Panic Attacks

Panic Attacks

Each year panic attacks affect 1 out of 63 Americans. A 1/4 of the people who suffer from depression also suffer from panic attacks. The attacks are unprovoked and come suddenly without notice. It is very hard for people to deal with them and I will be explaining more in detail what they are. A panic attack is a sudden, intense experience of fear coupled with an overwhelming feeling of danger, accompanied by physical symptoms of anxiety, such as: a pounding heart, sweating, and rapid breathing. People who suffer from a panic disorder may repeatedly have panic attacks (at least several a month), and fear having they will have an attack at any given moment.

Panic disorder is a chronic condition that can be very hard on a person's family, work, and social life. The first attack usually happens without warning. A person may be driving their car, talking with friends, or even watching T.V. and an attack could strike. Pounding heart, sweating palms, and a feeling of impending doom are common feelings before the attack happens. The attack may only last for a minute or even seconds but the fear and emotional pain can be very disturbing. People who suffer from panic attacks are always afraid that they will suffer from another one after the first one strikes. After their fear increases and the attacks get worse people avoid places where attacks occurred in the past. In extremely severe cases the victim may refuse to leave their house in fear that they may have an attack. This fear is known as agoraphobia. People with untreated panic attacks may have problems getting to work, or even keeping a job. If they go on for longer periods of time without being treated it can lead to depression, substance abuse, and even suicid...

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...ars and overcoming the attacks can be very frightening and hard for those who are willing to change their lives for the better. I respect and look up to others who are strong enough to make it. Getting over the attack can be just as hard as having them. People who do not suffer from these attacks don't understand how hard it is for others to go through this. The victim doesn't ask for them to happen, in some cases their is nothing you can do to prevent them from coming. It can be a never ending battle that a person must face everyday. Having to go through life with all that pain can cause a lot of problems not only for the person suffering but, all that surround them as well. The first step to healing is realizing that you in fact do have a problem and after that all you can do is work hard to think positively and most importantly control and overcome your fears.