Almost everyone has suffered a panic attack at some point in their lives. It could have been simply a momentary fright or a longer lasting sense of being very, very scared for whatever reason, but the fact is that a panic attack is devastating and often has long lasting and detrimental effects on general one's health. Anyone who suffers from a panic attack for whatever reason and at any age is deemed to be suffering from a syndrome known as Panic Disorder.
Panic attacks occur in a large percentage of adults, with statistics showing that around 20% of adult Americans; and around 60 million people worldwide, are sufferers. It is to be noted that women are twice as likely to be afflicted by this disorder than men. The onset of the first episode of panic attack usually occurs between the ages of 15 and 19 years of age.
Panic attack symptoms vary just as much as the people afflicted by them. As they happen very suddenly, they are unlike other forms of anxiety, which mostly build up over a period of time. The most common is an intense feeling of terrifying fear which leaves the victim rooted to the spot, unable to move, cry out for help, or act rationally. This awful fear is almost always accompanied by a pounding heart which sufferers relate can actually be heard and which results in the person shaking uncontrollably and, in a number of cases, with severe chest pain.
All these symptoms result in the inability to breathe normally and thus the person tries to gulp in air in an effort to get oxygen into their bloodstream. Thus, faintness and dizziness are further symptoms; and so in hyperventilation, where the person afflicted breathes in too fast and too shallowly and all the symptoms experienced thus far are magnified. More minor, but just as important, symptoms may include sweating, especially of the hands; and a tingling or numbness of the fingers and the hand. A feeling of being chilled or cold may manifest too.
An episode of panic attack is commonly mistaken for a heart attack, as there are many symptoms which are alike in the two, especially those of the racing or pounding heart and the chest pain. This, in turn, causes the episode to be lengthened, as the sufferer becomes more and more frightened. The phrase 'scared to death' is appropriate in this scenario.
It is important to know that a panic attack is usually of a very short duration, although the victim generally does not know how long an attack lasts. Statistics reveal that episodes usually only last up to ten minutes and most of them are considerably shorter. Bear in mind too, that even when most of the symptoms disappear, some may persist with the person for some time.
It is generally accepted that once someone has had one panic attack, he or she will be prone to experience the symptoms again, thus they will be known to suffer from Panic Disorder.
There are various Panic Attack Treatments available, such as the Linden Method and Barry McDonagh's Panic Away.
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