A sudden surge of being overwhelmed by anxiety and fear; you can’t breathe; your heart is pounding – this could mean you’re having a panic attack. Left untreated, panic attacks can lead to panic and anxiety disorders amongst other problems, sometimes even causing you to withdraw from normal activities. Treatment will reduce or eliminate symptoms and help you lead a normal life.
Signs that you are suffering from panic and anxiety disorders:
- Frequent, unexpected panic attacks
- Worrying about having another panic attack
- Avoiding people or places because of previous panic attacks
Recurrent panic attacks due to panic disorders can affect you emotionally. It affects your self confidence, and leaves a deep sense of fear and terror – causing serious damage to your normal everyday life, thus leading to the following symptoms:
- Anticipatory anxiety – you being to feel more anxious and tense, instead of feeling relaxed and back to your normal self between panic attacks. This comes from a deep-seated fear of having future panic attacks and can be extremely difficult to deal with.
- Phobic avoidance – you start to avoid certain people, situations and places. This is because of previous panic attacks, and you believe this avoidance will help prevent the next one. You might also avoid places because escape is difficult or that help would be unavailable. It in its extreme, such avoidance leads to agoraphobia.
Panic and anxiety disorders can be treated. Effective methods include therapy, medication and even certain lifestyle changes.
