Panic Disorder Symptoms
The Symptoms of Panic Disorder
Panic disorder symptoms strike apparently without a reason and even if their cause is not fully known, it is believed that just like other types of anxiety disorders, this mental ailment is triggered by a combination of biological and environmental factors. People with a family history of psychiatric conditions are more likely to develop panic disorders and women are more prone to such ailments than men, because of their hypersensitivity. Substance abuse, stressful events, traumatic situations and abnormalities in the chemistry of the brain may also favor the occurrence of the typical symptoms of panic disorder.
In numerous cases, this mental problem is accompanied by other anxiety disorders, such as social phobia or depression, most people dealing with this ailment experiencing recurring episodes and not a one-time panic .
But the good news is that panic disorder is treatable and there are numerous strategies and techniques that you can apply to cope with the symptoms of panic disorder. The only thing you have to do is learn how to recognize its symptoms and talk to your physician as soon as you notice any unexplainable episodes of overwhelming fear and anxiety occurring in specific circumstances.
Common Panic Disorder Symptoms
Panic disorder, as said before, manifests through repeated episodes of fear and anxiety that come from nowhere and lead to specific manifestations. Most patients dealing with this mental problem feel their heart beats accelerated and have a short term breathing difficulty or feel dizzy. Stomach upsets and digestive problems are quite common, just like chest tightness, trembling, intense sweating or numbness in the hands and feet.
Other symptoms of panic disorder commonly experienced by people suffering from this mental illness are the sensation of chocking, hot flashes, nausea, the fear of losing control and an intense feeling of terror. During a panic attack, the patient feels he’s going to die or he’s in great danger and can’t do anything to stop the upcoming horrifying event.
All these manifestations last about 10 minutes and unfortunately their occurrence can’t be predicted so this ailment is quite difficult to prevent. Moreover, lots of sufferers experience anxiety and intense fear even between episodes because they worry and constantly think about when or where the next crisis will strike.
This is what makes panic disorder symptoms so hard to control: a crisis can occur at absolutely any time, whether the patient relaxes, sleeps, works or performs completely safe tasks in unthreatening places. For this reason lots of sufferers avoid normal activities and prefer isolating themselves in the house in order to reduce the number of potential triggers for panic attacks. Others prefer doing everything accompanied by a trustful person and they end up avoiding any situation where they need to act alone.
Obviously, all these behaviors are unhealthy and they restrict and limit the normal living of these people. Applying an appropriate early treatment for the symptoms of panic disorder can stop the progression of this illness which can become disabling when no therapy is followed.
Affecting between 3 and 6 million people within the United States – children, teens, adults and the elderly, this mental ailment can severely affect one’s life so professional help should be sought by all those experiencing the above mentioned panic disorder symptoms repeatedly.
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