Panic attack symptoms are often a sign of another anxiety disorder, usually panic disorder. Based on the latest tally, panic attacks account for no less than 3 million Americans diagnosed or affected by it each year. At least 20 million Americans are expected to experience the symptoms of panic attack at any point of their lives.

The symptoms of panic attacks, while bearing some similarities with those of other anxiety disorders, are very distinct. Symptoms are often unexpected and very sudden, typically unprovoked and very disabling. Symptoms peak within 10 minutes after the initial attack and may settle down a few minutes or a few hours after. In between attacks, suffers typically experience an elevated level of anxiety as they anticipate the proceeding attack.

{How Panic Attacks Develop}

Panic attack symptoms typically lead to a vicious cycle of symptoms. A person who has experienced an attack in a particular situation, for example driving or shopping, may develop irrational fears or phobias directed to that specific situation. Then starts the avoidance behavior that seems to keep the person from being in a similar situation that has first provoked the attack. Eventually, this pattern of fear and avoidance may reach a point at which the person will try to avoid even the mere idea of doing things that were related to the previous attack to prevent triggering any future attacks, resulting in an individual being unable to live a normal life. Try as the patient might to keep panic attacks from occuring, the solution is not in avoiding the situations since episodes of panic attack are by nature a sudden occurrence.

{Psychological and Physiological Symptoms Of Panic Attack}

Panic attacks are essentially based on irrational fear. On top of this, the fear, anxiety and sense of apprehension are all overblown and sometimes not directly connected to the situation. People who experience panic attacks are often aware that their fears are irrational and overblown, nevertheless there is nothing they can do about these as they are often overwhelmed by their fears. Aside from fear, other psychological symptoms of panic attacks include:

{Derealization feelings of unreality}
{Depersonalization}
{Sudden fear of dying}
{Fear of going insane}
{Blank mind}
{Confusion}
{Feeling the need to escape or find escape}
{Sense that the time passes by very slowly}

The psychological symptoms mentioned above are typically accompanied by a number of the following physical symptoms:

{Pounding or racing heart that is described as faster heartbeat or palpitations}
{Chest pain}
{Upset stomach which may be described as abdominal cramping, nausea and abdominal distress}
{Sweating}
{Shaking}
{Weakness}
{Shortness of breath or sensations of being choked or smothered}
{Trouble swallowing or tightness in the throat}
{Feeling unsteady, dizzy, lightheaded or faint}
{Tingling sensations or numbness}
{Hot flashes}
{Headache}

For an attack to qualify as a full-blown panic disorder need not have a complete set of symptoms. Several symptoms that are occurring simultaneously are often enough for a person to be diagnosed with this condition.

An attack is usually preceded by the sense of being drained or worn out. It may take some minutes to hours before the person starts feeling normal. Once the panic attack symptoms subside, the patient may start feeling an intense fear for the next attack.

If such an attack happens at least 3 times in a month, this becomes categorized as a chronic anxiety disorder.

At this point, it is advisable that the person seek the professional advice of a physician to ensure that treatments can be provided if the severity of the condition warrants any. Effectivetreatments that are known to effectively improve people with panic attack symptoms include exposure therapy, CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy, lifestyle medications, and medications.

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