Have you ever suffered from a panic attack (panic disorder)? If so, you know how much it can impact your life. Some people have stopped leaving their homes. Others prefer to drive thousands of miles in their cars just to avoid flying. Alternatively, they stay in jobs they hate, because they fear that some travelling might be involved in a new job.
Why Do Some People Suffer From Panic Attacks?
It's normal to feel fear in dangerous situations. When we are faced with a real danger, we react in a certain way.
Imagine a caveman, who's on his way out to hunt. He waves cheerio to his wife and fourteen kids, and he walks towards a water pit, where he knows there normally are lots of juicy deer around. While he's walking, he's already imagining the smell of the meat sizzling over a slow fire, and water fills his mouth.
Stop! A sudden movement makes him freeze. His mouth is suddenly as dry as a desert on a sunny afternoon, and his heart is beating at an alarming pace. A few steps beside him, he sees a puma getting ready to jump. It's clear that to this huge cat, our caveman looks like fast food.
His legs start to shake, and he can hardly breathe. Nausea fills his stomach, and he hears no sound. Everything turns black for his eyes for a second. His hands, holding the spear, are sweaty, and cold sweat is gliding from his neck, down his spine.
The caveman doesn't know how long he stands frozen like that. Then, without thinking, he turns around and runs the fastest he's ever run before in his entire life.
Pounding and sweating, he reaches the cave. He grabs a stick and jogs it into the fire just inside, and he threatens the puma with it.
The huge cat sees its defeat, turns around, and walks back where it came from.
You see, the fear that this caveman experienced, was based on a real danger. He was about to get killed and eaten by a huge cat.
A panic attack (panic disorder) occurs under different circumstances. Although the danger is real to the mind of the suffering person, it's not real to anybody else. Just thinking about taking the escalator can cause a panic attack in some people, while others see it as one of the most natural and simple things to do.
And they experience the same symptoms as our caveman did.
The problem for people who suffer from a panic attack (panic disorder) is that the normal switch that makes us react and freeze or run in the face of real danger is stuck in "on" position. And even the fear of suffering from an anxiety attack can provoke panic. This is a vicious circle.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6073765
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