The propensity for panic attacks is observed in a huge number of people. However, many people prefer to ignore this condition whenever possible, not seek help from a neurologist or psychiatrist. There are several types of panic attacks, as well as a number of reasons that can provoke the development of this pathology.
Often, panic attacks are not an independent disease; this syndrome is rarely considered as an independent disease at all. Most often, panic attack (PA) occurs in the context of some kind of mental or somatic disorder. So, for example, PA are typical in phobic and anxiety disorders, can develop against the background of hypochondria. The duration of the attack varies from 2-5 minutes to half an hour.
There are several types of panic attacks, which, as a rule, are divided according to the basis that provokes such a condition.
Types of panic attacks
A fairly common form of panic attacks is spontaneous. The state arises unexpectedly, without any stimuli, external influences or prerequisites. If a person has a tendency to precisely this type of PA, then a persistent fear of a possible recurrence of an attack gradually begins to form.
The second type is conditionally situational PA. For the occurrence of a panic episode in this case, some kind of stimulus is needed. Irrational panic with horror can occur due to hormonal imbalances, for example, during pregnancy in women. Often the main reasons that trigger a panic attack are drugs, caffeine, and alcohol.
The third variant of panic attacks is directly situational. They are associated with some kind of traumatic event, with an environment in which the patient once experienced strong negative (and sometimes positive) emotions or significant physical impact. Additionally, anxious expectation of a repetition of an event can provoke a PA outbreak.
What are the causes of panic attacks
- Any traumatic situations to which a person reacts very emotionally, acutely.
- Severe stress.
- Somatic diseases, for example, vascular disease, heart disease, endocrine system.
- With such a diagnosis as vegetative-vascular dystonia, panic attacks are very common. It is autonomic and vascular disorders that cause panic and irrational fear.
- The causes of PA can be various kinds of neuroses or mental disorders.
- Intoxication, including drug or chemical poisoning, can provoke the development of panic attack syndrome.
- As mentioned above, any stimulants of the nervous system - caffeine or alcohol, for example - can cause a person to experience panic attacks.
- Drastic and drastic changes in life. Often, this reason for PA becomes characteristic of people who are afraid to go beyond their comfort, are naturally fearful, suspicious, vulnerable, impressionable and driven personalities.
- The reason for the occurrence of a panic attack at night can be a sluggish depression. Or they are capable of provoking such a state of any negative events from the past that occurred specifically at night. It is worth noting that evening and nighttime panic attacks often accompany people who have any sleep disorders (chronic insomnia, regular nightmares, and so on).
