A panic attack is an episode of uncontrolled, inappropriate panic attacks. Various factors can cause this condition. Basic symptoms are characteristic of true panic attacks. What are they? How does a panic attack actually manifest?
Panic attack syndrome is a condition that can really poison your life. According to medical statistics, it follows that people with a tendency to panic attacks (PA) sharply increase the likelihood of suicide or just serious harm to themselves and those around them. It is believed that women are more susceptible to this syndrome than men.
Panic attacks can develop at any age. However, most often this disorder affects young people up to 30-35 years old. Often, people simply ignore their condition, especially if panic attacks are manifested in few signs, they rarely occur. But this syndrome requires correction and work with a specialist. Otherwise, PA can lead to extremely negative consequences for health and well-being.
In panic attacks, a person's consciousness is always involved, the body reacts to the condition, since there is a strong release of adrenaline into the blood, and behavior also suffers. Panic attacks can vary in duration, occur both during the daytime and in the evening or at night.
Body Panic Attack Symptoms
Physiological signs of PA, as a rule, are very diverse and very pronounced. In this case, a person may confuse symptoms with diseases of the heart, gastrointestinal tract, blood vessels, and so on.
Among the variety of manifestations, the following common symptoms can be distinguished:
- chills, sweating, and closeness to tears;
- a sharp increase in pressure;
- fast pulse, uneven and fast heart rate;
- redness or paleness of the skin, creeping sensation, numbness in the fingers or extremities;
- tremor, internal trembling;
- a feeling of lack of oxygen, a feeling of tightness in the chest and throat, severe shortness of breath;
- dizziness and sharp, piercing headache;
- nausea, gagging, rumbling and seething in the abdomen, upset stools (diarrhea);
- severe weakness in the whole body or, conversely, excessive muscle tension;
- noise and ringing in the ears, flies in front of the eyes, blurred vision and light-headedness; in severe cases, a panic attack may be accompanied by fainting.
Signs of PA from the psyche and consciousness
As a rule, a person who is experiencing a panic attack begins to perceive the world around him as something illusory. He rapidly develops depersonalization (does not understand who he is), which also abruptly passes when the state is released.
Additional manifestations include:
- clouding of consciousness;
- confusion of thoughts;
- inhibition of speech or, conversely, excessive speech activity;
- a feeling of panic horror, irrational fear;
- increased anxiety;
- aggression or, conversely, strong apathy and depression;
- panic;
- violation of memory, thinking and attention;
- insomnia, sleep paralysis, nightmares from which it is impossible to wake up;
- scary obsessive thoughts, among which the theme of death may dominate.
Panic Attack Behavioral Symptoms
At the time of an attack, a person's behavior changes dramatically. He can become restless, stop controlling his actions and movements, or fall into a total stupor. With increased aggressiveness, a person is able to harm himself or the people around him. The urge to hide and run away are typical signs of a panic attack. A person experiencing such an episode may burst into tears, start screaming, speak some kind of nonsense, unable to filter his thoughts and words. Crimping of fingers and hands, nervous itching are also found in the context of panic attacks.
