A panic attack is a symptom of an anxiety disorder that has emotional and physical symptoms. Emotional symptoms associated with a panic attack include intense feelings of unreasonable and unexplainable fear. Physical symptoms associated with a panic attack include dizziness, a feeling of choking, feelings of faintness, clammy hands, racing heart, and severe shaking.

Millions of people each year all over the world suffer from panic attacks. The majority of these people are more likely to experience a panic attack because their bodies carry the gene for anxiety disorders. Some statistics show that a person who has a parent who has ever suffered from a panic attack is seven times more likely to also experience a panic attack than the general population.

Scientific research into the reasons for a panic attack show that a large percentage of those who are likely to experience a panic attack carry the gene dubbed DUP25.

Scientists have discovered that this panic attack gene creates proteins that play an important role in the way the nervous system cells communicate with each other. They suspect that this imbalance is what makes the brain so oversensitive that it brings on a panic attack is those that carry the gene.

That said, studies have also shown that not every single person who carries the panic attack gene DUP25 is guaranteed to suffer from a panic attack or any other anxiety disorder.

A panic attack can also be brought on for reasons other then hereditary reasons. A panic attack – or numerous, repeated panic attacks — can be brought on by a traumatic life event or drug misuse. There are statistics that show that eight percent of those who have experienced a panic attack have had one or more because of drug misuse.

Other statistics suggest that those more likely to experience a panic attack are people who suppress their emotions.

Anyone who has ever experienced a panic attack explains that it can happen anytime or anywhere. A panic attack can happen when the person is alone or with others. It can happen at home or in public. A panic attack can even happen when a person is waking up from a sound, restful sleep.

Those most likely to experience a panic attack are women in their young adult years. About half of those who experience panic attacks do so before the age of 24.

People who seek treatment of panic attacks will find relief from them within a few weeks. And although experiencing a panic attack is highly unpleasant, there are no long-term side effects once treatment has been completed and if it is maintained.

Even with treatment, it is still possible for the occasional relapse. This means that it is possible for a person to experience another panic attack or two if he or she is undergoing treatment. But possible relapses can further be reduced by adding stress-relieving activities like yoga to your daily schedule.

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Anyone who has ever had a panic attack knows how life stopping these events can feel. A panic attack can seriously hurt your quality of life by causing you become terrified of a repeat episode. This terror is just another negative side effect of panic attacks, and you should learn to think of it as such so that you can get on with your life without the constant fear of a panic attack hanging over your head. Worrying about having a panic attack all the time might even cause you to trigger panic attacks later.

Panic attacks feel a lot like heart attacks. A panic attack might cause your heart to race, and it might cause you to become short of breath. You might find that you feel dizzy or light headed, and they are characterized with the feeling of life or death importance. It is not uncommon to believe that you are dying or about to die when you are having a panic attack. Fortunately for sufferers, they are usually not of a long duration, and will stop when they have run their course, usually a few minutes, or when the cause of the panic is removed.

If you are terrified that you might have another panic attack, you may just end up cutting yourself off from everything in order to avoid having another. You might hide from the world, or otherwise separate yourself from the friends and family who might otherwise be able to help you. If this sounds familiar to you, then you need to consider seeking professional help to empower you to dispel the threat of panic attacks that hangs over your head.

You may also be able to help yourself by avoiding the situations that cause you to have your panic attacks in the first place. One of the biggest causes of panic attacks is stress, and if you are constantly in stressful situation, then you will be at a much higher risk for panic attacks in the future. This stress is not necessarily the stress that comes over a few days over a particular event; panic attacks are triggered by constant stress over a period of months or sometimes even longer. This stress is often too much for people to bear, and even if we do not realize that, our bodies do, and they rebel.

Panic attacks can also be caused by certain situations. If you get a panic attack every time you are running late, or stuck in traffic, or going over a bridge, then you need to make sure to avoid those situations to prevent these same events from triggering more panic attacks in the future. You can take a different route to work, leave early, and avoid roads that you know will be snarled with traffic or even head to a local place for dinner after work before facing the drive home.

If you practice avoiding panic attacks and chart where you were, what you were doing, and how you felt immediately prior to each panic attack, then you can use this information to avoid the things that trigger you. You may be able to save yourself a lot of trouble with your mental and even your physical health later down the road.

Panic attacks do not just feel remarkably like heart attacks; recent studies have linked experiencing panic attacks with an increased likelihood of actually having a heart attack later. Keep your odds low and keep your stress levels down to avoid panic attacks and to remain as healthy as possible. No one likes to suffer, and panic attacks certainly fall into the category of suffering.

If you are at risk for panic attacks or you have had them in the past, then you should examine the past causes of your panic attacks so that you can help yourself to avoid similar situations in the future. You should also get in contact with your doctor to find out if you may need medication or therapy to help you take charge of your life and get away from the panic attacks. It can be difficult to determine exactly the best means of preventing panic attacks, but you may get better results when pairing the practice of avoiding triggers with medication to help you feel calmer. A therapist can also help you learn mental tricks to help you ride through the panic attacks without completely losing your cool the next time you feel one coming on.

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Anxiety disorders and panic attacks can strike anyone under the sun. They do not seem to spare even the youth, children, and elderly people. Everyday, a case of panic attack or anxiety disorder is being reported. More and more people are approaching doctors and therapists with problems of stress, anxiety, and panic attacks.

Causes of Panic Attacks and Anxiety Disorders

There is a wide range of treatment plans for these maladies; however, doctors and their patients fail to analyze the root causes of anxiety disorders and panic attacks.

Panic attacks can come suddenly, while others have a definite, known cause. However, every disorder has some factor responsible for it.

Here are some common factors that cause panic attacks and anxiety disorders.

1. Genetic

Studies have revealed the fact that people can inherit their panic attacks or anxiety disorders from their maternal or paternal ancestors. The disorder can be passed on from the paternal or the maternal side of the family.

Twins are more susceptible to panic attacks; if one twin gets it, the other develops a panic attack too.

Many times, a petty domestic issue or a problem can trigger a panic attack, and genes have nothing to do it although family has.

2. Passive Nature

If you make a character study of those who suffer from panic attacks, you will be surprised to observe that passive people who hardly assert themselves suffer from anxiety disorders or panic attacks. Inability to assert oneself can be an inborn trait or could be developed owing to certain unfortunate circumstances.

3. Vitamin Deficiencies

You might feel surprised to learn that vitamin deficiencies can trigger panic attacks. However, a person who lacks vitamin B is prone to anxiety disorders or panic attacks. Vitamin B deficiency also manifests as disturbances in the inner ear, hyperthyroidism, hypoglycemia, and so on. In such a case, intake of vitamin B can solve your problems of anxiety disorder or panic attack.

Cure vitamin deficiency problems, and you will automatically cure anxiety disorders and panic attacks.

4. Phobias

Irrational fears or phobias about certain things, people, or circumstances can lead to a panic attack or anxiety disorder. People might be terrified of water, elevators, fires, heights, and so on. People who never had a phobia in their life might feel that phobias are absurd. However to people suffering from them, phobias are real. These people usually end up suffering from anxiety disorders or panic attacks as well.

5. Drugs

Some drugs can actually cause panic attacks and anxiety disorders. These drugs could be either prescribed or unprescribed. Some drugs comprise chemicals that do not agree with certain individuals. Intake of such drugs will cause irritability and restlessness, two common signs of a panic attack.

The medical world offers zillions of treatment plans for the effective management of anxiety disorders and panic attacks. Therapy offers a long-term solution to these medical problems. If you find it difficult to control a panic attack, do not hesitate to seek professional help. Do some research and find out what alternative health options may be available to you as well.

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Today depression and panic attacks a very common for millions of people around the world. On average, fourteen million Americans suffer from major panic attack and depression. Three million Americans suffer from panic disorder. It is very common for those with major depression to also have panic attacks and elevated anxiety levels. Because panic can mimic other disorders, such as hypoglycemia, heart problems, asthma and many more serious conditions, sufferers who have not been diagnosed with panic disorder can feel afraid and tentative about their health.

If you are having panic attacks, but are unaware, and are also suffering from depression, then the two can aggravate the other until proper treatment is realized. As depression is another difficult illness to properly diagnose and treat, it is imperative to actively find treatment that works for you.

The Results of Panic Attack and Depression

People suffering from depression will feel bored, sad, hopeless, sluggish, alone and unloved. They may suffer from insomnia, and will have elevated anxiety levels. Because of this elevated anxiety, people with panic attack and depression will often experience panic attacks on a normal basis. When someone has more than one panic attack, they can develop a phobia towards the situation, or a fear to return to a specific place. Add in an already depressed view of the world, a worry that others find no worth in you, and you have a recipe for one miserable person.

Health care professionals are learning that the instances of panic attack and depression coinciding together are more common that thought. While not everyone who is depressed will have panic attacks, many people who suffer from panic may very well be depressed. There are certain SSRI antidepressants on the market today that are specifically recommended for use in treating anxiety along with depression.

Many people who suffer from depression do not know it. When someone who experiences panic attack and depression has a panic attack, it can be very frightening. Oftentimes, people in the middle of panic attacks feel like they are going to die, or that will lose their minds and “go crazy”. This can prevent some from seeking treatment, as they do not understand what is happening to them, and fear the worse.

When the panic attack is over and the sufferer feels normal again, they may not think anything of it until it happens again. Many people who suffer from panic attacks do not realize that they are not alone. A person who is experiencing panic attack and depression may feel especially overwhelmed and will aggravate the situation by worrying and inflating the scenario in their mind. They may feel hopeless to the point where they cannot see how treatment would be effective.

Treatment for depression with panic attacks is available and very effective. Through any combination of medication, cognitive-behavior therapy and relaxation techniques, sufferers can gain control of their lives back.

The first thing you always want to do is see your doctor and discuss the symptoms and trouble that you are having. Your doctor will get you on your way to resolving your trouble.

Feel free to visit some of my sites Stop Panic Attacks and Stop Anxiety Attacks

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Panic attacks can have a significant impact in your life and can even interfere with your work and social relationships.  They can range from mild to debilitating, preventing you from going out and doing the things you normally did.  They can also place a dent in your self-esteem.  It is important that you know how to control panic attacks. If you want to conquer your panic attacks, here are some tips on how to control panic attacks:

Find the trigger.

All panic attacks have a trigger.  Find out what yours is . Panic attacks usually occur during times of stress or times when you feel helpless or confined.  Closed spaces and small quarters, for example, can trigger a panic attack.  So will the thought of facing a group of people whether for a meeting, presentation or public speech.

Learn to find the pattern of occurrence of your attacks and you\’ll be better at predicting them.  If you know what causes your panic attacks, you can better prepare for them before they occur and be able to control panic attacks and your negative feelings.

Learn relaxation techniques.

Relaxation techniques help train the mind to control itself in situations where panic attacks usually occur.  By learning to relax, you teach your body to follow your mind and control panic attacks.

Learn meditation or self-hypnosis, which are both effective for helping you clear your mind and reduce muscle tension and heart rate. They also work well with helping you gain better control of your breathing and your reactions in case of another panic attack.  Practice these techniques for at least 20 minutes everyday to control panic attacks.

Learn to breathe properly.

Breathing is the key to learning how to control panic attacks.  Learn the proper technique by lying on a flat surface or sitting on a chair.  By keeping your spine straight and closing your eyes, picture your diaphragm as your center.

Place a hand over the area and draw in a breath slowly, using a count of 5 and then breathe out slowly.  Repeat this for at least 20 times until you find your rhythm and your body begins to relax.  During this exercise, think of being in a peaceful and safe place and repeat to yourself reassuring statements such as, \”I am in a safe place.  Nothing will harm me.  There is no danger to my person.  I am safe.\”

Next time a panic attack threatens you, use this breathing technique to calm yourself.  Regardless of where you are, remember this technique and use it to control panic attacks.

Check your diet.

Diet plays a big part in making you more susceptible to panic and anxiety attacks.  Certain foods like caffeine, salt and nicotine for example, should be taken in moderation.  Caffeine and nicotine are known stimulants and can increase your nervousness and agitation while salt hinders the normal functioning of the nervous system.

Get enough sleep.

If you suffer from panic attacks, make sure you get a good rest every night.  If your body is well rested, your mental and physical abilities are more in tuned to each other when you wake up. You are less likely to react without thinking or give in to panic attacks if you\’re refreshed and feeling in control.

See a doctor.

If your panic attacks are severe, it might be time to seek professional help to control panic attacks. Some symptoms can be too much even for you to handle, in which case you might benefit from prescription medication or even professional counseling to control panic attacks. Don’t be afraid to seek help. You are not alone in your condition and there are a lot of sources you can turn to for assistance if you will only ask.

If you have tried everything and spend a fortune to control panic attacks and yet found no cure, don’t despair. Did you know that you can free yourself from panic attacks today? Regardless of what you have been led to believe acute anxiety and panic attacks can be cured in easy-to-follow steps without any medication using a revolutionary new technique. Put an end to your panic attacks today visit Cure Anxiety and Panic Disorder

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Panic attacks are frightening but fortunately physically harmless episodes. Panic disorder is a common condition in which a person has episodes of intense fear or anxiety that occur suddenly. These episodes–called panic attacks–can last from minutes to hours. They may occur only once in a while, or they may occur quite frequently. They can occur at random or after a person is exposed to various events that may “trigger” a panic attack. Panic disorder sufferers usually have a series of intense episodes of extreme anxiety, known as panic attacks. These attacks typically last 10 minutes however can be short lived- 1-5 minutes as well. Some individuals deal with these events on a regular basis—sometimes daily or weekly. The outward symptoms of a panic attack often cause negative social experiences. As a result, as many as 36% of all individuals with panic disorder also have agoraphobia. At least 1.7% of adult Americans, or about 3 million people, will have panic attacks at some time in their lives. Panic attacks are a period of intense fear in which 4 of 13 defined symptoms develop abruptly and peak rapidly less than 10 minutes from symptom onset.

Some people are affected by frequent panic attacks, a condition known as panic disorder. Panic disorder is thought to be inherited for the most part. People experiencing panic attacks may fear they are dying, that they are suffocating, or that they are having a heart attack. Panic attacks can indicate the presence of panic disorder, depression, or other forms of anxiety-based illnesses. About 5% of the population will experience panic attacks during their lifetimes. A person experiencing a panic attack may believe that he or she is having a heart attack or that death is imminent. The fear and terror that a person experiences during a panic attack are not in proportion to the true situation and may be unrelated to what is happening around them. Panic Disorder can continue for months or even years, depending on how and when treatment is sought. There is also some evidence that many individuals may experience a cessation of symptoms naturally later in life. Panic attacks can occur at any time, even during sleep. Panic attacks are treated with reassurance and relaxation techniques.

Most people get better with treatment. Panic Disorder is real and potentially disabling, but it can be controlled and successfully treated. People frequently go to hospital emergency rooms when they are having panic attacks, and extensive medical tests may be performed to rule out these other conditions, thus creating further anxiety. Tricyclic antidepressants such as imipramine and MAO inhibitors such as phenelzine (Nardil) have also been used, but many individuals experience side effects that are difficult to tolerate. Exposure to the phobia trigger multiple times without a resulting panic attack (due to medication) can often break the phobia-panic pattern, allowing people to function around their phobia without the help of medications. Most stimulant drugs (caffeine, nicotine, cocaine) would be expected to worsen the condition, since they directly increase the symptoms of panic, such as heart rate. Stress-relieving activities such as tai-chi, yoga, and physical exercise can also help ameliorate the causes of panic disorder.

Panic Attack Treatment Tips

1. Tricyclic antidepressants such as imipramine and MAO inhibitors such as phenelzine (Nardil) have also been used.

2. Exposure to the phobia trigger multiple times without a resulting panic attack.

3. Stress-relieving activities such as tai-chi, yoga, and physical exercise can also help ameliorate the causes of panic disorder.

4. Avoid stimulants, such as nicotine and caffeine, which can be found not only in coffee, but many teas, colas and chocolate.

5. Psychotherapy offers support and helps to minimize the fearfulness of symptoms, and sometimes is sufficient to clear up the disorder.

6. Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps people learn to deal with panic symptoms, using techniques like muscle and breathing relaxation.

7. Antidepressants, such as Tofranil, often help reduce anxiety and the frequency and severity of panic attacks.

8. Meta-analyses13-15 support the efficacy of CBT in improving panic symptoms and overall disability.

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The short and obvious answer: panic attacks are caused by high anxiety. But, what exactly is anxiety? Understanding how anxiety crops up will help you defeat panic attacks.

One of the biggest myths surrounding anxiety is that it is harmful and can lead to a number of various life-threatening conditions.

Definition of Anxiety

Anxiety is defined as a state of apprehension or fear resulting from the anticipation of a real or imagined threat, event, or situation. It is one of the most common human emotions experienced by people at some point in their lives.

However, most people who have never experienced a panic attack, or extreme anxiety, fail to realize the terrifying nature of the experience. Extreme dizziness, blurred vision, tingling and feelings of breathlessness—and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

When these sensations occur and people do not understand why, they feel they have contracted an illness, or a serious mental condition. The threat of losing complete control seems very real and naturally very terrifying.

Fight/Flight Response: One of the root causes of panic attacks?

I am sure most of you have heard of the fight/flight response as an explanation for one of the root causes of panic attacks. Have you made the connection between this response and the unusual sensations you experience during and after a panic attack episode?

Anxiety is a response to a danger or threat. It is so named because all of its effects are aimed toward either fighting or fleeing from the danger. Thus, the sole purpose of anxiety is to protect the individual from harm. This may seem ironic given that you no doubt feel your anxiety is actually causing you great harm…perhaps the most significant of all the causes of panic attacks.

However, the anxiety that the fight/flight response created was vital in the daily survival of our ancient ancestors—when faced with some danger, an automatic response would take over that propelled them to take immediate action such as attack or run. Even in today’s hectic world, this is still a necessary mechanism. It comes in useful when you must respond to a real threat within a split second.

Anxiety is a built-in mechanism to protect us from danger. Interestingly, it is a mechanism that protects but does not harm—an important point that will be elaborated upon later.

The Physical Manifestations of a Panic Attack: Other pieces of the puzzle to understand the causes of panic attacks. Nervousness and Chemical Effects…

When confronted with danger, the brain sends signals to a section of the nervous system. It is this system that is responsible for gearing the body up for action and also calms the body down and restores equilibrium. To carry out these two vital functions, the autonomic nervous system has two subsections, the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.

Although I don’t want to become too “scientific,” having a basic understanding of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system will help you understand the causes of panic attacks.

The sympathetic nervous system is the one we tend to know all too much about because it primes our body for action, readies us for the “fight or flight” response, while the parasympathetic nervous system is the one we love dearly as it serves as our restoring system, which returns the body to its normal state.

When either of these systems is activated, they stimulate the whole body, which has an “all or nothing” effect. This explains why when a panic attack occurs, the individual often feels a number of different sensations throughout the body.

The sympathetic system is responsible for releasing the adrenaline from the adrenal glands on the kidneys. These are small glands located just above the kidneys. Less known, however, is that the adrenal glands also release adrenaline, which functions as the body’s chemical messengers to keep the activity going. When a panic attack begins, it does not switch off as easily as it is turned on. There is always a period of what would seem increased or continued anxiety, as these messengers travel throughout the body. Think of them as one of the physiological causes of panic attacks, if you will.

After a period of time, the parasympathetic nervous system gets called into action. Its role is to return the body to normal functioning once the perceived danger is gone. The parasympathetic system is the system we all know and love, because it returns us to a calm relaxed state.

When we engage in a coping strategy that we have learned, for example, a relaxation technique, we are in fact willing the parasympathetic nervous system into action. A good thing to remember is that this system will be brought into action at some stage whether we will it or not. The body cannot continue in an ever-increasing spiral of anxiety. It reaches a point where it simply must kick in, relaxing the body. This is one of the many built-in protection systems our bodies have for survival.

You can do your best with worrying thoughts, keeping the sympathetic nervous system going, but eventually it stops. In time, it becomes a little smarter than us, and realizes that there really is no danger. Our bodies are incredibly intelligent—modern science is always discovering amazing patterns of intelligence that run throughout the cells of our body. Our body seems to have infinite ways of dealing with the most complicated array of functions we take for granted. Rest assured that your body’s primary goal is to keep you alive and well.

Not so convinced?

Try holding your breath for as long as you can. No matter how strong your mental will is, it can never override the will of the body. This is good news—no matter how hard you try to convince yourself that you are gong to die from a panic attack, you won’t. Your body will override that fear and search for a state of balance. There has never been a reported incident of someone dying from a panic attack.

Remember this next time you have a panic attack; he causes of panic attacks cannot do you any physical harm. Your mind may make the sensations continue longer than the body intended, but eventually everything will return to a state of balance. In fact, balance (homeostasis) is what our body continually strives for.

The interference for your body is nothing more than the sensations of doing rigorous exercise. Our body is not alarmed by these symptoms. Why should it be? It knows its own capability. It’s our thinking minds that panic, which overreact and scream in sheer terror! We tend to fear the worst and exaggerate our own sensations. A quickened heart beat becomes a heart attack. An overactive mind seems like a close shave with schizophrenia. Is it our fault? Not really—we are simply diagnosing from poor information.

Cardiovascular Effects Activity in the sympathetic nervous system increases our heartbeat rate, speeds up the blood flow throughout the body, ensures all areas are well supplied with oxygen and that waste products are removed. This happens in order to prime the body for action.

A fascinating feature of the “fight or flight” mechanism is that blood (which is channelled from areas where it is currently not needed by a tightening of the blood vessels) is brought to areas where it is urgently needed.

For example, should there be a physical attack, blood drains from the skin, fingers, and toes so that less blood is lost, and is moved to “active areas” such as the thighs and biceps to help the body prepare for action.

This is why many feel numbness and tingling during a panic attack-often misinterpreted as some serious health risk-such as the precursor to a heart attack. Interestingly, most people who suffer from anxiety often feel they have heart problems. If you are really worried that such is the case with your situation, visit your doctor and have it checked out. At least then you can put your mind at rest.

Respiratory Effects

One of the scariest effects of a panic attack is the fear of suffocating or smothering. It is very common during a panic attack to feel tightness in the chest and throat. I’m sure everyone can relate to some fear of losing control of your breathing. From personal experience, anxiety grows from the fear that your breathing itself would cease and you would be unable to recover. Can a panic attack stop our breathing? No.

A panic attack is associated with an increase in the speed and depth of breathing. This has obvious importance for the defense of the body since the tissues need to get more oxygen to prepare for action. The feelings produced by this increase in breathing, however, can include breathlessness, hyperventilation, sensations of choking or smothering, and even pains or tightness in the chest. The real problem is that these sensations are alien to us, and they feel unnatural.

Having experienced extreme panic attacks myself, I remember that on many occasions, I would have this feeling that I couldn’t trust my body to do the breathing for me, so I would have to manually take over and tell myself when to breathe in and when to breathe out. Of course, this didn’t suit my body’s requirement of oxygen and so the sensations would intensify—along with the anxiety. It was only when I employed the technique I will describe for you later, did I let the body continue doing what it does best—running the whole show.

Importantly, a side-effect of increased breathing, (especially if no actual activity occurs) is that the blood supply to the head is actually decreased. While such a decrease is only a small amount and is not at all dangerous, it produces a variety of unpleasant but harmless symptoms that include dizziness, blurred vision, confusion, sense of unreality, and hot flushes.

Other Physical Effects of Panic Attacks:

Now that we’ve discussed some of the primary physiological causes of panic attacks, there are a number of other effects that are produced by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, none of which are in any way harmful.

For example, the pupils widen to let in more light, which may result in blurred vision, or “seeing” stars, etc. There is a decrease in salivation, resulting in dry mouth. There is decreased activity in the digestive system, which often produces nausea, a heavy feeling in the stomach, and even constipation. Finally, many of the muscle groups tense up in preparation for “fight or flight” and this results in subjective feelings of tension, sometimes extending to actual aches and pains, as well as trembling and shaking.

Overall, the fight/flight response results in a general activation of the whole bodily metabolism. Thus, one often feels hot and flushed and, because this process takes a lot of energy, the person generally feels tired and drained.

Mental Manifestations: Are the causes of panic attacks all in my head? is a question many people wonder to themselves.

The goal of the fight/flight response is making the individual aware of the potential danger that may be present. Therefore, when activated, the mental priority is placed upon searching the surroundings for potential threats. In this state one is highly-strung, so to speak. It is very difficult to concentrate on any one activity, as the mind has been trained to seek all potential threats and not to give up until the threat has been identified. As soon as the panic hits, many people look for the quick and easiest exit from their current surroundings, such as by simply leaving the bank queue and walking outside. Sometimes the anxiety can heighten, if we perceive that leaving will cause some sort of social embarrassment.

If you have a panic attack while at the workplace but feel you must press on with whatever task it is you are doing, it is quite understandable that you would find it very hard to concentrate. It is quite common to become agitated and generally restless in such a situation. Many individuals I have worked with who have suffered from panic attacks over the years indicated that artificial light—such as that which comes from computer monitors and televisions screens—can can be one of the causes of panic attacks by triggering them or worsen a panic attack, particularly if the person is feeling tired or run down.

This is worth bearing in mind if you work for long periods of time on a computer. Regular break reminders should be set up on your computer to remind you to get up from the desk and get some fresh air when possible.

In other situations, when during a panic attack an outside threat cannot normally be found, the mind turns inwards and begins to contemplate the possible illness the body or mind could be suffering from. This ranges from thinking it might have been something you ate at lunch, to the possibility of an oncoming cardiac arrest.

The burning question is: Why is the fight/flight response activated during a panic attack even when there is apparently nothing to be frightened of?

Upon closer examination of the causes of panic attacks, it would appear that what we are afraid of are the sensations themselves—we are afraid of the body losing control. These unexpected physical symptoms create the fear or panic that something is terribly wrong. Why do you experience the physical symptoms of the fight/flight response if you are not frightened to begin with? There are many ways these symptoms can manifest themselves, not just through fear.

For example, it may be that you have become generally stressed for some reason in your life, and this stress results in an increase in the production of adrenaline and other chemicals, which from time to time, would produce symptoms….and which you perceive as the causes of panic attacks.

This increased adrenaline can be maintained chemically in the body, even after the stress has long gone. Another possibility is diet, which directly affects our level of stress. Excess caffeine, alcohol, or sugar is known for causing stress in the body, and is believed to be one of the contributing factors of the causes of panic attacks (Chapter 5 gives a full discussion on diet and its importance).

Unresolved emotions are often pointed to as possible trigger of panic attacks, but it is important to point out that eliminating panic attacks from your life does not necessarily mean analyzing your psyche and digging into your subconscious. The “One Move” technique will teach you to deal with the present moment and defuse the attack along with removing the underlying anxiety that sparks the initial anxiety.

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