If you are prone to sudden anxiety and your heart started pounding followed by difficulty in breathing due to fear. These are all symptoms of panic attack. Some more symptoms of panic attacks include:
- Choking sensitivity
- Hyperventilation or shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Nausea or upset stomach
- Tingling sensation
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Fear of dying or going crazy
After the panic attack you start feeling dizzy and sick. Panic attack results in withdrawing an individual from normal activities. Panic attacks can bother you any time, even when you are asleep, they don’t come with warning. But have a sigh of relief, fortunately panic attacks are curable if treated on time. A majority of panic attacks lasts for 20 to 30 minutes and could go for an hour.
An acute panic attack results in Anticipatory anxiety in which a patient feels anxious and tense. This anticipatory anxiety could be extremely disabling. People suffered with panic attacks start avoiding crowded places like shopping malls or sports complex. Further people start avoiding travelling in cars, subways, airplanes i.e. everything related to travel.
Treatment for panic attacks
Panic attacks can be treated successfully with the following ways:
One of the most sought after treatment to deal with panic attacks is cognitive behavioral therapy. This therapy focuses on the thinking patterns and behaviors. In this therapy fear is looked in a more realistic light. A patient is usually asked if you are travelling what is the worst that could happen. Patient is assured that nothing truly disastrous could happen.
In Exposure therapy a patient is asked to be involved in physical sensation, through different movement activities a person become less afraid and feel great control over any panic attack.