Overcoming the Physical Symptoms

of an Anxiety Attacks 

Your heart is beating rapidly as the anxiety takes over. You can barely catch your breath and you think you are going to die. The attack grips you. You feel disoriented and all you want to do is run from the panic attack, but there is nowhere to run.

Sweat drips from your brow and you start to imagine the most catastrophic thing that could happen to you. You ask yourself, "Is it the crowd that is making me feel this way, the plane, the elevator? Am I having a heart attack? Am I going to lose control and go crazy? Oh my God, I don't know how to stop these feelings." These are just a few of the thoughts, feelings and symptoms experienced by someone having a severe anxiety panic attack.

Thousands of people suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. Some of the most common symptoms of panic attacks associated with anxiety disorder are racing heart, shortness of breath, disorientation, sweating and fear of losing control. If one is experiencing any of these signs, it is extremely important to have a doctor's examination to role out physical causes.

However, often after extensive tests, trips to the emergency ward plus several visits to the doctor's office, some discover there is nothing physically wrong with them. The doctor might say, "there's no physical cause. It appears that you just had an panic anxiety attack." The first thought you might have is. "anxiety what!? Impossible Doctor, something is terribly wrong with me. I felt I was dying. It could'nt be anxiety, I felt I was losing my mind and going crazy."

What exactly are the physical symptoms of anxiety attacks? Many say that a mild anxiety panic attack is caused by a fearful thought. The thought sends a message to the brain and the brain carries the message to the rest of the body producing scary, physical feelings. The individual tenses up and begins to experience the attack symptoms of intense fear and anxiety. Once the person experiences these signs, they becomes even more frightened, which in turn, produces more anxiety symptoms.

Imagine for a moment you are skating on a pond of ice. Suddenly, the ice breaks and you fall into the freezing water. You are terrified and desperately search for the hole in the ice to find your way out. In that split second, your brain sends a message to your body, telling it to immediately do something. It is what is called the "fight or flight" syndrome.

Adrenaline pours into your body making you more alert and more able to fight the episode. Now, here's the gripper. Picture yourself experiencing these same anxiety emotions -- adrenaline rush and terror -- when asked to simply do a presentation. What would it be like if you felt these dreadful anxiety panic attack feelings just riding in the back seat of someone's car? How could you handle the situation if you had these sensations when you had to attend a social event, go to a mall or drive your car alone?

It probably seems incomprehensible to think that someone could experience severe panic attack terror going to a store or doing something that is relatively easy for most people. However, those who suffering from panic attacks do have difficulty doing things that others can do easily and this leads them to even more suffering and depression. The more they struggle with their fears, symptoms and what others may think, the more phobic and panicky they can become.

For many, the first anxiety attack is usually brought on by something traumatic in their life. Perhaps someone close to them has died and then suddenly ... wham ... they experience extremely uncomfortable feelings due to their grief. Maybe they lost their job and went into a panic attack over the thought of having financial difficulties or they might have been dumped by a loved one.

The list goes on and on. What happens next is that the feelings experienced from the traumatic event really frightens them. They are so uncomfortable that they go into, what is called the "what- if" thinking. They may be saying to themselves, "What if I have these panic attack feelings again? What if I have them driving a car or hanging out at a club or while I'm shopping in a store?"

Once the panic attack cycle of what-if thinking starts, it begins to have a life of its own and the scary thoughts feel like they are taking over. Some become so scared that they stop doing whatever they believe is causing the anxiety and panic attacks.

However, the problem isn't driving alone or it's not really the elevator. The panic attack isn't caused from going to the store or doing a presentation. It stems from being afraid of the feelings or symptoms that have been associated with a particular situation. For example, the anxious individual might start experiencing symptoms of panic attacks when someone asks her to come to the front of the meeting and speak. What happens next is usually this. "Oh my gosh, I can't do that. I'll just freak out up there. What if I don't say the right thing or what if I can't catch my breath? What if I go crazy and pass out or have a panic attack?" The next thing they know is that they feel like they are freaking out and can't catch their breath. This is because the person is experiencing the physical reaction of adrenaline and fear. It wasn't the actual event that was causing the terrifying feelings; it was their thoughts that caused their body to put the person in that panic attack state.

Some who suffer from anxiety panic attacks, suffer only when faced with a particular type of event. They might only have the anxiety panic symptoms when they have to fly or when they do a presentation. For others, it can be much more extreme. Avoidance is a major problem with people who suffer from panic attacks. It's understandable that if someone is experiencing terror doing certain things, then it would make sense to stop doing those things in order to alleviate the pain and fear. However, this is actually one of the worst things that can be done.

Once a panic attack sufferer starts avoiding the situations that are "perceived" as causing the attack, one's world becomes smaller and smaller. If there is a problem with traveling far from home, then traveling by car, buses, and planes may be stopped altogether. If standing in a line causes panic and anxiety,  lines of any kind and going to malls, grocery stores or any other places where there are lines may be avoided due to the anxiety panic attacks.