Many Reasons Behind What Causes Anxiety Attacks

Perhaps one of the most unpleasant things to experience would be a sudden overwhelming sense of fear or apprehension. This is known as a panic attack. The causes for this sensation can be extremely varied, so here we will simply point out a few common points of what causes anxiety attacks. For anyone who has been unlucky enough to experience this firsthand, it is certainly no laughing matter.

A sudden overwhelming bout of panic can be defined as a sudden onset of violent fear or apprehension that comes on extremely quickly and lasts for a relatively short amount of time. It can last anywhere from ten minutes to hours. Most of the time victims of this condition who have never had it before believe that they are having a heart attack, since many of the symptoms are felt in the chest.

The attack itself often lasts for no more than thirty minutes, although sometimes they can last for hours if it is a more violent case. Most of the time a victim will be unable to sleep at night, being awakened with feelings of fear, harrowed breathing or "skipping" of the heartbeat. A sense of claustrophobia is common as well, although in reverse cases some people may want to abstain from leaving an enclosed space.

There is a variety of reasons for the onset of a panic attack. Oftentimes the case is misdiagnosed or the problem is never dealt with, hence leading to another attack in the future. Sometimes a person's biological makeup is the reason for this condition. Just as a chemical imbalance in the human body can lead to bipolar disorder, the same can be said of the feeling of panic striking. People like this are often put on medication that is supposed to deal with their problem.

However, medications have been suspects in the actual cause of the condition. Side-effects from prescribed drugs have been known to induce synthetic emotions ranging from strong feelings of anger to terror, also evoking hallucinations, hyperventilation or claustrophobia.

Traumatic situations can cause anxiety attacks. Being involved in a car accident, shooting or witnessing something extremely harrowing can cause panic to strike long after the fact, sometimes known as "aftershock." Soldiers that are returning home from a war zone often experience PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which harbors many similar symptoms.

A doctor should be commissioned to handle a victim of this condition. Sometimes people live for many years without realizing that they are actually suffering from panicked symptoms, and they will continue to get worse. The longer a person waits to get help, the longer it takes to recover. It is recommended that the recovering victim be placed in an environment that is primarily positive in tone until they get better. Also, small as it may seem, deep breathing has a huge part of inducing a calming effect on someone who is under the influence of heavy fear.

Understanding what causes anxiety attacks can be the key to preventing them. Make sure you always continue to learn more about this debilitating condition to empower yourself to prevent future attacks.

Learn the "Secrets" to overcoming Panic Attacks at Stop Panic Attacks.

Anxiety Attacks affecting you or perhaps a family member? Before you can actually discover how to Stop Anxiety Attacks you must find out more about What Causes Anxiety Attacks.