What is a Panic Attack

A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause. This is caused by the fight or flight response. Basically your brain is crying wolf when there is no actual danger in sight.

Panic Attacks are different for everyone but the symptoms usually peak within 10 mins and leave you feeling fatigued.

Panic attacks can happen when ...

driving a car, shopping at the mall, sleeping soundly or in a business meeting.

Is this the same as an Anxiety Attack?

No, they are similar but do have some major differences. Anxiety attacks have a cause. For example, you have a big test coming up and you didn't study enough. So the morning of the test your heart races, muscles tense and you have trouble swallowing. That is an anxiety attack. A panic attack seems to happen 'out of the blue'. There is no specific cause at the time, just overall stress building up.

Anticipatory Anxiety

This is the anxiety you get when you are worried about having another attack. This can get out of hand and be worse then the panic attack itself. You are beating the panic to the punch and causing extra anxiety.

Fight or Flight

Yes, the adrenalin rush you usually would get if you came across a grizzly bear in the woods is the same thing happening when you get a panic attack. Science still isn't positive why this response happens 'out of the blue'. It is possibly extreme stress or a sensitive sympathetic nervous system.

Agoraphobia

This is the fear of certain situations that one perceives as dangerous or uncomfortable. In regards to panic attacks, it is any situations one associates as a panic attack trigger. These situations are usually associated with past panic attacks. This can lead to mild avoidance or full blown evasion.