What causes panic attacks?

My initial panic attacks were caused because I quit an anti-depressant cold turkey instead of tapering off – it was a biochemistry thing rather than being affected by my environment – my secondary panic attacks were because of labor and postpartum – also physical…my body doesn’t handle hormonal shifts well or any interaction that affect hormones

I have them sometimes because my life is very stressful.
I had them has a kid and teen. I kind of got over it.
I am the Mother of an Autistic young Man . Since his diagnosis they have returned.
Exercise helps especially Yoga and breathing . Any regular exercise helps.
Excess stress is the trigger in my case.

Panic attacks are a result of being in an uncomfortable situation, whether familiar or not, that cause a person to experience anxiety. Everyone in the presence of someone else experiencing this will respond differently depending upon their coping mechanisms. Ultimately, we should respond in such a way that we feel comfortable. Our reaction should be true to who we are and not a superficial mask that only serves to perpetuate the insecurity of the person experiencing the panic attack. Be you.

The initial reason for panic attacks can come from any number of reasons, and will always be certain factors involved with each individual – however repeated panic attacks often come from just one reason…. the fear of having a panic attack again. Basically it often ends up growing into a “fear of the fear” and avoidance of situations, which is what causes higher anxiety levels in certain situations (often situations similar to enviroment that first attack happened in). Also often the person having a panic attack has a slightly distorted view of the situation when it happens, believing everyone is noticing and that all eyes are on them during an attack, where truth is often surrounding people dont even realise the persons panic and anxiety in the situation (not to the exent that the sufferer believes anyway)

The biggest thing i would say is, dont push a person into situation they are uncomfortable with. It will cause high stress levels and more association with anxiety in those situations, and will likely set them back quite a bit in any progess they may make. When they are having high anxiety or an attack around you, just be calm and comforting, and do what you can to help them remove themself from any situation at that time. That may seem like avoidance for the suffer from their problems, but for bad anxiety and panic attacks it is something that should be dealt with gradually.

Of course medication and visiting a doctor for advice is always an option, but another very effective method is what i know as “exposure theropy” where the suffer makes a plan over time to face the situations and enviroments that cause the anxiety, on a graduated basis ..for expample a suffer may really struggle in social situations such as busy supermarkets or shopping centres. By exposing themselves to this gradually, by maybe just going for a walk to shop for starters, not going in, and walking home again, and doing this until comfortable, then progressing to walking to shop and entering. By small steps a suffer can start to learn to feel comfortable again, and by the gradual exposure replace the fear associatied with a situation.

The steps and level of exposure, and even how long they take to progress until they feel comfortable, really will depend on the individual, but as long as they are making small steps is the key. As a friend, maybe even walking with them (or whatever the situation involves) will help get them started on path to getting over the anxiety, until they feel confident enough themselves to face their fears step by step.

This is my view, from personal experience.

I believe a panic attack happens as a result of being under a lot of stress and anxiety, it’s like the way the mind and the body manifest and reliefs these feelings.

I don’t have them as often as I used to, but mine are brought on by various things

-like @hungertoragejr has said being in a uncomfortable situation if I am uncomfortable, then there are loud noises and a lot of people I can almost guarantee I will have an attack

-Big arguements! Mostly if I am getting screamed at I most likely will hyperventilate and have an attack.

-I believe I am a hypochondriac I’ve never been properly diagnosed though, but another big trigger is when I worry about my health.

After talking to people who have panic attacks, having suffered some anxiety in my life, and some reading I have done, I think panic attacks generally happen as a result of a perceived loss of control over your life, worry about making a mistake, and/or avoidance. The first two are pretty self explanatory. The last, avoidance, is something people do not talk about much, but I think it is pretty significant.

When there is somethng in your life causing you stress or making you unhappy, and instead of dealing directly with it you avoid it, maybe you avoid it because dealing with it seems very anxiety provoking and upsetting, but then you stay suck, a horrible catch 22…could be a person, like a parent who is very harsh, or an illness you are trying to ignore, or bills piling up that you are trying to ignore…it seems trying to ignore the problem can makes things worse. Sometimes anger at someone you have a relationship with like a parent or even a boss can get blown out of porportion in a persons mind, leading to extreme resentment, and become incredibly stressful and paralyzing, leaving the person suffering unable to take steps to make decisions to get out of or resolve the situation. Much like a phobia. Then, as someone mentioned you can eventually develop fear of the fear, or fear of having an attack, and so you start limiting yourself more and more. Many people who suffer panic attacks stop driving, and eventually might develop agoraphobia, even though the original problem had nothing to do with driviing or being social.

For sure some people are more prone to anxiety than others.

After reading all of these answers (thank you all, by the way), I’m starting to wonder exactly “WHAT” panic attacks are. I’m also wondering if I may have experienced at least one or two or maybe even three myself and didn’t realize they were “panic attacks”. So, what exactly happens to your body if you have one? What kinds of things are typically running through your mind? How long do these attacks typically last? Does this all depend on the person or what? Also, is it possible to have had one and just not know that it was a panic attack?

I had a panic attack once. It was caused by me thinking I had some kind of disease and freaking out about it, in other words: hypochondria. I’ve always had a bit of hypochondria over the years and that day it just exploded. @sjmc1989 Hypochondriacs unite. :)

My boyfriend said he had one once when he was 14. This is something he just revealed to me a few days ago. He said it happened when he was in a room with a bunch of kids that he didn’t know and he felt odd being there, like he shouldn’t have gone because he didn’t know anyone there. He said that he sat down alone in the middle of the room (lots of tables and such) and felt like everyone was staring at him and felt jealous that everyone else seemed to have a friend with them and he became increasingly embarrassed until he felt like the room was spinning and that he was going to have a seizure or something. He said his heart was racing and that he ran out of there and when he got outside, it subsided, but he was still shaking for like an hour afterward.

This came up because I told him about the hypochondria-induced panic attack that I had and for the first time in his life, he finally figured out what that horrible thing was that happened to him back in ‘06 (he had never known what a panic attack was). My boyfriend used to not have many friends even though he wanted more and evidently, it was distressing him quite a bit. Seems like that kind of overwhelmed him that one time. I felt so bad for him because if I had been friends with him back then, that wouldn’t have happened… :(

@AnonymousGirl

It definitely depends on the person, but for me, it just felt like my heart was racing very quickly and I couldn’t slow it down and it felt like I was having trouble breathing and that I was going to pass out or something. It lasted a few minutes; I splashed water on my face and everything. No one ever knew about it.

During a panic attack you will often suffer a rapid/racing heart (suffers have been known to wonder if they were suffering a heart attack at the time), uncontrollable shaking, sweating, thoughts racing through your mind, a sense of detachment to your surroundings/enviroment, and the sensation of feeling like you may faint. And a overwhelming desire to be away from the situation you are in. How long they last really depends on the situation, and often relief doesnt come until the person is away from the enviroment/situation causing the attack.

It is quite possible to suffer one without any real knowledge or paying attention to it, as panic (attacks) is/are a natural response in the human body, the fight or flight instincts that were once essential for survival..the problem is many people suffer this response and panic in general everyday situtions, where such reaction doesnt fit the enviroment.

Some suffers also have hereditary factors that increase the likely hood of this happening (to do with the level of certain chemicals released by the brain, so i believe).

I start hyperventilating, I have severe pains in my heart, I cry uncontrollably, I can’t think clearly and usually I become unaware of where I’m at all I can think about is that I feel like I’m going to die. I used to drink when I would get really bad one but I stopped that recently. Now I usually smoke which is not a good alternative, go outside so I can breathe, or shut myself in a room and listen to music.

@DominicX Yes! and I’m going into the medical field its going to a bumpy two years :)

I have them suddenly. A small problem in class can suddenly transform into a major situation within a matter of minutes. Like a teacher not answering my question, the way someone says something. A little thing that shouldn’t and doesn’t normally bother me will turn into a timebomb. Within 5 minutes I have to make some excuse to leave class and go to our schools unused bathroom so I can go to the far corner and rock myself back and forth in a little ball. When I first had mine I sat down at the lunch table with all my friends surrounding me- they looked at me like i was crazy and said nothing- just stared. even tables surrounding mine were staring and it made it really uncomfortable. I’ve learned to know when they happen and I can go somewhere alone and have it. Almost always I am in front of a crowd of people. I usually don’t tell anyone seeing as they are so regular- but when they are severe I have to call my mom and she has to talk me through it.

I find them entirely mystifying. When I was working, I was going to numb up a patient and it was like having a shot go off near my head, or having someone suddenly pull a gun on me. I was shaking, unable to breathe, sweating. I made up an excuse and hid in the (dark) xray developing room to collect myself. I couldn’t imagine what could be going on. I went to urgent care, got some medication, and could work. I even thought at first that it was an allergy or from the insulation in my home or from plastics. The medication quit working but that’s another story. I never get them now. I don’t work anymore.

I seem to get panic attacks when i’m scared or get overwhelmed. I constantley get them while I’m in the shower or, if I’m by myself in the dark. But I have noticed I do get them more regulary If I’ve been stressing about things. I cease up and find it difficult to breathe. Usually if I just take deep breaths, they tend to go away within seconds.

One reason could be stress, see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_anxiety_disorder#Potential_Causes_of_GAD

It also depends on the type of disorder. Other forms of anxiety can also cause panic attacks.