Anxiety Attack Symptoms
Sudden anxiety panic attacks are seemingly out of the blue and unprovoked. They are very intense and frightening experiences. In many attacks sufferers report that they experienced a sense of dying.
Disturbing sensations such as derealization and depersonalization often occur during attacks. Sufferers may also feel that something awful is about to happen.
Sufferers of anxiety disorders such as agoraphobia are more susceptible to panic attacks. The severity of agoraphobia is varied and in some cases sufferers are able to lead fairly normal lives.
Agoraphobia sufferers may avoid places that are difficult to escape from like a crowded mall or an elevator. They fear that they might experience an anxiety panic attack and lose control.
It can be difficult to understand why attacks occur however they are usually the body’s own stress response system being activated. In caveman times when humans hunted prey, the stress response was vital to man’s survival.
The fight or flight response triggers increase in heart rate and blood pressure, a boost in adrenaline and energy. Essentially this would make the hunter ready to stand and fight or flee. Our brain chemistry has remained mostly unchanged even after thousands of years.
Although many scientists believe that the stress response is the cause for many anxiety disorders it does have its uses. In modern day society, the stress response is triggered too frequently and unnecessarily triggered.
In a dangerous situation where you need to react quickly, the stress response is needed. The negative is that excessive production of hormones such as adrenaline can be damaging for the mind and body. This may lead to anxiety disorders.
Anxiety disorders can sometimes mean that the sufferer is homebound with limited connection to the outside world. Fortunately anxiety disorders can be treated. In addition, therapies such as CBT have been successful at dealing with anxiety and depression.
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