A couple of days ago, Laura wrote a blog on how anxiety can morph into panic. Many people experience episodes of mild to moderate panic here and there—a few of the common triggers for such episodes include looming deadlines, upcoming parties, and presentations to work groups. However, some people experience panic at a much more intense level, to the point that they actually develop a full blown Panic Disorder.
True panic attacks of this sort involve anxiety and fear of stunning intensity. The actual attacks usually peak within ten minutes and slowly fade, but it’s common for people to actually think they could die during one of these attacks. Common symptoms of these attacks include:
- Profuse sweating
- Rapid, irregular heartbeat
- Shortness of breath or sense of suffocation
- A sense of unreality or detachment
- Fear of impending death without any real basis
- Nausea
- Fear of losing control or “going insane”
- Trembling and shaking
- Chills and hot flashes
- Dizziness
When such attacks reoccur, the person worries about future attacks, has considerable concerns about the meaning of the attacks, or changes his or her behavior in order to avoid attacks, the odds are that a Panic Disorder is in play. Frequently, but not always, people with Panic Disorder also have Agoraphobia (fears of being in places that would be difficult or highly embarrassing to leave or escape from), but that’s a topic for another blog.
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Breathing through a straw was one of the most difficult things I’ve done in my life. No lie!
I can do those things, and I know that I am not going to die. I don’t want to do those things (and/or passout)in a situation that I am already uncomfortable in! If I had ANY problems like that in front of the people who caused my panic attacks to begin with, they would repeat the process of harming me again. Exposure to that group by myself (Yes, since this has happened, I now have Agoraphobia.) would increase my PTSD, anxiety and depression to a point I might actually need to be hospitalized! Not all phobias can be approached and cured.
@Charlotta: When exposure is done right, it shouldn’t go that way. And PTSD and depression complicate the picture a bit. I hope you find something that works for you.
@Summer: I believe you! Hope it helped…
Sounds a lot like Exposure Response Prevention Therapy for OCD……facing your fears and letting yourself feel the anxiety……thanks for an informative post.
@Janet: You’re right. Thanks for the comment!
Dan
8:47 pm on
December 25th, 2011Good post. Panic Attacks/Agoraphobia unfortunately do involve a “no pain no gain” path to recovery by way of exposure treatment. Even working with small, baby steps, the sufferer will experience levels of discomfort during “practice”. However, the prognosis is good for those able to persevere with the treatment. It takes time, and progress can feel painfully slow at times. However, as confidence grows, successes will become more frequant. Regardless of any approach to the condition – whether it be counselling, medication, hypnotherapy, CBT etc, at some point you ARE going to have to confront and expose yourself to your fears, in order to recover. Written by a recovering Agoraphobic.
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