Panic Attacks Symptoms
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Most common panic attacks symptoms
The most common panic attacks symptoms are:
- Increased heart rate and blood flow (so that the oxygen can reach parts of the body that need it the most),
- Tingling or numbness caused by the fact that the blood is channeled from the vulnerable areas (such as fingers or skin) to the muscles,
- Breathlessness, hyperventilation, sensations of choking and even pains or tightness in the chest caused by faster and deeper breathing (that helps to deliver the required amount of oxygen to the system),
- Dizziness, blurred vision, confusion and a sense of unreality caused by lower blood supplies due to the increased rate of breathing,
- Trembling and shaking – direct result of the tension in the muscles (associated with the preparation for the fight or flight response).
Because all of these bodily sensations are very unusual and unpleasant we end up being scared to death.
Brain’s behavior during an anxiety attack
During an anxiety attack our brain searches for the threat that caused all of the panic attacks symptoms mentioned above and tries to determine what would be the best reaction to it. While being in this state one is not able to focus on anything other than the experienced anxiety and becomes restless and agitated.
Very often, when our mind is not able to find the threat in the outside world, it starts to search for it inside. In this case some of the most common conclusions it can come up with are either a heart attack or a dangerous mental illness.
Don’t worry about these as I’ve already explained that they’re not real – it’s just your imagination playing tricks on you.
Instead of panicking, start looking for some information on how to treat a panic attack.
Panic attacks symptoms – Let’s sum it all up
To sum it up, panic attacks symptoms are caused by fear of the bodily sensations associated with the fight/flight response. These bodily sensations are a direct result of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion and can be easily eliminated if one makes the right adjustments to his/her lifestyle. As you can see, it’s our misinterpretation of the situation we’re in that leads to anxiety attack, not the actual threat.
Armed with this knowledge we will now progress onto the last part in this 3-part series – discussing panic attacks treatment methods. Because you’ve learned what are the most common panic attacks symptoms and how they are caused I can now show you my favorite cure for panic attacks.
Want to learn more about panic attacks symptoms?
Read this article on the most common symptoms of panic attacks.