person may not feel unpleasant emotions, and the symptoms are not accompanied by the usual fear or a sense of danger.

If a person has more than four symptoms at the same time, which are described above, then it is most likely that his panic attack has intensified. This condition requires an obligatory appeal to specialists to diagnose and eliminate the problem, since, according to statistics, such attacks tend to recur with a high frequency, negatively affecting the quality of life. Without rational treatment, people withdraw into themselves, try to avoid society, and sometimes they may even have suicidal thoughts.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of any psychological and neurological disorders in medicine is based on the principle of excluding diseases that can provoke similar symptoms. Diagnosing panic attacks is no exception. Initially, the patient is sent for a variety of studies:

1. An electrocardiogram and ultrasound of the heart help weed out the presence of cardiac problems, or other abnormalities of the heart and blood vessels.
2. Examination of the brain using magnetic resonance imaging makes it possible to exclude the presence of neoplasms in the head, which can similarly affect the state of human health.
3. An ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs can detect or exclude the presence of epigastric bleeding.

Additionally, in order to make a diagnosis, the patient will need to be examined by narrow medical specialists, as well as consult a psychiatrist in order to exclude mental ailments.

If the above studies did not reveal specific pathologies of organs and systems, then the patient can be diagnosed with "panic attacks" under the following conditions:

1. The patient's complaints correspond to the symptoms of panic fear, the patient, when characterizing the precedent, describes more than four symptoms characteristic of the disease.
2. The attack was repeated more than once.
3. The attack is accompanied by emotions that quickly intensify from ordinary fear to the most complex internal discomfort.
4. The panic reflex lasts at least ten minutes.

Based on studies of the body and anamnesis of pathology, the patient is diagnosed, and the class of panic attacks is determined, depending on which the methodology of treating the disease varies.

Classification

Medicine tends to classify panic attacks into several categories, depending on their causal determinism:

1. Spontaneous or spontaneous panic attacks are characterized by an unexplained occurrence that does not have any dynamism or conditioning. Fear in a person appears for no reason, it can occur in a calm mode and even during sleep. A psychotherapist deals with the treatment of an ailment of this class after excluding other pathologies in the body.
2. Situationally conditioned panic occurs in a person under certain conditions. Most often, fear progresses when a sick person gets into a situation that previously existed in his life, provoking an instability of the psyche. This can, for example, be the kind of fire after a fire experienced, fear of a confined space, or, conversely, getting into a crowded room. Such panic reactions are also treated by a psychotherapist, however, most often this is not preceded by an in-depth diagnosis of the body, the diagnosis is made almost immediately after the patient goes to the doctor.
3. Conditionally situational attacks of fear are based on the processes of biological or chemical influence on the body. Most often, panic attacks progress against the background of alcohol or drug abuse, radiation exposure, unauthorized use of potent drugs, hormonal disorders in the body. In such cases, the causal attachment of the emergence of syndromes, their dynamism is traced, and specialized specialists are involved in the treatment of this type of panic, in part of whom previous provocateurs have been identified.

Methodology for treating panic attacks

The dilemma of how to treat panic attacks is difficult not only for the average person, but also for the luminaries of medicine. The fact is that the relationship between the psychoemotional sphere of a person and his nervous system is not a fully studied science, it has many unproven and unexplored directions. When a person comes to a medical facility with a problem that does not imply obvious physiological abnormalities, then doctors, on the one hand, need to treat, since the symptoms indicate the presence of a disease, on the other hand, there is nothing to treat, because all organs are functioning normally.

In this situation and psychotherapists come to the rescue, which help a person with the help of special techniques to plunge into his inner world, understand the nature of fear, teach to live with it, or contribute to its awareness and overcoming.

Psychotherapeutic practice provides for the following techniques to deal with panic fears:

1. Individual conversations in order to establish psycho-emotional contact with the patient, to identify the cause of his fears.
2. Hypnosis different types is used by psychotherapists to return a person to a situation that provoked stress, and to find solutions to this problem.
3. Inclusion of the patient in group sessions where people with identical fears meet. With the help of special techniques and exercises, collectively patients under the guidance of a doctor learn to cope with panic situations, adapt, and correctly perceive the inner world and external factors.

Sometimes doctors use drug therapy along with psychological tactics. In nature, there is no single cure for panic attacks, so the patient can be prescribed means, the impact of which is focused on eliminating the symptoms of fear. Most often, in order to get rid of panic attacks, sedatives are prescribed that stabilize the functioning of the nervous system; in more difficult situations, tranquilizers or antidepressants can be prescribed to the patient, which reduce anxiety and block the progression of attacks.

It is important to understand that it is strictly forbidden to prescribe these categories of drugs on your own, since they have a lot of side reactions, and if the dosage is incorrect, they will only aggravate the state of health.

In addition, when taking tranquilizers or antidepressants, it is important to adhere to the diet recommended by doctors, as well as to categorically refuse alcohol, which can provoke relapses of pathology. A visit to a psychotherapist, adherence to the doctor's recommendations, with a parallel intake of drugs that block seizures, can stabilize the activity of a person's psycho-emotional sphere, reduce the number of new seizures.

Many people who suffer from ailments ask their doctor if it is possible to get rid of panic attacks forever? No doctor can give a definite answer to this question. In most cases, everything depends not on the doctor, even if he has vast experience in working with such pathologies, but on the patient himself. Only the patient's great desire to overcome panic, the desire for recovery can guarantee his complete elimination of the problem. In addition, it is important for the patient to independently work on himself and his psyche, to maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to achieve the desired results.

How to deal with panic attacks on your own?

A specialist can help to overcome the outbreak of a panic attack that happened in the doctor's office, however, as practice shows, such precedents most often arise spontaneously, when they are not expected. Most often in such situations there is no qualified psychotherapist nearby. In order to eradicate completely unexplained attacks of fear, it is important to understand how to deal with panic attacks on your own.

To do this, you need to be psychologically and morally prepared for the next attack, to adequately understand that a panic attack is not a fatal precedent, it does not pose a serious threat. During the start of a panic attack, the patient perceives everything that happens to him, can control his actions, because his correct reaction to fear can block the further development of the attack.

The main rule of stabilizing your condition is to maintain external and internal calmness. How can this be done when fear fills the entire body? First of all, you need to take a comfortable position, if possible, preferably to lie down, in the absence of such an option, you can simply sit down more comfortably. Next, you need to try to relax your body and carry out several long deep breaths and exhalations.

Rinsing your face, hands and neck with cool water will help combat panic attacks. You can also drink a small amount of cool, sweetened water. Such procedures quickly return a person to reality. It helps to overcome fear on your own at the initial stages by switching your attention to any surrounding objects: for this purpose, you can simply start counting the buttons on your clothes or recite a verse you have learned by heart to yourself.

In order to prevent new attacks, you can master meditation techniques, start playing sports and monitor your daily routine, in particular, devote enough time to rest, go to bed at the same time, no later than ten o'clock in the evening.

Positive emotions have a beneficial effect on the body and displace negative psychological states. Pleasant communication is an excellent alternative for people with a tendency to anxiety attacks, an opportunity to overcome the panic and loneliness that provokes it.

Rational breathing at the time of an attack helps to successfully overcome the oncoming fear. From a physiological point of view, this fact is explained by the fact that with an intensification of fear, a person begins to breathe hastily, this provokes hyperventilation of the lungs, which results in oxygen starvation, which causes an increase in anxiety. Often, the onset of an attack makes itself felt by the symptomatology of a sensation of a lump in the throat, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath. In the first few minutes, a person can control their behavior, therefore it is important to know what to do at the moment of a panic attack in order to start taking effective measures and prevent loss of composure.

The most popular and effective breathing exercisesthat help to overcome the growing panic are:

1. Lie on a horizontal hard surface, put your hands on your stomach in order to more clearly feel the periods of air intake and exit. It is important to focus on each inhalation and exhalation. We must try to take deep, drawn-out breaths, and the same duration of exhalation. Full slow breaths and exhales help restore normal heart rate, which has a positive effect on reducing fear.
2. You can complicate the task by taking deep breaths with an internal miscalculation up to four, and a leisurely exhalation under a countdown from four to one.
3. Next task: learn to synchronize breathing and heart rate. To do this, you need to feel your pulse, take a leisurely breath during the first four beats of the heart, the next four beats - a long full exhalation. Thus, a person begins to hear his body, to regulate not only breathing, but also the heartbeat, reducing the feeling of fear.

With breathing exercises it is important to breathe belly, and not the chest - this way the body is saturated with oxygen faster, and fear leaves the person. In addition, it is useful to practice such breathing practice not only at the onset of an attack, but also as a daily exercise, in order to improve the cardiovascular and nervous systems.

Phytotherapy

The question of how to deal with panic attacks is answered by herbal medicine as a separate branch of modern pharmacology. This method of treatment is based on the intake of decoctions of medicinal herbs that have a beneficial effect on the nervous system, preventing the occurrence of panic attacks. The most popular and effective herbs are mint and lemon balm, as well as linden inflorescences. They can be taken both in the form of one-component infusions, and in combination with other medicinal herbs.

The following recipes are most effective:

1. Linden flowers in the amount of one spoon must be poured with a glass of boiling water and insisted for ten minutes. You can drink with honey, no more than three times a day.
2. Mix fifty grams of lemon balm, lavender flowers, valerian and hawthorn fruits with chamomile flowers and angelica root, taken twenty grams each. Four tablespoons of the resulting mixture should be poured with a liter of boiling water and left to brew for a few minutes. Drink two hundred grams, twice a day.
3. Mix linden, lemon balm and hawthorn in equivalent proportion. Pour a spoonful of the mixture with a glass of boiling water and let it brew. Drink the prepared potion three times a day.
4. Mix chamomile, caraway seeds, marjoram and mint leaves. To prepare a drink, you need to take a spoonful of the herbal mixture in a glass of boiling water. The prepared potion must be consumed before eating, half a glass.

The phytotherapeutic treatment cycle must last at least one month to achieve the required effectiveness. Despite the relative safety of herbal treatment, before using decoctions and infusions, you must first consult with your doctor... Some herbs may not work well with prescribed medications.

Emotional help

Science has proven that an emotionally stable person will almost never be hostage to fear and panic. but modern life arranged in such a way that it boasts excellent emotional state and not everyone can be psychoneurologically stable. How to calm down during a panic attack, when the brain is absorbed by the surging negative emotions, how to force them out of the head?

There is no unambiguous technique for training the emotional sphere or a way out of this situation. Some doctors recommend reassuring yourself that it is not dangerous, it will soon pass, while others advise you to accept and realize a panic attack, thus, having experienced emotional stress, learn to no longer be afraid of it.

As for the emotional support of the patient from relatives or others, the situation is more straightforward. The patient must be supported with pleasant words, be near, in no case shout or escalate the situation. We must tell something pleasant, try to switch his attention, revive pleasant moments in his memory, try to bring a smile.

Folk remedies

Since fear and panic are manifested against the background of somatic and psychological changes in the body, most often people who are subject to regular attacks are ashamed to go to doctors, consider such precedents a sign of their inferiority, which is hard to say even to doctors. This perception of the problem forces patients to look for options on how to get rid of panic attacks using traditional means on their own.

Despite the proven effectiveness in treating many health problems, it is almost impossible to cope with panic attacks using only them. Of course, you can drink decoctions of herbs or their infusions, calming the nervous system, learn the correct breathing techniques on your own, regulate the daily routine, take baths with herbs that have a positive effect on the human nervous system. However, in a situation with panic attacks, such methods may not be enough, since the problem of panic outbreaks can hide in the deep subconscious of a person, and only a qualified specialist can help to get it, realize and perceive it adequately.

Let's sum up

The modern rhythm of life and the unstable socio-economic situation are often the reasons for the development of psycho-emotional instability in a person, against which panic attacks can evolve. Panic attacks refer to pathologies that are safe for human life. Despite this, the ailment requires compulsory treatment, since it tends to significantly aggravate the quality of life, being reflected in all its areas. The earlier you turn to a psychotherapist, the easier it will be to cope with attacks, to prevent their recurrence.

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Terrifying Panic Attacks: Methods of Getting Rid of

A sudden feeling of anxiety and fear of death, a feeling as if the heart is jumping out of the chest, lack of air and internal trembling, and most importantly - all this without apparent reasons... This is how an attack of a panic attack manifests itself - a condition that brings a lot of inconvenience and affects the quality of a person's life.

What it is

A panic attack is an unreasonable, debilitating attack of panic or anxiety, accompanied by a feeling of fear and various physiological symptoms.

To understand how a person feels at such moments, imagine the situation. You are walking down the street and suddenly you notice that a huge dog is rushing at you in a frantic rhythm. On his face there is an ominous grin, his gums are exposed and his huge sharp fangs are visible. Drool sprinkles in all directions, and his eyes are full of rage and anger. What are your feelings?

Of course, you will experience just incredible fear, you will feel that your heart has stopped, your legs have become cottony, sweat has appeared on your forehead. The same is true for people experiencing a panic attack. But there is a colossal difference between you and them: in your case, there is a real threat to life, while for them there is no objective danger. That is, their fears are not supported by anything.

However, this is only at first glance, such individuals can say that the attack began suddenly. In a further conversation with them, it turns out that the panic was preceded by travel in an elevator or public transport, being in a place with a large crowd of people or on an airplane, or other similar reasons.

The concept of "panic" originates from the name of the god Pan - the lord of the fields, forests and herds. According to legend, he suddenly appeared in front of a man all in wool and with goat legs, plunging the latter into irrepressible fear. A man started to run, not knowing where, along the edge of the cliff, not realizing that flight could also threaten death.

In the literature, you can find the concepts of a vegetative or sympathoadrenal crisis, cardioneurosis. They are synonymous with the term panic attack.

Why does a panic attack happen?

Until the end, the reasons for this condition have not been clarified. There are many prerequisites and provoking factors that can theoretically cause this hypertrophied feeling of anxiety.

They are divided into biological, psychological and physiological.

Biological reasons include:

• hormonal changes during puberty, menopause, childbirth;
• the beginning of a sexual life;
• violation of the menstrual cycle;
• heredity.

Panic attacks develop against the background of certain disorders:

• pheochromocytoma - hormonal tumor;
• psychosomatic disorders;
• phobias;
• depression;
• post-traumatic stress disorder;
• endocrine diseases;
• pathology of the heart.

The psychological precursors of the state are:

• acute stress - death loved one, divorce, any negative sudden situation;
• identification or opposition of oneself to any subject - the hero of a film, book, etc .;
• isolation from society;
• character traits;
• children's experience.

As for the character traits, most often panic attacks accompany women with a hysterical, demonstrative personality type. They constantly attract attention and crave recognition. Such women are often the owners of an extravagant appearance, are mincing and very expressive. If they notice that they are not of interest to the "victim", very quickly switch to another object.

Men suffering from this ailment exhibit traits called health hypochondria. They are very concerned about their appearance and always strive to look perfect.

The stresses suffered in childhood also contribute to the development of anxiety attacks already at a conscious age. One of frequent reasons becomes alcoholism in the family, provoking situations of aggression. It could be a fight, a risk of murder. The situation becomes so dire that one has to flee home, often at night. At the same time, fear is fixed, and in adulthood, in similar situations, it is repeated in such an impartial manner, amplified several times.

Another example is families where children grow up in conditions of emotional poverty and coldness. When parents or a parent (if we are talking about an incomplete family) are so passionate about themselves and their work that they simply do not get their hands on the child. Or in the case when someone close to him suffers from a serious illness - everything revolves around the sick person, and the child is simply forgotten.

Emotional coldness towards the child is present where too great demands are made on him. At the same time, parents can keep the child under super control, but, at the same time, not show warmth and kindness towards him. Adults who have grown up under these circumstances constantly seek approval and emotional support. Their resistance to stress is significantly reduced.

The third model of family behavior is the opposite of the previous one and is based on overprotection of the child. At the same time, parents are constantly worried about his condition, regarding any situation as potentially dangerous. They control literally all spheres of their "blood", try to accompany him everywhere. By doing this, they support the child's infantilism, which leads to difficulties in social adaptation.

Constant conflicts in the family bring up emotional lability in the child. The inability to influence the situation provokes confidence in one's helplessness.

Any of the above models lead to the fact that such a child grows into an adult, emotionally unstable, insecure, hardly interacting with society. This reduces his resistance to stress, exposing him to all kinds of mental disorders.

In addition to family conflicts, the development of panic attack syndrome is facilitated by violence experienced in childhood, sexual or physical.

The physiological factors that trigger an attack include abuse alcoholic beverages and psychostimulants, physical overwork, weather changes, excess solar radiation.

The incredibly talented actor Johnny Depp suffers from panic attacks. According to him, since childhood, he experiences anxiety in any non-standard situation. And the choice of his eccentric roles is nothing more than an attempt to hide his essence in front of millions of viewers.

Symptoms of the syndrome

A panic attack usually develops suddenly. And he can find the patient anywhere, at any time of the day. Its manifestations are different: from unrestrained, excruciating feelings of fear and anxiety to internal discomfort. A panic attack with mild symptoms is called "panic without panic." In this case, physiological symptoms dominate.

The attack may last only a few minutes, in other cases it lasts several hours. But on average, its duration is 20-30 minutes. PAs are repeated in one situation with a frequency of 1-2 times a day, in others - several times a month. Having experienced such sensations for the first time, a person retains a memory of them for life.

There is an incredible accident when a patient is exposed to seizures only a couple of times in his entire life. They disappear without a trace, presumably after the termination of the stress factor.

A panic attack is accompanied by the following symptoms:

Psychological	Physiological (vegetative)
panic and extreme anxiety; fear of death; confused thinking; feeling as if a lump is stuck in the throat; numbness; lack of adequate perception of reality; violation of self-perception; the patient believes that he is going crazy; loses control of his actions; confusion in the head;	tachycardia, palpitations; chills and fever; tremors of the limbs and internal tremors; shortness of breath and shortness of breath; heavy breathing, choking attack; chest pain; nausea and problems with stools; paresthesia of the limbs; frequent urge to urinate; limb cramps; blood pressure surges; change of gait; visual and auditory dysfunctions; hysterical arc;

The first case of panic attack is expressed by an overwhelming fear of dying. Its power is so powerful that it can bring the patient to a state of passion. In subsequent cases, the feeling of imminent death is transformed into a certain phobia. This may be a fear of going crazy, choking, etc.

There are situations when the condition is not accompanied by an anxiety-phobic complex. Come to the fore emotional symptoms: apathy, feeling of uselessness, aggression, nervousness.

After paroxysm, patients feel exhausted and overwhelmed.

Most often, panic attacks occur between the ages of 25-50. About 5% of humanity suffers from pathology. And what is interesting, mainly residents of large cities. In old age, such paroxysms rarely occur, are worn out and become remnants of attacks that happened in youth.

Those who have experienced such a state at least once in their lives describe it with horror and excitement.

For example, a girl had a seizure when she was driving in a car with her husband and child. There was a feeling of lack of air, unreal horror creeped from head to toe. In an instant, there was a desire to open the door and jump out of the salon. Restrained by a busy highway.

Another patient was overcome with fear at the appearance of certain sounds. There was a nasty tingling sensation in the palms. Excitement rolls over, from which thoughts are confused and language is taken away.

The woman described the manifestations of her husband's panic attack when they walked in the park and talked about a relative who had recently had a heart attack. She noticed that suddenly her husband's arms and shoulders began to shake. He covered with sweat, he even dripped off. The face turned pale, practically stopped breathing (could not breathe), the look was wandering and unconscious. The man was sure he was dying. It took almost 2 hours to get home, while it usually took 20 minutes. He constantly stopped, sat on the ground, and the attack was repeated.

Development mechanism

No one can reliably explain the pathogenesis of a panic attack. But there is a theory that negative thoughts are triggered when they accidentally visit a person. Their action, akin to an objective threat, provokes the release of adrenaline and similar substances. They constrict blood vessels, cause increased heart rate and respiration. Blood pressure rises, and even those who, in principle, do not suffer from this, the indicators reach 200 mm Hg. Art.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the blood decreases, the symptoms of hyperventilation, that is, breathing disorders, increase. The receptors that cause excitement are stimulated, and those that are responsible for inhibition are blocked. Thus, there is an increase in anxiety and panic symptoms, a sense of fear.

Many patients suffering from this ailment are very afraid of losing consciousness. But in a panic crisis, this is unlikely. All of its developmental mechanisms suggest otherwise. In this state, the unconditioned "fight or flight" reflex is activated, accompanying the frightening situation. Besides high blood pressure and an intense heartbeat just won't let you do it.

The fear of fainting can make the patient feel numb and dizzy. They are confusing.

Night PA

A panic attack can catch a person at any moment, even at night. At night, in silence and in the dark, when the patient has nothing to distract from, he concentrates on his thoughts of a various nature, including negative ones.

Another reason is nightmares. But do not confuse the attack itself and the terrifying dream. Paroxysm develops after being seen nightmare... And it is impossible to forget it, unlike a dream.

If we are talking about panic attacks of falling asleep, then they most often occur between 00.00-4.00 in the morning. An attack can also wake up its victim in the midst of sleep.

Nighttime PA significantly undermines human health. He suffers from sleep disorders, usually insomnia or trouble falling asleep.

Not getting enough rest at night provokes headache, chronic fatigue in the afternoon. The productive activity of the patient decreases. He becomes nervous, irritable. The mood becomes depressive.

The symptoms of nocturnal attacks mimic the typical manifestations of the condition and also contribute to the development of phobias. So, after the death of her father, the girl developed panic attacks. She noted that she had respiratory cramps at night. Often there was a thought that he might not wake up. She even asked her acquaintances to call in the morning to check if she was alive.

If a person during a nighttime paroxysm feels disconnected from reality, does not understand what is happening to him, then this feeling persists during the day. The exhausted nervous system, which did not have time to recover overnight, does not perceive objective reality. The patient does not understand who he is and what is happening to him.

An awakening panic attack hits early in the morning. The patient wakes up from a sudden and bursting feeling of anxiety. Gradually, other symptoms join it. Naturally, the person no longer manages to fall asleep, and he feels exhausted and not rested.

How to recognize a disease

Panic attacks, given the variety of its somatic symptoms, can disguise themselves as various organ diseases.

Most often, it seems to the patient that he was overtaken by a heart attack. Discomfort in the region of the heart is one of the most frequent symptoms of “alarmists”. They feel pain and tingling in the chest on the left side, palpitations. There is a pressing feeling, the heart seems to stop. But the usual ECG, echocardiography, ultrasound of the heart, 24-hour ECG and blood pressure monitoring can exclude heart disease.

As for tachycardia, it is indeed present. But this is due to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system as a result of stress.

Another common condition that the patient suspects is a stroke. Headaches, increased pressure, paresthesias in the form of tingling in the limbs, as well as a change in gait, confuse him. The person is very frightened and even calls himself an ambulance.

The unreal fear that accompanies the patient with the attack tears him away from reality. A person is lost in space, does not perceive the environment. He fears that he will cease to control himself and will do something unacceptable. It seems to him that he is going crazy. Because of this, such patients often have a fear that he is developing a mental disorder. Although mental problems can really appear. They are a consequence of the disorder.

Increased concern about their health causes the development of hypochondria in such a patient. He constantly visits all kinds of doctors, takes a whole bunch of tests. When specialists try to explain to him that the reason for his bodily discomfort is more psychological than physiological, they get irritated. And they go to another doctor in the hope that he will help them and get to the bottom of it.

Against the background of the disorder, depressive thoughts appear, since a person is really seriously concerned about his condition and does not know how to help himself.

Agoraphobia - fear of open spaces or a certain place, literally "fear of the market square" can also become a complication of a panic attack. If the patient associates its occurrence with a certain place, then in the future he will avoid visiting him. A person may even be afraid to leave the house so as not to experience this excruciating feeling again.

Incessant, complicated attacks of PA can develop into panic disorder. To establish a diagnosis, the following criteria must be met:

An important symptom of panic disorder is the constant expectation of another attack. In addition, the absence of the influence of psychostimulating substances (drugs, alcohol) is taken into account. Phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder are excluded.

To confirm that the patient is really experiencing an attack of PA, and does not suffer from some real disease of the internal organs, the doctor is obliged to prescribe him a series of examinations:

• ECG, ECG - monitoring; EEG;
• Ultrasound of the heart and other organs;
• radiography;
• CT, MRI;
• examination of the stomach;
• blood test: KLA, liver function tests, for hormones:
• consultation of narrow specialists.

help yourself

The moment you have an attack, it is very difficult to control yourself. But you can try to pull yourself together and help yourself get rid of it quickly:

1. Get out into the fresh air or open windows, unbutton tight clothing. Pour cool water over your face.
2. It's important to switch to breathing. Try to breathe deeply, slowly, and deeply. To raise the level of carbon dioxide in your blood, breathe into a bag or folded palms (imitate breathing into them while trying to warm).
3. Try to think of something positive or talk to someone. Try to count to 100, or count passing cars, trees, if fear caught you in traffic or on the street. All of this helps to shift attention away from anxious feelings. If a certain place is the cause of the alarm, hurry to leave it.
4. To stabilize your body, rest your hands on a stable surface or press the floor with your feet. This position will give you a sense of confidence and control.
5. Keep telling yourself that this is all over now. The resulting anxiety will not harm you, it is just a figment of your imagination.

If you witness an attack from someone, you can help the person deal with the problem. The main thing: do not panic yourself! You must be calm. And set an example for him with his calmness.

Talk to him, hug him by the shoulder or squeeze his hand. Show how to breathe properly. If conditions permit, give the person water or warm tea.

The main thing is not to get lost in this situation. Remember, your behavior can greatly alleviate the alarmist state.

How to eradicate the disease

Treatment for PA begins with acknowledging your condition and realizing that the person really needs medical attention. After contacting a doctor and excluding them from real diseases, he can prescribe a consultation with a neurologist, psychologist or psychiatrist.

Condition therapy combines medication and psychotherapeutic treatment.

From medicines are prescribed:

1. Sedatives. They are quite effective, but only for mild seizures. They are based on herbs and have a low concentration of active ingredients. Tinctures begin to act faster than tablet forms.
2. Antidepressants (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) for 6 months.
3. Tranquilizers. Show several effects: anti-anxiety, sedative, hypnotic, anticonvulsant, antispasmodic, vegetative-stabilizing, eliminate fear. The course of treatment is 2 weeks, no more, so as not to cause addiction.
4. Antipsychotics. Used as adjunctive therapy. They relieve psychomotor agitation, eliminate fear, reduce sensitivity to stimuli.
5. Nootropic drugs. Stimulates the work of the central nervous system, activates mental activity. Improves cognitive functions: memory, attention. They are prescribed in combination with the main therapy.

Of the psychotherapy methods, cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most effective. During her sessions, the therapist will help her client to recreate the symptoms of PA in a safe environment, and after a while they will not seem so threatening to the person. The fear of being in a certain situation or place can also be overcome.

In addition, the patient will be able to understand the reasons for his anxiety and fears, learn to control them. For example, it happens that a patient receives a so-called secondary benefit from his condition. That is, the subconscious mind makes such tricks on purpose in order not to work, to attract attention, to receive care, etc. There can be a lot of reasons.

In addition to cognitive behavioral therapy, family and psychoanalysis are also used.

Both methods, both drug treatment and psychotherapy, are effective in their own way. The earlier therapy for panic attacks is started, the more likely it is to get rid of them once and for all.

There are some tricks that can help reduce the frequency of attacks, becoming a kind of prevention of the process. First, avoid taking substances that stimulate the nervous system: strong tea, coffee, alcohol, drugs. Secondly, you need to harmonize your nervous system, normalize the daily routine: get enough sleep, play sports, walk in the fresh air, eat right. Attend support groups for people with this type of disorder.

Last but not least, follow the treatment prescribed by your doctor.

Panic attacks will not lead you to death, but will significantly distort your existence. Most efficient method fight against them - early, on time started treatment. Do not put it off trying to overcome the disease on your own. Such attempts will only aggravate the process, transforming it into deeper and more severe disorders.

Panic attack (PA) - This is a sudden, intense attack of fear. This fear comes when you react to your thoughts in your head, and usually you react to these thoughts unconsciously.

PA is one of the worst sensations you can have among others.

If you have ever experienced these attacks, you know how it feels.

This attack breaks your reality and makes you perceive the world as completely out of your control.

Why and how they appear in our lives

How it all starts

All restless attacks and frustrations start with one thought.

How One Thought Causes Your Entire Body to React and Panic:

Let's look at the main symptoms of panic attacks and treat them at home.

What are the symptoms of PA, what does a person experience

Let's take a closer look at all 15 home remedies for panic attacks.

1. Realize that in a PA flash, the brain does not see the difference between reality and your disordered thoughts.

• Your brain does not know how to perceive the difference between thoughts. and objective reality.
  In the case of panic attacks, this is a disadvantage.
• Everything is real to the brain.
  Your brain cannot distinguish between real thoughts that you are concerned with from unreal ones.
• The moment a thought puts your body into panic, your brain cannot stop itself and say, "This is unreal." He perceives himself in a situation where "life or death" is at stake.
• It's just that our body and brain react in an unnecessarily beautiful accordance with our thoughts..
  For those experiencing these attacks, it is important to understand that we are not going crazy.

To stop panic attacks and their symptoms, you must find a way to stop the brain from sending signals to your body about a life-threatening situation and an emergency.

2. About medicines

We are not supporters of any medicinal sedatives.

Unless a person believes that this is the only thing that will cure him, then medications will help.

Because faith is the trump card for everything.

If you feel that anti-anxiety drugs are the only way to treat panic attacks and neurosis, then it's okay to go out and buy them.

But again, this is not a solution to the problem. The problem is in our head.

3. Give up alcohol and any stimulants

To treat panic attacks, the first thing you need to do is stop taking the following:

• sugar;
• coffee;
• alcohol.

It is especially contraindicated to use it for people suffering from VSD (vegetative vascular dystonia).

4. Brew yourself a tincture of soothing herbs, they will give temporary relief

Treatment of panic attacks with folk remedies can be done at the initial stage, when the attack is already very acute.

You can make an infusion of herbs.

They are available without a doctor's prescription.

Tincture can be made from the following herbs:

• mint leaves;
• lemon balm leaves;
• chamomile flowers;
• marjoram herb;
• motherwort grass;
• valerian root.

Of the above herbs, it is not recommended for pregnant women use herbs marjoram, lemon balm and mint.

Herbs will help you find only temporary harmony! Don't depend on them and use them every time you experience panic disorder.

Because the problem is in your head, and the herbal tinctures will only be a temporary plaster on your mental wound.

5. Particularly sensitive people should eat only healthy food and adhere to a diet

Some of us have a very sensitive nervous system. Don't make your sensitive system an enemy.

In this case, it will be better to make a choice to eat healthy foods and limit yourself from junk food.

Pros of eating healthy food:

• It will calm and strengthen your nervous system.
• You will create a permanent, robust ecosystem for your nervous system to thrive in without being bombarded.
• There will be no overloading of the nervous system with stimulants, which previously always caused fears and forced to react to everything external.

Because, most likely, you are still overloading your nervous system with all sorts of stimulants and because of this you experience these chronic fears.

Eat healthy food, and you will no longer be bothered by the symptoms of panic attacks and you will no longer need to treat them with folk remedies.

6. Exercise and Exercise Regularly

Exercise stimulates various chemicals in the brain that make you happier and more relaxed than you were before.

Exercise calms your nervous system.

Therefore, many people with anxiety disorders are addicted to exercise.

They know all about how to treat panic attacks and the benefits of exercise.

Examples of elementary exercises:

• hanging on the bar;
• feet shoulder-width apart, bend over and try to reach the toes with our hands;
• push-ups, a fist stand in a push-up position (for men);
• running and many others.

7. Sleep 8 hours a day

Why sleep is useful:

1. When you allow yourself to sleep, you release the resistance.
2. In a dream, you are in harmony and you are healthy, you start to flourish.
3. The nervous system is getting stronger.
4. You recover completely when you allow yourself enough sleep.

8. Never force things or try to avoid these feelings.

Trying to avoid or ignore a panic attack only reinforces it.

Many people do not know what to do at the moment of a panic attack and begin to resist it.

It will not work, it will only worsen everything.

What you strongly resist will only increase his influence.

For example, many people are very afraid of a fight and resist the moment, which worsens their condition. You should know all about if you find yourself in a similar situation.

9. Close your eyes and take 5 very deep breaths and hold your breath for 8-10 seconds

How to step by step through this helpful technique:

What are the advantages of the exercise:

• With PA, there is often not enough oxygen and breathing becomes difficult. Thanks to this technique, you will learn to permanently hold your breath evenly.
• Breathing evenly and calmly and focusing on it deactivates the panic and fear triggers.
• You will learn to remain in silence and be in harmony with it.

Do this exercise often, and gradually you will close your questions about how to deal with a panic attack.

10. Remind yourself out loud of your seizure and that it has appeared

This is another good method to help you deal with a panic attack to lessen its impact.

During the next attacks, remind yourself of what is happening.

You can say to yourself out loud, “ I have a panic attack now».

Why this method is useful:

• This will help get your brain out of catastrophic thinking and into reality.
• This is much better than desperately thinking that you are a situation that threatens your life.

11. Full acceptance, focus and immersion in the emotions and sensations of this panic fear

At first glance, this may seem counterintuitive.

But it will also help you learn all about how to treat panic attacks at home.

"Resisting the sensations only intensifies them!" - this is the law of vibrations in this universe. When you accept and allow yourself to experience a sense of panic fear without the slightest resistance, then its hold over you weakens.

Once again about the essence of this method:

• Focus fully on all these sensations.
• Fully embrace and immerse yourself in these emotions and feelings of panic attack.
• So, your perception will changeto the experience that subsequently changes the chemicals that our brain releases.

This will be your key towards freedom from panic attacks.

All disturbing sensations arise because they are meant to be noticed. And they should be noticed.

We also have a second article on our website, which tells in detail about the moment of the next attack.

12. Begin to describe how this feeling of panic in the body feels and ask it to increase.

1. Name and voice all the sensations that you experience in your body.
   For instance: « The feeling, you seem to me heavy and prickly, like metal. I can feel you trying to eat me ».
2. Now invite the feeling of panic to become even stronger and more unpleasant.for you. Ask him to become even more intense.

The second step will take away any remaining resistance that remains and close your questions about how to treat panic attacks and anxiety conditions.

Why this method is useful:

• This way, fear will no longer feed on mental resistance and will begin to dissipate.
• An inner confidence will begin to grow, which will tell you: "Now you are in control of the situation, and it is not the situation that controls you."

This is how a panic attack used to get to you. She used to convince you that you cannot control your own life.

13. Fully acknowledge and thank your frustration.

Ask yourself what the worrying feeling of panic is trying to tell you.

Recognize and notice your frustration... Acknowledge the fact that you hear, feel and understand these sensations.

Also realize that you should be grateful for feelings of panic!

You will never close your questions about how to treat panic attacks, anxiety and unreasonable fear if you constantly try not to notice them.

Thank them for the following facts:

• Your nervous system gives you a very complete and accurate response about the thoughts you are concerned about.
• Panic fears point out to you where you are weak and where you can improve.

On our website you can also treat depression forever at home.

14. Determine with what thought it all began and find evidence in the absurdity of this thought

1. Identify what your focus was on before panic attack.
2. Start looking for as much evidence as possible in absurdity this thought once you have identified the root of evil.
3. Now start distinguishing your true thoughts from your false ones and develop positive thinking. This way you will solve your questions about how to cure panic attacks.

Let's say, for example, I'm afraid to fly an airplane.

Let us analyze using the example of the fear of flying an airplane (1)

I find as many reasons as I can to destroy my fear of flying an airplane and support the idea that it is a pleasant and safe experience.

Examples of evidence of the absurdity of panic during flight:

• Airplanes are becoming safer every year.
• The pilots are specially trained for all kinds of emergencies and I am in good hands.
• All we hear about crashes in the news is one of hundreds of millions of successful flights every month.

An example of the absurdity of PA during pregnancy in women (2)

• No matter how the girl worries and thinks about pregnancy, this will not change anything and will not affect the course of events in the future.
• and pull yourself together. With her experiences, she only makes herself worse.
• Nobody cares about hurting a woman's child. She's completely safe. Only she herself is trying to harm herself with her unnecessary panics.
• All these cases about bad childbirth with a sad end are inspired by fairy tales from television and drama series that women love to watch.

15. Keep a journal of positive aspects of your problem situation and create a positive ecosystem of emotions

This method will tell you what to do if you are experiencing panic attack symptoms, and how to treat these ailments using the journal.

Positive Aspects Journal Is a magazine where you describe positively the subject of your fears or the activity that causes panic.

For example, take a panic attack situation when you are afraid to sail on a boat.

In this case, you are writing a whole list of positive aspects of boating. We write any thought that makes you feel better.

An example of panic while sailing on a boat

We write as much as possible all kinds of positive benefits of boating.

• It is an indescribable feeling to row the oars and set the speed and pace of movement of the boat on the water yourself.
• It's great when you can just relax, stop paddling and surrender to the flow of the river, which itself will carry you through the water.
• It's great when you can be both the captain and the sailor on your little ship with a friend.
• This is a cool adventure - to swim away from the coast with a fishing rod and swim to the unexplored islands, where there is still no civilization and large fish are found.

When the time comes to sail the boat, you will take a look at all the pros and tune in to positive emotions and feelings, instead of worsening your well-being in a downward spiral.

Can't experience panic attacks if you are focused on the positive.

Use all 15 methods, re-read the article again, and you will know all about how to treat a panic attack and what kind of outbreak it is that haunts many.

Conclusions and closing words

You always have the choice to maintain a powerful focus on the positive, or focus on what is causing you negative emotions and panic.

You make your own choice.

As painful as panic attacks are, your total inner strength is able to completely prevent their appearance.

Panic attacks bring many useful insights into your life!

Thanks to them, you find harmony with yourself and begin to live according to your true intentions.