To learn what triggers panic attacks, it's important to learn about the basic function of the human body when it reacts to anxiety stimuli. Knowing that anxiety is a natural reaction of the body helps sufferers realize that the attacks themselves are not abnormal, but rather a malfunction of the body that is triggered inappropriately.
Wired for Anxiety
Humans are built to respond to situations that cause anxiety. When faced with danger or fear, the body is flooded with physical reactions from the brain, designed to face the danger or run away from it. Increased heartbeat, rapid breathing and an overwhelming urge to get away are all natural reactions to danger, whether it was a wild beast in primitive times or addressing a conference room full of people in modern times. Anxiety attacks occur as a result of the mental evaluation of external stimuli. The problem is that panic attacks are triggered inappropriately, when there is no real danger or fearful stimuli present.
What Happens?
When someone experiences a panic attack, it manifests on three levels. At the physical level, the person will feel a shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, nausea and sweating. Mentally, the person will be overwhelmingly nervous and often panic. The person's behavior is also affected, as he or she may start to react to the panic attacks by avoiding certain perceived triggers or conditions where the person fears having a panic attack.
Genetic or Life Experience Contributions
Studies have not yet shown any links to genetic predispositions to panic attacks, nor have certain experiences been linked to a greater chance of developing panic attacks. However, research indicates that more women than men suffer from attacks and that most people develop panic attacks in their 20s and 30s more than any other age range.
Panic Attack to Panic Disorder
The conditions surrounding panic attacks can eventually lead to a panic disorder. When the fear of having an attack is so severe that a person will adjust and change his or her lifestyle to avoid having them, a panic disorder will be diagnosed. Sometimes, people will avoid even leaving their homes for fear of having a panic attack.
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