What does someone means when he discusses having panic or anxiety attacks? How do the words “anxiety disorder” fit with these conditions? People frequently mix these terms, but there are a few significant differences to know to properly describe which ailment a person suffers from. All of the categories below have similar features, but there are some identifying features that set them apart. By distinguishing which group your symptoms fit into, you and your caregiver will also be able to better identify what treatment alternatives might be most beneficial for your case. Here are descriptions of the most common anxiety disorders:

Phobias are the most common of the anxiety disorders. A phobia is a  fear of a certain object or event. People may have fear of flying, or fear of heights, fear of closed places, or fear of snakes. Fancy names describe various phobias, such as the fear of spiders, known as arachnophobia and the fear of the number 13, known as triskaidekaphobia. These fears are often irrational and may interfere with normal daily-life for the patients who suffer.

Panic disorder is one class of the anxiety disorders. People who suffer panic attacks often come into a situation and suddenly go through symptoms such as palpitations, chest pain, vertigo, sweating, and a racing heart. Although there is not an actual threat present, the person may feel like they are going to die. Because someone suffering from a panic attack does not always recognize it as such, emergency rooms see patients who think they may be having a heart attack. When heart attacks are eliminated, the patients depart thinking that the trouble is all in their head, when in truth, they do have a real medical condition that can be curable.

Social anxiety disorder is when a person is afraid of being mortified in a public setting. These settings can include  speechmaking opportunity or something as innocent as just eating at a public restaurant. People who suffer from social phobia are troubled about being falsely judged, critiqued, or laughed at of by other people. They may spend hours or days expecting humiliation and may even avoid public events totally. Some of the physical symptoms they may have include upset stomach, diarrhea, aggravated flushing, profuse perspiration, and shaking. As the patient becomes aware of these symptoms, the symptoms are amplified which leads to multiplied symptoms in a downward spiral that “proves” to the sufferer that he should have never left in the first place-a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Generalized anxiety disorder is a circumstance where a patient perpetually worries about two or more items in their life and where he feels persistent tenseness in life. The center of worry can be one or more of the following: familial relationships, work, physical well-being, or financial status. This goes well beyond the normal measure of stress people often feel in their lives concerning these areas. Some of the physical symptoms that might be experienced are: dizziness, nausea, racing heart, extreme fatique, inability to sleep, and sore muscles.

Post-traumatic stress disorder may develop when a person goes through a painful event in their life. We hear of many PTSD cases among members of the armed services  who return from war zones and fields of battle. Victims of natural disasters, people who witness horrifying deaths or crimes, or rape victims are all potential post-traumatic candidates. The biggest symptom of someone with post-traumatic stress disorder is that they perpetually relive the episode they went through that set off the PTSD in the first place. These memories can happen during the  night or they may take place abruptly at any point during the day. Oftentimes there is a specific event that initiates remembering, even if the affected person is not fully aware of that event and what is going on. Symptoms of this disorder include reflexive startle movements, continual cognizance of the surrounding areas, inability to rest, and sometimes even flare-ups of hostile conduct.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is the last category in the anxiety disorders. People with this disorder suffer from constant fear regarding a situation that compels that to act in a way that negates or wipes out the situation. For instance, someone who is terrorized of germs may wash their hands repeatedly, even to the point of having  cracked, dry skin. The obsessive part of the name comes from the incessant thoughts carried by the patient. The compulsive part is the process they engage in to address their thoughts.

As you can see from these brief descriptions, there are some obvious differences between the listed groups. The differences are found in symptoms presented, the components surrounding the beginning of the disorder, and the behaviors displayed once an episode begins. By working with all of these factors, you can pinpoint which category of anxiety disorders fits you best. Once that recognition is established, you can go on to discovering a suitable treatment program.

All children experience fears or anxieties during their life. These can range from fear of thunderstorms to starting a new school year to strangers. These fears are expected, but typically to not lead to what is known as a panic attack or panic disorder. Unfortunately, they can suffer from these just as an adult can.

As adults, it is our job to protect our children from dangers in their lives. However, some children will be afflicted with anxiety disorders. One such disorder is called generalized panic disorder, exhibiting itself in various ways. Excessive worry about everyday events, such as a normal school day or being at home with one’s family, is a symptom of this disorder. Sufferers tend to be very hard on themselves, always striving for perfection in everything they do. Even simple tasks are often done over and over again in an attempt to be perfect. They seek constant approval from others.

Another type of anxiety disorder found in children is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).  Sufferers have unwanted or obtrusive thoughts or obsessions that they cannot get out of their heads. They have a strong desire to perform ritualistic routines or behaviors in order to ease their anxiety. Children as young as two or three can have OCD, although the most common age of onset occurs around ten. Commons signs include counting and recounting of objects, excessive handwashing, and other repetitive behaviors. This helps ward off unwelcome thoughts and provides a sense of comfort for the sufferer.

Panic disorders can also occur in children. Diagnosis of this includes experiencing two or more unexpected panic attacks, followed by concern lasting at least one month over having another panic attack.  They are more common among adolescents, although younger children may experience them as well.

Phobias are also a form of anxiety disorder. They are irrational, persistent fears of certain activities, people, things, or situations. Normal childhood fears, such as fear of the dark or of storms, are not considered phobias unless they last longer than six months and they interfere with daily functioning. Some of the symptoms include headache, stomachache, tantrums, clinginess, and freezing in place when subjected to a given fear.

Post-traumatic distress disorder occurs when a sudden event, such as the death of a parent, accident, or assault, results in a type of anxiety disorder. Symptoms may include poor eating and sleeping habits, nightmares, inappropriate play, and emotional numbing, all due to a fear that the event may occur again.

All these types of anxiety disorders may occur in both adults and children, although the symptoms may be different. Children do not have the understanding that their fears are not rational, and are not capable to sort out and verbalize their feelings. Excessive crying, tantrums, and clinginess to others are warning signs. Any child showing these symptoms should be seen by a pediatrician for further evaluation.

Panic attacks are a serious affliction which cause sufferer’s great stress and discomfort. They are evident in those who have panic disorders, but fortunately most cases can be treated effectively  through therapy and medication. The goal of therapy is to change patterns of behavior and thought. In conjunction with medication, recurrences of panic attacks are far less frequent than when only one treatment is used.

There are several medications available that are useful in the treatment of panic attacks and the symptoms that go along with them. They can reduce the number of panic attacks, as well as their severity, and reduce the anxiety associated with them. One common class of drugs are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, known as SSRI’s. Examples of these drugs include Zoloft, Paxil, and Prozac, which are also commonly used in the treatment of depression. These medications affect chemicals known as neurotransmitters, which are used by the nerves of the brain to send messages to each other. Neurotransmitters are released by one nerve and taken in by other nerves. If there is an excess of neurotransmitters released, the sending nerve will “reuptake” that excess serotonin. SSRI’s inhibit that reuptake of serotonin, making it available for other nerves to receive these chemical signals.

Before the advent of SSRI’s, the preferred medications were grouped into what are known as tricylic antidepressants (TCA’s). Examples of these drugs include Norpramin, Anafranil, and Tofranil. TCA’s can be equally effective in the treatment of panic attacks, but tend to have more side effects associated with them, and are generally not tolerated as well as SSRI’s. As with any treatment options, they can be highly effective with proper dosing and close monitoring. The side effects can range from mild to life threatening, in extreme cases. Pregnant women are advised not to use these medications due to potential risks to the fetus. A qualified medical professional is required to adjust dosages and discontinue use if it is so required.

Another group of medications used to treat panic attacks are known as benzodiazepines. Common drugs in this group include Valium, Ativan, Xanax, and Klonopin. These drugs reduce anxiety, but are not intended for daily use over the course of long periods of time, as they are addictive. When used appropriately and under close medical observation, they are effective in short-term or occasional use. They can provide immediate relief, as opposed to SSRI’s, which require daily dosing and take time for them to become effective.

The symptoms associated with panic disorder should begin to improve after a few weeks of using these medications. After 6-8 weeks, a higher dose or another medication may be prescribed. Many of the drugs for panic disorders need to be continued for a year or more, sometimes for life. After a certain period of time has passed, the physician may try to lower the dosage. If the panic attacks return, the higher dosage may be necessary to keep them in check.

Just remember that the use of these drugs needs to be under the strict supervision of your physician. They are useful, yet powerful drugs that can be dangerous in certain cases. In the past, the use of these medications has had a social stigma attached to them, where the users are labeled “crazy” or some other derogatory term. This day and age, it is becoming more and more commonplace to be prescribed these drugs, and therefore much more socially acceptable.

During a panic attack, people feel extreme anxiety about something going on in their life. An attack can happen suddenly, without warning. Many sufferers think they are having a heart attack or are on their way to having a heart attack. Feelings of impending death are common, although one does not die from a panic attack. The symptoms of panic attacks are very real and are often very intense.

Symptoms of panic attacks appear suddenly with no real cause. They can be felt within the body in reaction to uncontrollable fear. Examples include chest pains, racing or pounding heart, difficulty in breathing, dizziness, light-headedness, upset stomach or nausea, hot flashes, chills, and numbness or tingling in the hands. Other symptoms include psychological feelings such as terror, the need to escape, dreamlike sensations, the fear of losing control or doing something embarrassing, and as mentioned before, the feeling of impending death. After the attack, the sufferer may feel very fatigued.

Another symptom of panic disorders is the fear of having future panic attacks. This is understandable, since if one has had one panic attack, it is likely he or she will have another. This fear can result in avoiding situations and circumstances where one has had a prior attack, developing phobias about having panic attacks. Panic attacks differ from other anxiety disorders in that they can happen suddenly and unexpectedly. There is no provocation necessary, and they have the ability to be very disabling. When one gets into a pattern of anxiety and avoidance, a person is classified as having a panic disorder. Without treatment, they can affect one’s daily existence. Panic attacks are serious health risks, affecting 1.7% of the population, roughly 3 million people. The onset occurs most frequently in the age group of 15 to 19 years.

Panic attacks can last for several minutes and can be extremely distressing. Many of the symptoms mimic a heart attack, with individuals believing they are going to die. They also affect sleeping patterns, although most panic attacks occur during waking hours. 40% to 70% of sufferers experience such nighttime attacks. Theses sudden and abrupt awakenings appear to have no cause, and have similar symptoms to daytime attacks. The actual attacks tend to last less than 10 minutes, although it may take much longer to calm down after such an occurrence, interfering with good sleep.

Panic attack symptoms can vary from person to person, but the common thread in an uncontrollable fear. Being able to identify these symptoms are crucial if you want to rid yourself of panic attacks.

A panic attack, also known as an anxiety attack, is an internal event that manifests itself through physical symptoms, due to the feeling that you have suddenly and dangerously lost control of the events around you. Symptoms of this fear include shortness of breath, heart palpitations, trembling, and sweating to name just a few. The exact cause of panic attacks is not known, although there is an understanding of many of the factors that contribute to their onset.

Genetics is one possible cause for panic attacks. Just as physical characteristics are inherited, panic disorders have been shown to run in families. This is not to suggest that these disorders are directly passed on to the next generation. Rather, it is shown that family members are predisposed to these attacks. Sufferers often have family members who have panic disorder or some other emotional disorder such as depression.

Another possible cause of panic attacks may be abnormalities in the brain. Changes in brain function can cause panic disorders. Some studies indicate panic attacks occur in individuals who also have psychotic disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or schizoaffective disorder. Psychotic episodes can be a precursor to the onset of specific anxiety disorders.

There is also research which suggests that the human “fight or flight” response to dangerous situations may play a part in panic attacks. The body has a set of physical and psychological mechanisms that causes people to respond to threats with an accelerated heart beat and an increased rate of breathing. These feelings can be triggered even if there is no real danger. Why this occurs is still unknown.

Stress can also be a cause of panic attacks. Certain events in one’s life, especially transitory occurrences such as a death, divorce, separation, or job loss, can trigger a panic attack. These events can also lower the body’s physical resistances, increasing one’s predisposition to an attack.

Lastly, there are environmental causes for panic attacks. Drug and alcohol use can trigger an event, as well as withdrawal from these substances in cases of abuse. Sometimes both environmental and biological causes work together to trigger an attack.  Most panic attacks are unexpected, but they can be brought on by the sufferer’s own response to a physical symptom. For example, if a drug causes an increased heart rate, the individual may interpret that as being a symptom a panic attack. This itself can bring on an actual panic attack, due to the anxiety and fear brought on by this non-related symptom.

The exact causes of panic attacks is unknown. No single treatment will work for all sufferers, so keep in mind you may need to try several therapies in order to find the one that works for you.

Those who suffer panic attacks are all too familiar with symptoms such as a pounding heart, dizziness, shortness of breath, and stomach related maladies. For the vast majority of the public who do not suffer panic attacks, they do not realize that they are a very private matter. Sufferers typically worry about irrational fears and may recognize them as such, but are unable to do anything about it. Shame over their loss of control over their lives is a common result. This may cause them to not seek help. For those who do seek help, several options are available.

Many specialists in the field agree that cognitive and behavioral therapies used together is the best therapy available for panic attacks. Understanding what panic attacks are is the first step to get the help they need. This cognitive awareness can alter how a person thinks, thereby making them believe they are not crazy or having a heart attack or that they are going to die. Cognitive therapy helps individuals replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

Behavioral therapy, on the other hand, focuses on changing or eliminating the actual behavior. It does not consider the underlying thought processes involved which lead to that behavior. It is basically saying the symptoms of a panic attack are behaviors learned through being repeatedly subjected to stimulus. An example of this type of therapy may be subjecting a patient to controlled exposure to a stimulus, such as flying for example. They may start out by merely driving to an airport, then move on to entering the terminal, then waiting at the gate, then maybe stepping on and off the plane, until finally they are able to actually fly.

The most effective therapy combines these two types into what is known as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This utilizes methodology from both methods, and is currently the most recommended therapy for the control of panic attacks. Depending on the source of the panic attack, CBT may borrow more from one method. Specific phobias, such as our flying example, are often treated with more of a behavioral approach, whereas more generalized or unknown sources of panic attacks borrow more from the cognitive approach. Each case is as different as the individual exhibiting the symptoms, and must be treated as such.

In the cognitive portion of treatment, the thinking errors or thinking distortions create a cycle of fear. The initial symptom of say, an increased heart rate, will generate an anxiety. That anxiety will trigger other thoughts and images, eventually building up to what we call a panic attack. The behavioral portion focuses more on what to do when these symptoms are recognized and then change that behavior. Relaxation and breathing techniques are utilized. This portion of treatment also tends to focus on the “real life” or “in the moment situations”, as in our flying example.

Lastly, CBT may be used in conjunction with drug therapy. Many medications exist that can lessen the severity or reduce the number of panic attacks. They do so by lessening the anxiety associated with any given situation. No single form of therapy works in all cases. Your qualified medical provider must evaluate you and prescribe a course of action suited for your individual situation.

Panic attacks consist of sudden and unexpected bouts of fear or anxiety about a given situation. Symptoms include rapid breathing, increased heart rate, chills, sweating, and stomach upset to name a few. They come on without warning, and can be caused by a specific circumstance, such as flying, or can be more generalized and unknown in origin. These triggers vary widely, as do the symptoms. A common thought of sufferers is that they are dying or having a heart attack, and many seek treatment thinking they are having an emergency medical issue. Initially, people do not understand what is going on, so in their minds they really are in crisis. Acknowledging you are having a panic attack is an important step in helping make them stop.

There are several treatments available to treat panic attacks, but most people who suffer are not aware of it, so they do not seek treatment. Behavioral therapy is geared to change or eliminate how one responds to an anxiety-producing situation. This therapy often tries to expose the sufferer to controlled stimulus in an attempt to teach them how to react. They expose the sufferer to real life situations and teach them how to respond. Cognitive therapies concentrate on the internal thought processes that bring about the unwanted behaviors. This method treats the dysfunctional thinking errors. A combination of these two therapies form what is known as cognitive behavioral therapy, as the name suggests. This is currently the preferred form of therapy to treat panic attacks, as it attempts to treat the reasons for certain behaviors and the behaviors themselves.

Medication is another form of treatment. There are dozens of drugs typically used to treat depression and anxiety which also work to help panic attacks. There are different classes of drugs that work differently within the body. SSRI’effect how the brain transmits electrical impulses, typically take a moderately long period of time to work, and need to be monitored and adjusted as needed. Another class of drugs, the benzodiazepines, treat anxiety more quickly, but there is concern over their use in the long term due to their addictive nature.

Panic attacks are a symptom or sub-type of an anxiety disorder.  Anxiety disorder is a term to describe a wide variety of conditions which result in abnormal fear or anxieties. Some studies indicate that up to 18% of Americans have some sort of anxiety disorder to one degree or another. Social anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder are common examples of other anxiety disorders. Without proper treatment, people can suffer from them their entire lives, often times to the point of them being debilitating. Recognizing panic attacks, or any anxiety disorders, is a crucial step in getting treatment. Modern treatment methods are safe and effective, and are becoming more and more commonplace as our understanding of these conditions increases.