Did you know the symptoms of a panick attack can vary depending on the cause of the attack or the type of disorder you may be suffering from?
Most people who experience an anxiety or panic attack describe symptoms which echo those which accompany a heart attack, such as heart palpitations, chest pain or pressure, dizziness and breathing difficulty. In fact, the symptoms of a panic attack and a heart attack can mimic one another so closely that many people experiencing their first panic episode wind up in the ER.
The primary difference between a heart attack, which is a physiological condition, and a panick attack, is that the latter is the fear of the unknown. This makes getting to the cause of anxiety induced attacks harder than physical conditions, or even phobias, which are the fear of a known entity.
The primary types of anxiety disorder which can underlay panic attacks are:
1. General Anxiety Disorder
2. Panic Disorder
3. Social Anxiety Disorder
Panic attacks may also relate to post traumatic stress disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. However, of the three aforementioned types, each may have a distinct set of symptoms. Successful treatment may also be predicated on correctly diagnosing the cause of the anxiety.
General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
This is the most common type of anxiety disorder and is usually diagnosed in someone who has experienced a recent stressful event or circumstances. Common symptoms in addition to those above include insomnia or sleeping difficulties, a lack of mental focus, trembling, difficulty breathing and swallowing and muscle soreness.
Panic Disorder
This disorder is very similar in nature to GAD but is more intense. The symptoms tend to be more acute, and include severe chest pain, sweating, shaking, nausea, fainting, and notably – an intense feeling of morbidity or impending doom. There may be an associated sense of having lost touch with reality. The disorder is usually related to significant environmental stresses. The disorder involves more discreet intense incidents of panic attack rather than a prolonged chronic experience of anxiety typical of GAD.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Not to be confused with agoraphobia, those people suffering from social anxiety disorder do not necessarily exhibit an inability or fear of interacting with others. They simply experienced increased anxiety when they are required to undertake the social interactions that people suffering from agoraphobia are unable to face. The symptoms include having a fear of losing control in public, a fear of being ridiculed, and associated concerns such as fear of judgment or being talked about. There is often a lack of rational objectivity as to the likelihood of these fears coming to fruition. Of the three types of disorder, this one in particular can be dealt with effectively by professional counseling.
An alternative for those suffering from GAD and Panic Disorder includes counseling, medication or self help. If you are exhibiting any of these symptoms of panic attacks, a solution may be closer to hand than you realize. There are some amazing resources online which provide step by step techniques on how to stop panick attack. It’s very powerful stuff.