The panic disorder cycle is an example of the brain and body communicating with each other-but the messages are very sensitive and often in overdrive. When the brain is open to the right kind of stimulus, it sends signals to the body. How the brain interprets stimuli and how a person's body reads those signals varies from person to person. What may not affect certain people may manifest in panic disorder in others.
The Brain
The brain processes millions of bits of information at any given time, but some of those inputs create a stronger trigger than others. For those who suffer from panic disorders, thoughts overwhelm the brain and regular coping mechanisms simply don't begin. The brain interprets the information as danger or something to be uncomfortable about and starts to send signals throughout the body to get ready for action.
The Body
The body's emergency responses kick in as it receives hormones from certain glands. The brain activates these glands, which in turn get the body ready for fight or flight. When in this emergency mode, the heart beats faster to get oxygenated blood everywhere and breathing increases to bring in more oxygen. A feeling of dread and fear overwhelms the sufferer, creating more signals and more hormones to the nervous system. The eyes dilate, sweat glands kick on and muscles tense up.
The Problem
In a true emergency situation, these physical responses to danger allow someone to protect himself or others and the action required provides a release for the building energy. In fact, the symptoms are often not noticed as the body swings into action. In a panic disorder situation, there is no way to overlook the sensations of a fear-charged body and the cycle continues-the sufferer continues to feel afraid or anxious and the brain continues to signal that the body is in danger. It isn't until the brain can finally register that the danger is past or was never present than the production of hormones shuts off and the body and mind can return from a panic disorder state to a more normal state.
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