Panic Attacks and Things That Go Bump in the Night by Dr. Dorothy McCoy

Panic attacks are extremely frightening. Panic sufferers often believe they are having a heart attack and they dash to their physician or end up in an emergency room. Which is exactly what they should do. An accurate diagnosis is the first step in relieving panic attacks. A diagnosis is vital, because panic attacks mimic a number of potentially serious medical conditions. The next step is treatment. No one should have to endure repeated episodes of distressing panic. Furthermore, early treatment may prevent the condition from becoming chronic.

Not all panic attacks are created equal. The symptoms are unique to the individual sufferer. However, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, typical symptoms are:

Racing or pounding heart

Sweating, flushing or feeling chilled

Chest pains or tightness

Difficulty getting your breath, or a sense of smothering or choking

Dizziness, light-headedness, tingling or numbness

Trembling or shaking

Nausea or abdominal discomfort

Fear of losing control

Sometimes panic attacks appear to come out of the blue without rhyme or reason. This is not true with a phobia, such as agoraphobia, which has a distinctive pattern. Agoraphobics may have an attack in situations from which escape is difficult or embarrassing (i.e., on a bridge, a crowded theater). Someone who is fearful of flying may have a panic attack while entering an airplane, or perhaps, while contemplating a flight. The person could then become frightened by the ¡§idea¡¨ of having another panic attack. The panic attack itself becomes the feared event. He or she begins to avoid situations that are associated with the attacks. This can become a distressing pattern from which it is difficult to break free.

Cognitive theorists believe that our thoughts create our anxiety. Consider these examples for a moment. A professional athlete consistently felt his chest constrict and his heart pound whenever he passed through a tunnel. A woman walking her dog in a park, a few blocks from her home, suddenly felt faint. If one were to ask the athlete what he thought immediately before the symptoms began, he might say, ¡§Tunnels can collapse. If this one collapses I will be buried alive. I won¡¦t be able to breathe. I will suffocate.¡¨ As he envisaged potential engineering blunders, a visualization of a collapsing tunnel abruptly flashed through his mind. He gasped for breath.

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BIO:

Dr. Dorothy McCoy has a doctorate in Counseling Psychology and a Masters in Clinical Counseling.
She loves to travel, garden and hunt for antiques, especially McCoy pottery. She has trained her canine companion, Mattie Mae McCoy, to stay at home, sleep, ignore all commands and eat hamburger laden dog food (Please do not tell Dr. Mast-- Mattie¡¦s vet.). Mattie Mae has taught Dr. McCoy to work long, grueling hours to keep her in ground chuck.

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