Panic attacks are a serious mental condition in which patients experience physiological symptoms that they mistakenly believe to be a heart attack, an allergic reaction, signs of a stroke or other serious physical illness. Patients turn to therapists, surgeons, neurologists, but not to psychiatrists. It is not surprising that specialized doctors do not find pathologies, while panic attacks continue to accompany the patient’s life. They are really scary: suffocation, sweating, a feeling of heaviness in the chest, dizziness, rapid heartbeat. It is important to know that panic attacks are exclusively a mental problem that requires consultation with a psychiatrist. In Israel, both drug therapy and psychotherapy are used comprehensively to treat panic attacks, while specialists also use biofeedback, hippotherapy, art therapy and other auxiliary techniques if necessary. If you or your loved ones are concerned about such problems, contact us for help.
Most doctors with experience in emergency medicine know that among patients who go to the emergency room, a very high percentage of people suffer from panic attacks. These patients experience panic attacks of varying severity for months or even years. An attack is a combination of several symptoms, both physical and mental.
The most common are a feeling of suffocation and lack of air, increased heart rate, dizziness, and nausea. Feelings of extreme weakness, instability, a feeling of “goosebumps”, tingling or sensory disturbances are common, and symptoms from the gastrointestinal tract are possible. An attack may also include various pain sensations. Panic attacks are accompanied by severe anxiety and even fear; the patient is afraid of losing consciousness, “going crazy” or dying. This whole set of symptoms of panic attacks produces a frightening impression: it is no coincidence that medical personnel may suspect a serious pathology at the first stage of the examination.
The causes of panic attacks are different and have both a psychological and organic basis. Among the most common reasons are the following:
• Stressful situations, strong emotional experiences (failures in family life, job loss, illness or death of loved ones)
• Fears and phobias (panic attacks can often be caused by a phobic disorder or the presence of strong fears)
• Peculiarities of the psychotype (it has been proven that in people who are suspicious and anxious, panic attacks are recorded much more often)
• Heredity (if close relatives have a history of panic episodes, it is possible that the cause of panic attacks is a genetic factor)
• Somatic and neurological diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular accidents and other disorders of organic origin can provoke panic attacks)
It should be noted that the first stage in diagnosing panic disorder is indeed a comprehensive therapeutic and neurological examination, including laboratory and instrumental methods. Only by excluding physical pathology can we talk about the mental origin of attacks.
It is important to know that during an attack of panic attacks, an increased release of biologically active substances and hormones occurs in the body. As a result of this process, during an attack, blood pressure and blood sugar levels may increase, and tachycardia may be noted on the ECG. But all these changes do not at all indicate the presence of a physical disease.
Men and women have almost the same symptoms of panic attacks, except for specific complaints. So men more often during attacks complain of:
• heaviness in the heart area;
• headache;
• fear;
• aggression;
• the heat of passion.
During a panic attack, men tend to act impulsively - drink alcohol to relieve fear, close windows and doors, and leave the house.
Women during a panic attack complain of the following symptoms:
• suffocation;
• pain in the heart area;
• increased sweating;
• panic;
• fear of death;
• emotional swings;
• nervous trembling;
• tremor of the limbs.
In women, the symptoms of a panic attack lie in the emotional sphere; this is largely due to the work of hormones and the characteristics of the psychotype. During an attack, panic hypertrophies and the intensity of symptoms increases. There are often cases when women lost consciousness from an excess of emotions and fears.
Panic attacks in children are more concentrated on somatic sensations:
• chest pain;
• indigestion;
• headache;
• attacks of suffocation;
• fear.
Children often react with stupor during a panic attack. During an attack, they huddle in a corner or under a blanket - places where they feel safe and survive the attack alone.
A patient suffering from panic attacks should know that, despite the apparent severity of the condition, he is not in danger. A panic attack is not dangerous and does not entail serious physiological consequences.
But at the same time, the psychological consequences of suffering panic attacks are quite serious. Willingly or unwittingly, a person fears and fears repeated attacks, and subconsciously expects them. This affects his entire life. He limits his movements, tries not to be alone, and avoids noisy crowded places. Often stops using public transport, is afraid to go far from home, and is afraid of ending up in places where medical care cannot be provided immediately.
Panic attacks are often complicated by depressive symptoms, impaired ability to concentrate, and loss of interest in life. Severe forms of panic attacks can cause loss of ability to work and disability, complications in personal and family life. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor in a timely manner, who will prescribe effective treatment and give recommendations for the prevention of panic attacks in the future.
Treatment methods for panic attacks are varied and are selected individually in each case, depending on the cause of the disease, the severity of the case, and the history of panic attacks. At the «IsraClinic», among the methods of treating panic attacks, drug therapy, psychotherapy (cognitive-behavioral, dynamic, supportive), as well as auxiliary methods of psychotherapy if necessary (biofeedback, hippotherapy, sports therapy, art therapy and other techniques) are used. Prevention of panic attacks involves teaching psychological tools that the patient can use in difficult situations.
After completing the course of treatment, doctors, and specialists at the «IsraClinic» continue to advise the patient, adjust the treatment and give recommendations. This is a very important stage on the path to recovery, since after Israel the patient returns to his familiar environment and may again find himself in situations in which he experienced panic attacks.
Note that panic attacks are one of the most common reasons for visiting the «IsraClinic» outpatient psychiatric clinic.
Panic attacks often appear due to prolonged stress, so to avoid relapses, it is advisable to distance yourself from sources of stress as much as possible. Psychotherapy plays a significant role - it is advisable to regularly visit a psychologist or psychotherapist and follow all the specialist’s recommendations.
Basically, for panic attacks, the following is recommended:
• giving up alcohol and smoking. While alcohol is a natural depressant, smoking increases the heart rate, which leads to a condition that occurs during stress;
• healthy sleep. It is necessary to allocate at least 8 hours of sleep per day, which will contribute to the overall strengthening of the body;
• avoiding stress. If your job is too stressful, then it makes sense to change it to prevent relapse of attacks;
• more fluid. It is advisable to drink at least 1-1.5 liters of liquid per day, most of which should be clean, distilled water;
• physical exercise. It is necessary to periodically exercise in the gym; as is known, moderate exercise leads to normalization of mood;
• taking medications. Antidepressants and anxiolytics will help level out the emotional background. Medicines should be selected only by a psychiatrist to avoid side effects.
Methods for strengthening psychological resilience include any actions that have a positive effect on the patient’s body - in particular, hobbies, spending time with friends, like-minded people, activities that bring pleasure (visiting a spa, a massage therapist, shopping) and a healthy lifestyle. Also, if you have previously experienced panic attacks, you should periodically visit your therapist or psychologist. A specialist will always be able to correct the patient’s behavior and reaction, help deal with stress and tell him what to do to strengthen his mental health.