Panic attacks symptoms signs. Terrifying panic attacks: methods of getting rid

The feeling of anxiety or fear is familiar to all of us. This sensation signals that something bad has happened and encourages the body to mobilize to find a way out of the situation. The stress hormones that are being produced at the moment help to mobilize the internal reserves of the body and quickly overcome the obstacle.

Much less common are symptoms such as stool and abdominal pain, frequent urination, impaired hearing and vision, cramps in the limbs and movement disorder.

Features of a panic attack and the development of the disease

The intensity of the attack usually varies over a very wide range, from pronounced panic to constant nervous tension. In a panic attack, both psychological sensations, such as fear and tension, and somatic ones can come to the fore. Very often, patients feel only the somatic component of PA, for example, dizziness, heart pain, shortness of breath, and. Then they first of all go to therapists and cardiologists. Patients in whom the mental component predominates are more likely to consult psychologists and psychotherapists.

The duration of the attacks also varies widely, from a few minutes to several hours. The frequency of seizures is also purely individual. Most often, doctors encounter spontaneous or unprovoked attacks that occur without visible reasons. Sometimes they have a specific reason, for example, being in a closed space, in a crowd, etc.

If a patient at the first visit to a medical institution comes across a not quite qualified doctor who, not finding a pathology, starts treating everything in a row and at random, this can lead to an aggravation of the patient's hypochondriacal moods, convince him of the complexity and incurability of the disease, which will cause an exacerbation of the disease. Therefore, it is very important to visit a psychotherapist if there are signs of PA and if there is no improvement during treatment.

Often, over time, patients develop a fear of a new attack, they anxiously wait for it and try to avoid provocative situations. Naturally, such constant tension does not lead to anything good and attacks become more frequent. Without proper treatment such patients often turn into recluses and hypochondriacs who are constantly looking for new symptoms in themselves, and they will not fail to appear in such a situation.

Classification of panic attacks

To successfully treat panic attacks, you need to understand what they are and what causes them. This will depend right choice treatment method.

Generally, there are three main types of PA:

• Spontaneous panic attacks occur for no apparent reason. With such a PA, it is necessary to pass full examination to rule out the presence somatic diseases. If not, see a psychotherapist.
• Situational PA occur during a specific psychotraumatic situation. You can also contact a psychotherapist without a deep examination, since a person’s fear, which causes all the symptoms, is on the face.
• Conditional-situational PA occur when exposed to a specific chemical or biological stimulus. Such an incentive can be the intake of alcohol or drugs, hormonal surges in different periods, etc. If such a connection can be traced, then you need to contact a specialized specialist.

Treatment for panic attacks

Treatment panic attacks this is a sore point of our medicine, because a panic attack is not really a disease and traditional approaches usually do not help here. The average patient with PA usually goes through a cardiologist and an endocrinologist, and if everything is fine, the most interesting begins - it is necessary to treat, but there is nothing. Then the disease is invented, they write, for example, VVD or something else related to the autonomic nervous system. Also, the problem is often attributed to the brain, finding “convulsive readiness”, “minimal dysfunction”, etc. there. At the same time, quite serious drugs with an impressive list of side effects are often prescribed to an absolutely healthy person. In such a situation, simple "pumping money" in the form of homeopathy, dietary supplements, or To effectively cure panic disorder, you need to understand that this is not infection, which can be cured with an antibiotic, it all depends on the patient. The only drug that can be indicated for PA is a sedative. Sedatives help relieve tension, which reduces the frequency and intensity of seizures. And you can completely get rid of them only by eradicating the cause. Few manage to cope with this without the help of a good psychotherapist.

But everyone can alleviate their condition without a doctor. To do this, you must abandon bad habits, as well as caffeinated products, start leading a more active lifestyle, learn to rest and relax, constantly look for the positive in everything and think less about problems. It is very important to understand that it is impossible to die from a panic attack! It's like dying with fear. If you have been examined and the doctors said that your heart and blood vessels are healthy, this means that you will endure the stresses that occur during an attack of fear easily and without harm to yourself. Even loss of consciousness during PA is rare (almost never).

How to help yourself during a panic attack (Video: "VSD. How not to be afraid")

To defeat a panic attack, remember that they don’t die from this, absolutely nothing will happen to you, it’s just fear, but you don’t Small child to be afraid for no reason.

Don't dwell on your feelings. If you find yourself diligently analyzing your heartbeat, visual clarity, or breathing rate, immediately switch to something else. At this moment, you can stop and examine the window, count the buttons on the coat, remember your first love, the main thing is to think about something else.

If you are at home, you can just lie down on the sofa and, conversely, delve into your feelings. Only without, but with interest, we remember that this does not die. During a panic attack, the perception of sound and color often changes, try to get new sensations, analyze them. It is possible that they are not scary at all, just unusual.

Try to breathe slowly. Rapid breathing provokes hyperventilation, which leads to an increase in feelings of fear, dizziness and disorientation. You can breathe into a fist or a paper bag, this will reduce the level of oxygen in the blood and eliminate dizziness. And always remember, it's just fear and it can be overcome!

panic attack syndrome pathological condition related to neuropsychiatric abnormalities, accompanied by autonomic disorders, sudden paroxysms of uncontrolled anxiety. The manifestation of an attack is not related to the situation, time of day, location. The duration of the state is from 10 to 25 minutes, then the fear disappears as suddenly as it began. The definition of neurosis - "panic attack" - was approved in 1980 and included in the International Classification of Diseases. The syndrome is not an independent pathology, it is only a symptomatology of a number of disorders in the endocrine, autonomic and central nervous system.

The debut in most cases falls on the age of 20-35. Less commonly observed in children and pensioners. Charcot's (French psychiatrist) systematized neurosis for the first time, then the study was continued by the follower Sigmund Freud. In his interpretation, the psycho-neurological state was defined as an “anxious attack”. Through their research, it was concluded that women are five times more likely to experience uncontrollable fear. The main incidence of pathology occurs in megacities. In 70% of cases of suicide, the harbinger was the manifestation of the syndrome.

Causes of a panic attack

Several theories of pathology formation are considered. They relate to deviations of a physiological nature and social prerequisites. The main provocateurs of the manifestation of disturbing paroxysms:

1. An increase in the blood concentration of catecholamines produced by the adrenal glands, which are involved in the stimulation of the nervous system.
2. hereditary predisposition. It was noted that in 20% of cases, close relatives are susceptible to neurosis.
3. Intrapersonal conflicts arising from unfulfilled aspirations, which entail the cumulative effect of stress. After a certain time, at the subconscious level, they are transformed into a neurological anomaly.
4. A behavioral factor in which a state arises due to a perceived danger, and not a real threat. For example, a trip in transport, according to a person, must certainly end in an accident. In this situation, a panic attack begins.
5. Overestimation of one's own feelings, when an ordinary increase in heart rate is perceived as a threat to life.

At the heart of the mechanism that triggers the attack is the increased production of adrenaline. The release of the hormone into the blood occurs in critical situations: a strong fright, a threat to health or life. It is a kind of protective reaction of the body. At elevated level tachycardia is observed arterial pressure, rapid breathing. Manifestations intensify the symptoms of paroxysm, a signal is given to the central nervous system, adrenaline production increases, the circle closes.

A panic attack syndrome is formed for a number of reasons of a psychological or somatic nature. The last prerequisite includes diseases or a physiological condition:

1. Pathologies of the heart muscle (myocardial infarction, ischemia, valve prolapse) are accompanied by severe pain fixed in the subconscious. Symptoms are associated with a threat to life. After the elimination of the underlying disease, the slightest manifestations of symptoms cause a feeling of uncontrollable fear of possible death.
2. endocrine anomalies. A tumor of the adrenal glands (pheochromocytoma) is the cause of hyperproduction of hormones (adrenaline, norepinephrine), which, by narrowing the lumen of blood vessels, cause a hypertensive crisis. High pressure is accompanied by shortness of breath, tachycardia and, as a result, a panic attack. Thyrotoxicosis occurs when there is a dysfunction thyroid gland. Thyroxine production is increased. Given that the hormone, like adrenaline, is a central nervous system stimulant, people with this pathology are in constant mental activity, suffer from lack of sleep, or it is episodic, accompanied by disturbing dreams.
3. Physiological changes: onset of sexual activity, debut menstrual cycle, pregnancy, childbirth. Hormonal restructuring contributes to the development of paroxysms of panic.

Long-term use of medications that stimulate the production of cholecystokinin, a hormone that suppresses anxiety and fear, can cause seizures. Steroid-based drugs, for example, Bemegrid, used in the treatment of alcohol, drug addiction, barbiturate intoxication. side effect their intake are hallucinations and panic attacks.

Psychical deviations

Most neuropsychiatric abnormalities in their symptoms have a panic syndrome. It accompanies:

1. depression. A harbinger of a depressed state in most cases is an anxiety attack, and vice versa, frequent paroxysms cause a deterioration in mood. Increased production of adrenaline leads to a subsequent decline, the lack of the desired concentration of the hormone of joy leads to the development of depression.
2. Mental pathologies of an endogenous nature (schizophrenia, paranoia). These diseases are accompanied by obsessive ideas of persecution or attempt on life, hence attacks of unreasonable fear.
3. Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Constant thoughts about possible infection provoke paroxysms if a person sees a large crowd of people. Belief in the onset of death at night forms a stable panic sleep syndrome, in this case without medical care The patient cannot solve the problem on his own.

Like depression, an attack of uncontrollable anxiety accompanies all kinds of phobias. The cause of the syndrome may be a social factor. This category consists mainly of children and teenagers. They are characterized by a strong fear of passing exams, possible punishment, failure in competitions, and condemnation of peers. More than others, panic attacks are experienced by minors who have been sexually abused or suffer from enuresis.

Risk factors

The following factors are provocateurs of panic fear syndrome:

• unresolved stressful situations;
• insufficient level of material support;
• bad habits: alcohol, tobacco smoking, drugs, caffeinated drinks;
• sedentary lifestyle;
• insufficient amount of time for a night's sleep;
• poor diet;
• the presence of chronic diseases;
• psychological trauma in childhood;
• family foundations, the costs of education;
• transitional age.

Seizures can trigger the following events: betrayal of a loved one, loss of a close relative, failure in labor activity.

Classification and main features

The pathology is divided taking into account the situation of manifestation. Most of them are spontaneous seizures, not tied to a place or event. The next group is situational paroxysms, which are based on a specific cause, usually phobias: fear of heights, closed space, speaking in front of an audience. Conditionally-situational, caused by the influence of alcohol or drugs, this group includes hormonal changes. Panic attack syndrome is accompanied by symptoms that differ slightly depending on the age category.

In adults

The course of the anomaly is not the same for everyone. It depends on the psychotype of the individual and the intensity of the paroxysm. Symptoms are divided into physical and psychological manifestations. Somatic features include:

• rapid contraction of the heart muscle;
• twisting pain in abdominal cavity, vomit;
• sensation of a sharp change of heat to cold;
• respiratory failure, feeling of suffocation;
• dryness of the oral mucosa;
• numbness of the limbs, tremor;
• dizziness, weakness, blurred picture;
• violation of bowel movements (diarrhea, constipation);
• jumps in blood pressure;
• profuse sweating;
• pain behind the sternum on the left side.

Psychological symptoms:

• impending anxiety as a premonition of danger;
• fear of death, illness, injury, insanity;
• loss of orientation in space;
• distortion of sounds, smells, objects;
• slow perception of moving objects;
• pre-fainting state.

The duration of the attack is from 10 to 60 minutes, the frequency of repetitions is from one to several times a week or twice a month. In adults, crises occur at night in 50% of cases. Panic sleep syndrome is formed in people with good self-control over emotions. The harbingers are an excited state in the evening, the inability to fall asleep from overwhelming anxious thoughts. The manifestation of paroxysm falls on the time after midnight. A person wakes up from fear bordering on horror, with a rapid heartbeat and a desire to run away, hide.

In children

Panic syndrome manifests itself from the age of 3-4, when the child becomes capable of understanding the events taking place around him. The main age category subject to attacks of fear are children of the school adolescent group. Symptoms of pathology:

• growing anxiety;
• increased sweating;
• palpitations, shortness of breath;
• impossibility of concentration;
• desire to hide
• loss of control over emotions.

In children, a state of panic may be accompanied by a hysterical cry, wandering eyes, blanching of the skin. In some cases, a state of stupor is observed, the child cannot speak, move, he does not respond to sounds, spasms of the facial muscles are possible. The attack ends with involuntary urination and vomiting.

Dangerous Consequences

The syndrome does not pose a threat to the physiological state, the consequences are psychological in nature. Panic attacks form:

• various phobias;
• depressed mood;
• desire for isolation from society;
• problems in sexual and family life;
• occurrence of depression.

Sometimes, in order to get rid of bouts of fear, an individual resorts to drugs or alcohol. Use aggravates the situation and develops chemical dependence.

Treatment Methods

The therapy is carried out in a complex with the use of psychological correction, prescriptions traditional medicine, pharmacological agents. The first task in a panic attack is the ability to act in the current situation.

First aid

If you need help for a person experiencing severe fear, it is advisable to follow a number of recommendations:

• to draw attention;
• take hands, reassure in a confident tone that there is no danger and they will not leave him alone;
• try to meet the person's gaze and keep his attention;
• conduct joint breathing exercises, consisting of deep breaths and slow exhalations.

After a few minutes, when the symptoms subside, you can release your hands and call the person to a dialogue.

Psychotherapy sessions

The psychotherapist conducts an individual conversation with the patient to find out the nature of fears, the frequency and degree of manifestation of paroxysms. The main direction in the correction of the state is to teach a person to manage emotions. The following methods are used:

• cognitive-behavioral for the patient to accept the problem and reassess the attitude towards it;
• cognitive-behavioral, which includes breathing exercises, the impact on the subconscious with the help of hypnosis. The doctor finds out the cause of fears, gives an attitude towards them;
• Gestalt therapy teaches the individual to analyze in detail the situation of a panic attack and independently find a way out of the crisis.

An innovative method in the treatment of the disease is neurolinguistic programming. It is carried out by modeling the situation that provokes the syndrome. The psychotherapist helps the patient cope with a panic attack, then the actions are analyzed step by step, which helps the person to rethink the attitude to the sensations experienced and the ability to independently manage them.

Preparations

The prescription of medications for panic attack syndrome is included in the course of treatment, medications are selected in accordance with clinical picture. Therapy is based on the use of such drugs:

1. Antidepressants - Melipramine, Anafranil, Desipramine.
2. Tranquilizers to eliminate the attack - "Valium", "Dormicum", "Signopam", "Lorazepam", "Afobazol".
3. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors - Fluoxetine, Zoloft, Fevarin, Citalopram.
4. Atypical antidepressants - Trittiko, Bupropion, Mirtazapine.
5. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors - Moclobemide, Pyrazidol
6. Beta-blockers - Anaprilin, Egilok.
7. Nootropics - Pyritinol, Glycine, Mexidol.

Folk remedies

Help reduce the intensity of paroxysm medicinal plants with a calming effect. To prepare the product, you will need a herbal collection, consisting of valerian, motherwort, peony, Rhodiola rosea in equal parts. For 0.5 liters of water, 4 tablespoons of the ingredient are taken, placed in a steam bath (15 minutes), filtered. Then, 10 drops of Eleutherococcus tincture and the same amount of Valocordin are added to the finished broth. Drink 3 sips every two hours for a course of 14 days.

These states are pronounced phobias, fears and anxieties in combination with somatic (bodily) symptoms(excessive sweating, palpitations, indigestion, etc.).

In psychiatry, panic attacks are neurotic disorders that have an undulating course.

Violations occur in the form of unexpected attacks ( attacks), between them, patients feel good, nothing bothers them and they lead a normal life. The prevalence of this phenomenon today reaches 10% of the population.

The symptoms and treatment of panic neurosis have their own characteristics, which are within the competence of psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists. After a comprehensive examination, specialists develop treatment tactics, and effective methods of how to relieve an attack. Great importance explanatory work of physicians with patients, with the obligatory identification of the root cause of their feeling unwell, which is hidden in the depths of the psyche, and not in physical ailment (it is a consequence of psycho-emotional problems). It is the work with the experiences of patients, their inner mood, worldview and stereotypes that forms therapeutic measures and helps to decide on ways to get rid of panic attacks on your own, forget about neurosis forever and maintain harmony in the soul.

Panic attack video mild form):

The very concept of "psychic attack" appeared in the early 80s in America and quickly took root in world medicine, now it is used in International classification diseases (ICD-10).

Panic attack is in the section on mental and behavioral disorders (V, F00-F99). Subdivision: Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders (F40-F48): Other anxiety disorders(F41): Panic disorder [episodic paroxysmal anxiety] (F41.0).

Causes

Anxiety and panic can occur in people suddenly and completely unexpectedly.

Often provoking factors are:

- stress, mental trauma;
- heavy chronic diseases or urgent surgical interventions;
- change in the usual way of life or place of residence;
- high responsibility in personal life or professional activity;
- abuse of drugs, alcohol;
- features of temperament and character warehouse;
- sensitivity to certain medicine or overdose pharmacological drug;
- rejection of criticism from other people;
- heredity;
- the state of the hormonal background;
- low adaptive abilities and difficulties with development in a new place (How to fall asleep? Establish the usual rhythm of life? Calm down excitement?);
- physical or mental fatigue, excessive stress on the body;
- lack of proper rest (sleep disturbances, work without holidays, etc.).

Symptoms and signs

The state of anxiety and fear during panic attacks has a wave-like character. His hallmarks are:

- a growing increase in the negative perception of reality, excruciating fear and panic, reaching a certain threshold, after which there is a decline in emotions and discomfort;
- a combination of emotional intensity with physical ill health, painful symptoms in many organs and systems;
- a feeling of "emptiness", "brokenness" and confusion after the end of the attack.

Panic attacks, the symptoms (signs) of which include autonomic complaints, similar to manifestations of vascular dysfunctions (VSD, arterial hypertension) and mental illness. However, these states have a clear time limit, they take from 5 minutes to 1 hour. After the end of the attack, health and patients are fully restored. In addition, no organic or pronounced functional disorders with an objective examination (X-ray, ultrasound, hormonal tests, laboratory tests) is not found.

Types of panic attacks

1. An attack similar to a cardiovascular crisis. In these cases, patients complain of palpitations, heart rhythm disturbances, a feeling of increased blood pressure (feeling of constriction in the head, mild nausea, heaviness in the sternum, inability to breathe).

2. An attack as a mental disorder. Here, there are: loss of orientation in space, impaired coordination, internal trembling, chaotic speech, a feeling of "coma in the throat" or fainting, various fears or phobias.

3. An attack resembling a dyspeptic disorder. It occurs with an increase or decrease in gastric peristalsis, decreased appetite, bloating, obsessive belching or hiccups.

In any form of these disorders, at the peak of panic and fear, people lose their usual concentration of attention, do not know what to do at the time of an attack, rush around the room or, on the contrary, freeze in one position, waiting for the end of the disorder.

Most often, with a panic attack, there is a combination of various somatic symptoms: neurotic, vascular, respiratory and digestive.

The most common symptoms panic states are:

- severe sweating, feeling cold or hot in the body;
- intense anxiety or total fear (death, illness, loss of personality);
- tremor and trembling in any part of the body;
- nausea, urge to vomit (defaecation, urination), pain and heaviness in the stomach or intestines;
- a feeling of dryness in the throat, nasal passages, on the surface of the skin;
- paresthesia.

Test

Diagnosis of panic attacks is carried out with a study of indicators of the physical and mental health of patients.

Due to the fact that the somatic signs of this condition are also observed in cardiac, respiratory, gastric or intestinal pathologies, and also occur in chest and cervical osteochondrosis, held differential diagnosis with them (ultrasound, MRI, ECG, gastroscopy, blood and urine tests, etc.).

Questioning patients with the help of psychodiagnostic questionnaires and tests allows us to assume the presence of neurosis and identify it. characteristics. They investigate the presence of patient complaints about sudden attacks fear, excitement, horror, their frequency and intensity, as well as the presence of sensations of rapid breathing and heartbeat, digestive disorders, changes in clarity of perception, impaired concentration, decreased mood background, bodily and mental discomfort.

Tests for panic attacks help to identify the degree of people's control over the situation during attacks, the level of awareness of the problem, ways that help patients deal with sudden fears and anxiety.

As a result of the analysis of individual data of patients, psychotherapists and psychiatrists make recommendations for the correction of these conditions, give advice on how to calm down during an unexpected attack and restore mental balance after it.

How to fight?

A lot of methods have been created in psychiatry to quickly relieve an attack:

1. Normalization of breathing. For people suffering from sudden panic attacks, special exercises have been developed to slow down breathing (smooth exhalations and inhalations, breathing in a square, etc.). Such complexes allow you to focus on the normalization of breathing and distract from the internal clamp, fear and anxiety.
2. Auto-training, with an emphasis on relaxing the whole body and concentrating pleasant sensations in it.

3. Kinesio taping for panic attacks is based on the use (gluing) of special tapes (teips), which help to evenly distribute the load on skin, relaxing them and reducing excess tension in the body.
4. Training sessions (art therapy, symbol-drama, dolphin therapy and other types of psychotherapy) help to normalize the emotional background of mood, relieve mental pressure, and reduce the effects of stress and trauma.
5. Antidepressants and anxiolytics, these tablets have the ability to normalize the activity of the nervous system and improve mental processes. These include drugs such as:, Sonopax, Afobozol, and others.

Usage modern methods treatment of panic attacks allows you to effectively deal with them with the help of psychotherapeutic techniques, innovative techniques and pharmacological agents.

Their timely identification and appeal to a psychiatrist helps many people get rid of adversity, return to an active and fulfilling life.

Video:

Feeling fear is an absolutely normal ability of the body, which produces the hormone adrenaline, designed to protect a person from external negative influences. When ejected a large number the hormone of fear in the blood pressure rises, the heart rate increases, the level of oxygen increases (it is impossible to breathe deeply), and other symptoms appear. These factors increase strength, endurance, excitement - all that a person needs when faced with danger.

But what if sweating, cooling or numbness of the limbs and face, incessant and illogical fear suddenly overcame the body, without objective reasons (no real threat to life)? An unprepared person is lost, believing that such symptoms are the result of a serious illness. Consider the picture of the symptoms of panic attacks and find out how they are associated with different phobias.

Primary symptoms of a panic attack

A characteristic feature of the first panic attack is its unpredictability: it is impossible to predict in advance when and where a panic attack will begin. It all starts with the fact that some phenomena or events around are unreasonably perceived by a person as dangerous. The main cause of a panic attack appears - fear. Adrenaline causes the primary primary symptoms of panic disorder: cardiopalmus and labored breathing.

Secondary symptoms of a panic attack

There are quite a lot of them - more than 30 species. Ultimately, the appearance and development of certain symptoms comes down to what the person himself focuses on. Fear of certain consequences and provokes further repetitions of panic attacks.

Fear for one's life (thanatophobia - fear of death)

This includes physiological symptoms that the patient suspects may lead to death:

1. Cardiophobia (fear of cardiac arrest): rapid heartbeat; chest tightness; pain in the solar plexus; high blood pressure; causeless trembling; tension in the body, it is impossible to relax the muscles.
2. Anginophobia (fear of suffocation) and fear of fainting: difficulty breathing; in chest and throat; it is impossible to catch your breath, take a deep breath; dizziness; nausea; rapid pulse; weakness in the knees; noise in ears; tightness in the temples; blurred vision; dryness and lump in the throat.
3. Fear of gastrointestinal disease (including fear of getting cancer): pain in the abdomen; frequent urge to go to the toilet; belching; nausea; spasms and pain in the intestines.

These are the main types physiological symptoms that selectively manifest in people with panic attacks.

Fear for your psyche (normality, adequacy)

Fear go crazy, losing control of your mind and body dominate this category of panic symptoms:

1. Depersonalization. This is a mental feeling that the body does not belong to a person. He can look at himself from the outside, but he is not able to control the body. Additional physiological symptoms: heaviness in the body, wadded legs, numbness of the extremities, cold hands, stiffness of movements.
2. Derealization. Inability to think clearly and logically, inability to realize where a person is, what he is doing, why he is standing here, etc. The reality around is distorted, tunnel thinking may appear, visual distance of objects, a change in their color, size, etc. From the side of the body : scattered attention, inability to focus on objects, muscle tension, foggy eyes.

During this period, the patient is afraid of losing control of himself and believes that such symptoms will lead him to insanity.

Fear of the reaction of others

This category also applies to psychological symptoms, but expresses itself in physiological aspect , i.e., combines the above-mentioned first and second groups. The patient is afraid that people around him will notice the following external changes in a person subject to a panic attack:

1. Increased sweating.
2. Hand tremor, trembling in the body, weakness.
3. Stiffness in movements, heaviness of the limbs (impossible to raise a hand without trembling).
4. Redness of the face, spots on the neck and chest.
5. Labored breathing.

In fact, the patient himself adds fuel to the fire, thinking that people around him will notice similar symptoms. Practice shows that a person worries first of all about his own appearance and rarely pays attention to other people.

Atypical manifestations of panic attacks

They are less common than typical and are mostly physiological in nature. As a result, they can mislead the patient and the doctor:

1. Muscle tension, cramps.
2. Obvious gait disturbance.
3. Sensation of arching of the body.
4. Aphasia (obvious disturbances in speech).
5. Hysteria, depression, feeling of hopelessness.

Unreasonable crying is rare and can be confused with PMS in women with signs of pregnancy, with disturbances in the hormonal system. For clarification, please contact a specialist.

The difference between the symptoms of panic and those similar to other diseases

The final diagnosis is made by a doctor who specializes in panic attacks, because under the guise mental disorder another disease may be hiding. There are a number of common characteristics that will help to distinguish between symptoms of a similar series. We list the features of the state during a panic attack:

1. Duration. All symptoms disappear as suddenly as they appeared - at the end of the attack.
2. Pain sensations. With a psychosomatic illness, pain occurs unexpectedly, is local in nature (does not move to other parts of the body) and quickly disappears.
3. Difficulty breathing. If there are additional symptoms (abdominal pain, stiffness) is a symptom of panic disorder.
4. Time. Average duration panic attack - 15–20 minutes. The peak of the attack comes at the 10th minute.
5. Tingling in limbs, numbness. It is not localized on one arm or leg, but affects several parts of the body at once.

it general characteristics, which does not take into account many individual manifestations of panic in different people.

Panic attack in children and adolescents

As a rule, it is a consequence of two factors:

1. Social. Fear of surrounding people, confined spaces, strong emotional upheavals can cause panic in school-age children.
2. Hormone. It occurs in children from 11 to 17 years old, is a consequence of hormonal changes and body renewal. Accompanied by increased tearfulness, attacks of aggression, inability to adequately assess the situation, etc.

Parents can influence the state of their child. First, during a panic attack, you should calm him down, show that you are in complete control of the situation. In no case do not shout at the child and do not punish him! Such behavior will only worsen the situation, the teenager will withdraw into himself, and panic disorders will visit him even more often.

The next step for parents should be to take their child to the doctor. Mild drugs and cognitive therapy are usually prescribed.

Consequences of panic attacks

Contrary to popular belief, it should be noted that this disease has a psychological basis, which means that it does not bear physiological consequences. However, a person's condition may worsen over time, panic attacks will become more frequent, their character will be more intense. In order not to bring yourself to a neurosis, you should consult a psychiatrist.

The emotional sphere of a person is rich and diverse, and the orientation of dominant emotions depends on the characteristics of the psycho-neurological system, the body's reflexes to internal and external factors and pathogens. The more stable the human psyche, the more positive emotions in his life. However, negative reactions of the psycho-emotional sphere, such as discontent, fear, irritation and disappointment, are inherent human emotions. Some people experience them and successfully forget them, while for others the feeling of experienced fear returns with regular repetition, worsening the quality of life.

In this article we will talk about panic, which can be not only an ordinary negative emotion, but also be an indicator of serious problems in the nervous, psychological and emotional spheres of the body. Consider what panic attacks are, their symptoms and treatment, why they do not bother some people and cause significant discomfort to others.

Causes of panic attacks

There is not a single person on the globe who has not experienced a feeling of fear at least once in his life. With such a protective reflex, the body responds to any inexplicable, unknown, dangerous or disturbing phenomenon. Most often, the feeling of fear disappears without a trace, as soon as the negative stimuli disappear, the person realizes that he is safe. Such precedents are considered an adequate reaction of the body to negative situations, they are explained by the standard instinct of self-preservation, which works in unforeseen conditions.

Another thing is when fear begins to haunt a person, manifesting itself systematically again after an experienced situation. Each time, such reactions of the body are often more intense, formed unmotivated, and fear from an ordinary emotion turns into a panic attack.

Panic influxes of fear significantly worsen the quality of life of a sick person who is afraid to re-suffer an attack, feels insecure, begins to fear for his physiological state, and sometimes even thinks that he is simply “going crazy”. Why, then, some people can survive stress and forget about it forever, while others return life again and again to the previously experienced state. Despite the insufficient study of the effect of panic, scientists identify several types of reasons that are the reason for the recurrence of panic attacks: factors of a physiological, psychological and social nature.

The causes of panic attacks of a physiological or somatic class are considered the most explicable and rational precedents. Fear of a somatic type evolves against the background of diseases that a person has, which are intractable or chronic ailments. In such a situation, the patient begins to fear for his life, thoughts about his health do not leave his head, and the body, through an excess of negative emotions, is protected by panic counteraction. The most common physiological pathologies that can cause systematic panic fear are heart disease of a complex category, hormonal changes in the body, or uncontrolled intake. medicines with a lot of side effects.

Reasons of a psychological nature can also become factors in the occurrence of causeless panic. These factors include phobias, serious mental disorders, which include paranoia or schizophrenia, regular depression. And also a panic attack can evolve against the background of a previously experienced dangerous situation that led to injury. In this case, a person has a fear of re-experiencing an unpleasant precedent, and a panic attack progresses under conditions that even minimally resemble the experience.

Social causes include fear of the upcoming important business, fear of failure or failure, ridicule from others. Often, panic fear against the background of social factors progresses in adolescents who are more emotional, only learning to adapt to the variability and troubles of society and idealize the opinions of their peers.

Symptoms of panic attacks

To understand that it is panic attacks that haunt a person, and not ordinary fear, as a standard reaction to negative factors, it is important to know the symptoms that indicate pathology. The symptoms of the disease, as well as the causes, medicine classifies into several types, depending on which area of ​​the body suffers most during periods of attacks. Figuratively, the severity of the disease is divided into the following categories: mental signs, physiological consequences, hidden or masking symptoms. The symptomatology of the physiological class manifests itself most often against the background of multiple diseases. The most common symptoms of panic attacks in this category are:

1. From the side of the heart and vascular systems may be manifested by a feeling of lack of air, shortness of breath, pain in the region of the heart, headaches or dizziness.
2. Excessive sweating, which is accompanied by a feeling of heat or bouts of cold.
3. Discomfort from the gastrointestinal tract is most often manifested by nausea, often with bouts of vomiting, stool disorders.
4. Frequent urination.
5. Feeling of dryness in the mouth.

Physiological symptoms most often appear spontaneously and disappear after a few minutes. The most common psychological symptoms of panic include:

1. Unexplained feelings of anxiety or life threatening danger.
2. Desire to disappear, hide in a secluded place.
3. Deformation of the perception of the surrounding world, a feeling of detachment from what is happening.
4. Body numbness, inability to move.

Such symptoms may appear against the background of a previous nervous shock or in conditions that remind a person of negative, previously experienced precedents. The most rare is the symptomatology of a camouflage-type panic attack. In such situations, manifesting panic can be recognized by temporary, complete or partial loss of hearing, voice or vision, impaired coordination, convulsive conditions. It is important that during such attacks a person may not feel unpleasant emotions, and the symptoms are not accompanied by the usual fear or a sense of danger.

If a person has more than four symptoms at the same time, which are described above, then it is most likely that he has intensified an attack of a panic attack. This condition requires a mandatory referral to specialists to diagnose and eliminate the problem, since, according to statistics, such attacks tend to recur with a high frequency, negatively affecting the quality of life. Without rational treatment, people withdraw into themselves, try to avoid society, and sometimes they may even have suicidal thoughts.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of any psychological and neurological disorders in medicine is based on the principle of exclusion of diseases that can provoke similar symptoms. The diagnosis of panic attacks is no exception. Initially, the patient is sent for a variety of studies:

1. An electrocardiogram and ultrasound of the heart help to weed out the presence of cardiac problems, or other anomalies of the heart and blood vessels.
2. An examination of the brain using magnetic resonance imaging makes it possible to exclude the presence of neoplasms in the head, which can similarly affect a person's health.
3. Ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs can detect or exclude the presence of epigastric bleeding.

Additionally, in order to make a diagnosis, the patient will need to be examined by narrow medical specialists, as well as consult a psychiatrist to rule out mental illness.

If the above studies did not reveal specific pathologies of organs and systems, then the patient can be diagnosed with "panic attacks" under the following conditions:

1. The patient's complaints correspond to the symptoms of panic fear, the patient, when characterizing the precedent, describes more than four signs characteristic of the disease.
2. The attack was repeated more than once.
3. The attack is accompanied by emotions that quickly intensify from ordinary fear to the most complex internal discomfort.
4. The panic reflex lasts at least ten minutes.

Based on the studies of the body and the history of the pathology, the patient is diagnosed, and the class of panic attacks is determined, depending on which the methodology for treating the disease varies.

Classification

Medicine tends to distribute panic attacks into several categories depending on their causal-situational determinism:

1. Spontaneous or spontaneous panic attacks are characterized by an inexplicable occurrence that has no dynamism or conditioning. Fear in a person appears for no reason, it can occur in a calm mode and even during sleep. A psychotherapist is engaged in the treatment of an ailment of this class after the exclusion of other pathologies in the body.
2. Situational panic occurs in a person under certain conditions. Most often, fear progresses when the patient gets into a situation that previously existed in his life, which provoked mental instability. This may, for example, be a kind of fire after a fire experienced, a fear of an enclosed space, or, conversely, getting into a crowded room. Such panic reactions are also treated by a psychotherapist, however, most often this is not preceded by an in-depth diagnosis of the body, the diagnosis is made almost immediately after the patient goes to the doctor.
3. Conditionally-situational attacks of fear are based on the processes of biological or chemical influence on the body. Most often, panic attacks progress against the background of alcohol or drug abuse, radiation exposure, unauthorized use of potent medicines, hormonal disorders in the body. In such cases, the causal relationship of the occurrence of syndromes, their dynamism, can be traced, and specialized specialists are involved in the treatment of this type of panic, for which the previous provocateurs were identified.

Methodology for the treatment of panic attacks

The dilemma of how to treat panic attacks is difficult not only for the average person, but also for the luminaries of medicine. The fact is that the relationship between the psycho-emotional sphere of a person and his nervous system is not a fully studied science, it has many unproven and unexplored areas. When a person comes to a medical institution with a problem that does not imply obvious physiological abnormalities, then doctors, on the one hand, need to be treated, since the symptoms indicate the presence of a disease, on the other hand, there is nothing to treat, because all organs are functioning normally.

In this situation and psychotherapists come to the rescue which help a person with the help of special techniques to plunge into their inner world, understand the nature of fear, teach to live with it or contribute to its awareness and overcoming.

Psychotherapeutic practice provides for the following techniques to deal with panic fears:

1. Individual conversations in order to establish psycho-emotional contact with the patient, to identify the cause of his fears.
2. Hypnosis different types used by psychotherapists to return a person to a situation that provoked stress, and to find options for solving this problem.
3. Inclusion of the patient in group activities where people with identical fears meet. With the help of special techniques and exercises, collectively, under the guidance of a doctor, patients learn to cope with panic situations, adapt, and correctly perceive the inner world and external factors.

Sometimes doctors, in parallel with psychological tactics, also use drug therapy. In nature, there is no single cure for panic attacks, so the patient can be prescribed remedies whose effects are focused on eliminating the symptoms of fear. Most often, in order to get rid of panic attacks, sedatives are prescribed that stabilize the functioning of the nervous system; in more difficult situations, the patient may be prescribed tranquilizers or antidepressants that reduce anxiety and block the progression of attacks.

It is important to understand that it is strictly forbidden to prescribe these categories of drugs for yourself, since they have a lot adverse reactions, and if the dosage is incorrect, it will only aggravate the state of health.

In addition, when taking tranquilizers or antidepressants, it is important to adhere to the diet recommended by doctors, as well as categorically refuse alcohol, which can provoke relapses of the pathology. A visit to a psychotherapist, following the doctor's recommendations, with the parallel intake of drugs that block seizures, can stabilize the activity of a person's psycho-emotional sphere, reduce the number of new seizures.

Many people who suffer from an illness ask their doctor if it is possible to get rid of panic attacks forever? No doctor can give a definite answer to this question. In most cases, everything depends not on the doctor, even if he has extensive experience working with such pathologies, but on the patient himself. Only the patient's great desire to overcome panic, the desire for recovery can guarantee his complete deliverance from the problem. In addition, it is important for the patient to independently work on himself and his psyche, to observe a healthy lifestyle in order to achieve the desired results.

How to deal with panic attacks on your own?

A specialist can help overcome the outbreak of a panic attack that happened in the doctor's office, however, as practice shows, such precedents most often arise spontaneously when you do not expect them. Most often in such situations there is no qualified psychotherapist nearby. In order to eradicate completely inexplicable attacks of fear, it is important to understand how to deal with panic attacks on your own.

To do this, you need to be psychologically and morally prepared for the next attack, adequately understand that a panic attack is not a fatal precedent, it does not pose a serious threat. During the start of a panic attack, the patient perceives everything that happens to him, can control his actions, because his correct reaction to fear can block the further development of the attack.

The main rule for stabilizing one's condition is to maintain external and internal peace. How to do this when fear fills the whole body? First of all, you need to take a comfortable position, if possible, it is advisable to lie down, in the absence of such an option, you can simply sit down more comfortably. Next, you need to try to relax your body and take a few long deep breaths and exhalations.

Rinsing the face, hands and neck with cool water will help to overcome panic attacks. You can also drink a small amount of cool, sweetened water. Such procedures quickly return a person to reality. It helps to overcome fear on your own in the initial stages by switching your attention to any surrounding objects: for this purpose, you can simply start counting the buttons on your clothes or silently pronounce a verse learned by heart.

In order to prevent new attacks, you can master meditation techniques, start playing sports and monitor your daily routine, in particular, devote enough time to rest, go to bed at the same time, no later than ten in the evening.

Positive emotions have a positive effect on the body, displacing negative ones. psychological states. Pleasant communication is a great alternative for people who are prone to panic attacks, the ability to overcome panic and loneliness that provokes it.

Rational breathing at the time of the attack helps to successfully overcome the coming fear. From a physiological point of view, this fact is explained by the fact that when fear intensifies, a person begins to breathe hastily, this provokes hyperventilation of the lungs, the consequence of which is oxygen starvation leading to an increase in anxiety. Often, the onset of an attack makes itself felt by the symptoms of a sensation of a lump in the throat, shortness of breath, and the occurrence of shortness of breath. In the first few minutes, a person can control their behavior, so it is important to know what to do at the time of a panic attack in order to begin to take effective measures and prevent loss of self-control.

The most popular and effective breathing exercises that help overcome rising panic are:

1. Lie on a horizontal hard surface, put your hands on your stomach in order to more clearly feel the periods of inflow and outflow of air. It is important to focus on each inhalation and exhalation. We must try to take deep long breaths, and exhalations of the same duration. Full slow inhalations and exhalations contribute to the restoration of normal heart rate which has a positive effect on reducing fear.
2. You can complicate the task by taking deep breaths under the internal calculation to four, and a leisurely exhalation under the reverse count from four to one.
3. The next task: learn to synchronize breathing and heart rate. To do this, you need to feel your pulse, take a leisurely breath during the first four heartbeats, the next four beats - a long full exhalation. Thus, a person begins to hear his body, regulate not only breathing, but also heartbeat, reducing the feeling of fear.

During breathing exercises it is important to breathe, but not chest- so the body is saturated with oxygen faster, and fear leaves the person. In addition, it is useful to work out such a breathing practice not only at the onset of an attack, but also as a daily exercise in order to improve the cardiovascular and nervous systems.

Phytotherapy

The question of how to deal with panic attacks has an answer and phytotherapy as a separate branch of modern pharmacology. This method of treatment is based on taking decoctions of healing herbs that have a beneficial effect on nervous system to prevent panic attacks. The most popular and effective herbs are mint and lemon balm, as well as linden inflorescences. They can be taken both in the form of single-component infusions, and in combination with other medicinal herbs.

The following recipes are most effective:

1. Linden flowers in the amount of one spoon must be poured with a glass of boiling water and insisted for ten minutes. You can drink with honey, no more than three times a day.
2. Mix fifty grams of lemon balm, lavender flowers, valerian and hawthorn fruits with chamomile flowers and angelica root, taken in twenty grams. Four tablespoons of the resulting grass mixture should be poured with a liter of boiling water and left to infuse for several minutes. Drink two hundred grams, twice a day.
3. Mix linden, lemon balm and hawthorn in equivalent proportion. Pour a spoonful of grass mixture with a glass of boiling water and let it brew. Drink the prepared potion three times a day.
4. Mix chamomile, cumin seeds, marjoram and mint leaves. To prepare a drink, you need to take a spoonful of grass mixture in a glass of boiling water. The prepared potion should be consumed before eating half a glass.

The phytotherapeutic treatment cycle should last at least one month to achieve the required effectiveness. Despite the relative safety of herbal treatment, before using decoctions and infusions, you must first consult with your doctor. Some herbs may not work with prescribed medications.

Emotional Help

Science has proven that an emotionally resilient person will almost never be a hostage to fear and panic. However modern life It is arranged in such a way that not everyone can boast of an excellent emotional state and psycho-neurological stability. How to calm down during a panic attack, when the brain is absorbed by the surging negative emotions How can I get them out of my head?

There is no unequivocal technique for training the emotional sphere or a way out of this situation. Some doctors recommend reassuring yourself that it is not dangerous, it will pass soon, while others advise accepting and becoming aware of a panic attack, thus, having experienced emotional stress, learn to no longer be afraid of it.

As for the emotional support of the patient from relatives or others, the situation here is more unambiguous. The patient must be supported with pleasant words, be near, in no case shout and escalate the situation. It is necessary to tell something pleasant, try to switch his attention, resurrect pleasant moments in his memory, try to make him smile.

Folk remedies

Since fear and panic appear against the background of somatic and psychological changes in the body, most often people who are prone to regular attacks are ashamed to go to doctors, consider such precedents a sign of their inferiority, which is hard to say even for doctors. This perception of the problem makes patients look for options on how to get rid of panic attacks with the help of traditional means on one's own.

Despite its proven effectiveness in curing many health problems, it is almost impossible to cope with panic attacks by using them alone. Of course, you can drink decoctions of herbs or their infusions, calming the nervous system, learn proper breathing techniques on your own, regulate the daily routine, take baths with herbs that have a positive effect on the human nervous system. However, in a situation with panic attacks, such methods may not be enough, since the problem of panic outbreaks can be hidden in the deep subconscious of a person, and only a qualified specialist can help to get it, understand and perceive it adequately.

Summing up

The modern rhythm of life and the unstable socio-economic situation are often the reasons for the development of psycho-emotional instability in a person, against which panic attacks can evolve. Panic attacks are pathologies that are safe for human life. Despite this, the disease requires mandatory treatment, as it tends to significantly aggravate the quality of life, being displayed in all its areas. The sooner you turn to a psychotherapist, the easier it will be to cope with attacks and prevent their recurrence.