Causes of Panic Attacks

The first step in curing anxiety and panic attacks is understanding what they are and what causes them.

Experts have many schools of thought as to why and what causes panic attacks and panic disorders. Some of these potential reasons are discussed further below:

The DSM IV (diagnostic manual) mentions that those who experience panic attacks have a genetic pre-disposition to panic attacks as quite often, this disorder can be traced through families. Studies suggest that a person with a family history of panic attacks and anxiety disorders is more likely to experience panic attacks and panic disorder than someone without a family history of these issues. Physiological researchers believe that a chemical imbalance in the brain may be involved in the development of an anxiety disorder however it is still uncertain whether this imbalance is the cause or result of the disorder. A behaviorist favors the view that panic disorders are a learned behavior, while psycho-analysts believe that anxiety and panic stem from unresolved issues from the past.

Panic attacks are also associated with either a build-up of stress, or a major life transition or stress such as a death in the family, going to college, major trauma or illness, pregnancy, childbirth, divorce, unemployment, moving country and a traffic accident. The onset of these attacks does not necessarily occur immediately following a major life stress, but can occur some time later. As in the case of a build-up of stress or living with high levels of stress for a long period of time, the first attack, which is usually spontaneous, may even occur where there appears to be no obvious trigger such as when watching television or having a bath. A person’s inability to connect the attack to a stressful event contributes to their fear of having another attack. This “fear of fear” may be present most of the time, and can be extremely disabling.

Some people may experience panic attacks as part of another disorder or illness. For example, someone who suffers with asthma may have a panic attack as a result of feeling breathless. In these cases, the panic attacks are a secondary affect to the primary condition and they often subside with treatment of the primary condition. Other health problems may also cause panic attacks such as an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), or heart problems. Other factors which have been known to cause panic attacks include depression or other mood disorders; alcohol abuse; using too much nicotine or too much caffeine as well as using illegal drugs such as marijuana or cocaine. The abuse of these substances may cause irrational thoughts to seem real, making the user sensitive to perceived danger whether real or imagined.

There are also several common situations that could trigger a panic attack. These include:

• Phobias -When a person has a phobia, they are more likely to suffer a panic attack when faced with the object of their fear. For example, a person who has a fear of spiders may experience a panic attack if they encountered a spider in their home.
• Social Events – People who are faced with an extremely intimidating public situation, such as a party, where they do not know anyone or being asked to speak in front of an audience, may experience a panic attack.
• Crowds and Enclosed Spaces – Large crowds, especially in tight spaces, such as an elevator or crowded shopping mall or bus, can cause a person to have a panic attack. A person might feel smothered or trapped by being surrounded by a large number of people, or they may fear that the crowd will get in their way if they needed to escape.
• Anxiety – Someone who is already predisposed toward being overanxious is more likely to look at certain situations with a sense of panic. This heightened awareness of anxiety can make them more vulnerable to panic attacks.

The Fight-Or-Flight Response

The body has a natural response when you are stressed or in danger. It speeds up your heart, makes you breathe faster, and gives you a burst of energy. This is the body’s survival mechanism to prepare us to either stand and face the source of a threat, or to run away. When this response is triggered, the hormone adrenalin races through the body and all systems not necessary to either escape or fight are shut down. This is called the fight-or-flight response and it gets you ready to either cope with or run away from danger. A panic attack occurs when this response happens when there is no danger.

The fight-or-flight response makes perfect sense if one is confronted with an external threat to one’s safety. For example, if we are attacked then this response enables us to fight back or to move quickly out of harm’s way. With panic attacks and disorders, the fight-or-flight response is often felt in anticipation of a feared situation or the fear of having an attack. In the same way, the fear which arises from a spontaneous or un-cued panic attack will trigger the fight-or-flight response. The typical symptoms of this response include; a racing heartbeat, heart palpitations, rapid breathing, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, loss of bladder control, trembling, excessive perspiration, flushed face, pins and needles, light headed-ness, dizziness and feeling faint and a lump in the throat. These symptoms may lead to additional distress and extend the attack over a longer period. Even after the initial panic attack has subsided, a person can still feel very frightened which in turn can activate the fight-or-flight response, sometimes for hours. A disorder can occur when panic attacks and/or anxiety symptoms are not successfully managed.

It is clearly evident that there is no one single cause of a panic attack and each case of panic attack is different and while a single panic attack may only last a few minutes, the effects of the experience can be debilitating. The memory of the intense fear and terror that you felt during the attacks can negatively impact your self-confidence and cause serious disruption to your everyday life. The main factor affecting whether a person who experiences panic attacks goes on to develop an anxiety disorder is education and effective anxiety management strategies and tools.

No matter what the cause or the reason you have experienced the frightening effects of a panic attack or an anxiety attack, there are various techniques and methods that will ensure that you break the cycle of anxiety and that you never fear another panic attack again.