Panic attacks. Symptoms and treatment, signs of the syndrome, causes, attacks at night. Psychosomatic neurosis, types, consequences

Urbanization, technological progress, the huge flow of information impose the rhythm and way of life that cause diseases such as panic attack or an anxiety disorder.

Not always a person able to independently recognize the symptoms and start treatment on time. One feature of this disease is a sudden feeling of panic that can not be explained by objective reasons.

The mechanism of occurrence of panic attacks

The processes occurring in the body during a panic attack are identical to those that occur when the real threat to life. The brain receives a signal of danger, emits large amounts of adrenaline, a hormone responsible for stress. Under its influence the body is mobilized for survival in extreme conditions.

When a panic attack a person gets into a conflict: fear and physical symptoms he is experiencing, and the dangers and threats are absent.

Disoriented this discrepancy, the patient concentrates all attention to internal sensations, increasing the level of anxiety. In this case, there is cyclical: the higher the level of emotional stress, the more the physiological processes that trigger this condition. Ends attack as suddenly as it had begun.

Panic attacks have a destructive effect on the quality of life and the human person as the source of wanton, uncontrolled, severe stress.

There are several theories and hypotheses to explain the nature of panic attacks. In addition, each assumption is true. But, considering the individual characteristics of physiology and psyche of any person, genetic and personality differences, the conclusion is that the attacks of irrational fear based on the combined effect of reasons.

catecholamine hypothesis

At the heart of the catecholamine hypothesis is the view of the hormonal failure in the patient's body. Empirically it is proven that an increase in the blood level of adrenaline, a hormone, catecholamines group vegetovascular system mobilizes the organism to adapt to extreme environmental conditions.

This explains the physiological sensations during attacks and causes emotional stress, increasing the level of anxiety.

Improper operation of the adrenal glands which produce adrenaline provokes unmotivated and unpredictable bouts of physical ailments, and, as a consequence of panic attacks.

The genetic hypothesis

Scientific observations have revealed a pattern in the genetic inheritance of the disease. The probability of occurrence of panic attacks increases to 50% in cases of close relationship with a person suffering from this disorder. Encoded in the genes of the disease, it is activated by an enabling environment.

psychoanalytic theory

Psychoanalysts believe that at the heart of panic attacks hidden tension accumulated suppression own instincts. Inability to realize the desire because of the danger or inadmissible in society lead to internal conflict.

A unspent sexual energy has a depressing effect on the emotional state. As a result of psychological overload there is a feeling of anxiety. At the highest point of tension anxiety is transformed into a feeling of fear, provoking bouts of panic attacks.

behavioral Economics

Behavioral theory explains the nature of panic attacks with the terms of the acquisition and consolidation of conditioned reflex. After the strongest stresses arise in memory associations between the feeling of fear and external circumstance, which can be very arbitrary.

In the future, there is a reflex consolidation: a man in everyday life encounters with the stimulus, triggered Association, had fits of irrational fear.

In fact very impressionable people experienced stress may be missing. For the formation of an attack rather weak usual deviations being in a new situation or situations of uncertainty.

Physical distress caused by natural causes (hidden disease, poorly ventilated room), but in the moment of experience, due to the ongoing situation (flight on an airplane or a large crowd of people around), it is associated with the external environment and far-fetched fears.

The first attack is not related to panic attack, and only creates the conditions for it. Subsequently, in similar circumstances attack fear arises reflex securely fixing in such a behavior of the reaction.

cognitive theory

According to cognitive theory, panic attacks arise under the pressure of their own negative thoughts and attitudes. Any patients malaise considered as one of the symptoms of heavy, incurable disease. Developing these depressing thoughts, man looped situation.

Prematurely and unnecessarily contrived diagnosis stimulates the imagination.

Visualization of prospects induce anxiety and fear. As a consequence, increases the level of adrenaline, the mechanism is triggered a panic attack in the blood. Each time a fit person to think that his illness (far-fetched) progresses or kills.

These feelings are reinforced by the fact that physical symptoms are directly dependent on the psychological state and amplified with a sense of fear.

Stages of development of a panic attack

seizure duration from 10 to 30 minutes. In rare cases, a panic attack lasts more than an hour. Often the occurrence of unpredictable attack: when faced with a stimulus (or conditions that provoke an attack of) the body's response is instantaneous.

Stages of development:

1. Triggered associative memory and the brain receives a signal of danger. There is a feeling of anxiety.
2. Simultaneously with this, a large amount of the adrenal gland secrete epinephrine.
3. Under its influence narrowed blood vessels of skin and mucous membranes and extend the cerebral vessels. These changes lead to sudden pressure spikes. The skin turns white.
4. Tachycardia symptoms appear. There is a feeling of suffocation and breathing becomes more frequent.
5. Due to the excess of oxygen in the blood and carbon dioxide deficit begins dizziness and numbness.
6. There are desires in a toilet, nausea, vomiting.
7. Adrenaline stimulates the nervous system. Appear absent-mindedness, a sense of disorientation and derealization.
8. There is mental stress, anxiety, emotion prevails over all fear.
9. Negative emotions trigger an increase in the blood level of adrenaline, which increases the symptoms.

On rare occasions, in moments of panic attack the person loses consciousness. cases where the attack is accompanied by seizures resembling epilepsy are also found. Panic attacks, its symptoms and treatment of each individual case is very individual and depends on the individual.

In some cases, the patient is not able to recognize the disorder. A symptomatic treatment, as a rule, does not give results. It is important to understand that in order to solve the problem requires a comprehensive approach, consisting of medication and psychotherapy. If untreated, panic attacks take on the character of generalized anxiety disorder.

Causes of Panic Attacks

The causes of panic attacks are dependent on lifestyle, physical and mental characteristics of man. Favorable conditions for the attack are stress, chronic disease, phobias and other similar states, which have a depressing effect.

All the reasons that provoke attacks of panic attacks can be divided into three categories: somatic, psychological and social.

The somatic (physical) diseases

Acute or chronic forms of diseases and hormonal changes lead to psychological discomfort. Slight deterioration of health provokes anxiety, fear. In combination with the features of the underlying disease or condition, take the form of emotional experience a panic attack. Observed increased sweating, shortness of breath, tachycardia.

In this case, the physical symptoms of attacks are felt more emotional, which go by the wayside and seem natural for such ailments. It stands out heart disease, thyroid disease among somatic diseases. Also hormone physiological states: pregnancy, premenstrual syndrome, menopause.

Symptoms of panic attacks in the treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction are more common due to the use of drugs stimulating the nervous system. Caution is advised to use steroids, which are used in asthma.

mental illness

Prolonged depression, phobias, stress endured - the most favorable conditions for the occurrence of panic attacks. Irrational fear can be based on the claustrophobic or neurasthenia, on the memories of experienced disaster or obsessive suspicion.

The boundary between a panic attack and its cause in this case it is very difficult to establish. Because of similar symptoms, very often there are cases when a panic attack causes nervous disorders (depression, schizophrenia).

social reasons

The rhythm of life in big cities, large amounts of information to create conditions of chronic stress. Particularly susceptible to borderline emotional states, children and adolescents.

Lack of proper rest, and constant emotional stress, responsibility and high standards lead to the fact that the child's immature nervous system can not stand, and ordinary experiences become fears.

May provoke an attack of relationship problems with peers, upcoming exams, fear of punishment.

Systematic panic attacks in children can cause the development of neurological abnormalities and diseases such as asthma or enuresis, complicating the treatment of seizures and inhibiting emotional state even more.

Risk factors

Risk factors include conditions that reduce stress levels:

1. And harmful addictions. Alcohol, smoking, drugs are powerful depressant and cause irreparable damage to the health and immunity. Much of the primary attacks of panic attacks triggered by withdrawal syndrome.
2. Passive way of life. Lack of exercise leads to the accumulation of emotional stress. Weak muscles are one of the causes of health problems, the emergence of chronic diseases hidden.
3. weak socialization. Conflicts explicit or suppressed, lead to dissatisfaction outside world, can become a cause of nerve stresses.
4. Lack of proper rest. Short, shallow and irregular sleep is unable to unload the nervous system after a long busy day. Fatigue and irritability from lack of sleep spent, reserves of the body faster than any explicit stress leads to nervous exhaustion.

In addition to external risk factors to be aware of the individuality of each person. Labile than people, the more likely he had a panic attack. At that time, as a stable, mentally flexible, a person may never encounter a bout of irrational fear because of the high stress and protective mechanisms of the body.

How does the attack

Panic attacks, symptoms and treatments which are very individual, depending on the mental and physical features of the person. People who have a strong will, disciplined, can inhibit daytime anxiety attacks and face them at night. The reasons which provoked the attack, have a direct impact on the manifestation of attack.

In the presence of serious systemic diseases strongly felt physical symptoms: dizziness, lack of oxygen, nausea and other conditions. Mental symptoms are more acutely experienced panic attacks provoked by social reasons or mental illness.
mental symptoms

The most common symptoms associated with the nervous system:

• insomnia or sudden awakening in the middle of the night;
• a sense of foreboding, fear;
  
• confusion, helplessness;
• inability to concentrate, confusion in the mind;
• the desire to run away, hide, or, on the contrary, suspense danger.

Physical attack symptoms

The physical symptoms of panic attacks are caused by the influence of adrenaline in the body. In addition to individual experiences, there are some signs that accompany almost any attack, regardless of the causes and physiology.

Symptoms include:

• Increased sweating.
• pale skin.
• Shortness of breath.
• The sharp acceleration of the heart rate.
• dilated pupils
• Tremors in the limbs.
• Desires in a toilet.

atypical attack

In rare cases, a person is faced with atypical panic attacks.

Her symptoms make the patient even more helpless than conventional attack:

• Temporary dysfunction of the sense organs. Lost vision or hearing.
• Loss of control over the voice.
• The feeling of stiffness.
• Nausea, vomiting, involuntary urination.
• Seizures resembling epileptic seizures.
• Loss of consciousness.

Instead of fear and panic patient experiencing emotions related depression, irritability, sadness, a feeling of hopelessness. Atypical panic attacks, due to the nature of symptoms, diagnosis is much more difficult.

How can start attack

May provoke an attack of negative thoughts about stressful experiences, associative memory, own imagination. Even memories of the previous attacks may cause new. The body is very sensitively responds to the thoughts and mood, especially in cases when it has lived through at least one panic attack.

Uncontrolled thought process about the exciting event evokes negative emotions, anxiety and distress. This voltage is enough to start the physical symptoms of an attack.

When the attack is less well tolerated

There is a relationship between psychological portrait of a man, and by how poorly tolerated panic attacks. People that are characterized by high emotions, pessimism, the propensity for the dramatic, feel brighter attack symptoms.

If after the first attack, a man alone, and incorrectly analyzes the incident, convinces himself that the reason in severe (incurable) disease or imminent accident, the high probability of recurrence panic attacks. Own suspiciousness and imagination patient develops and perpetuates the disease.

When a person suffers an attack easier

Panic attacks and symptoms for which treatment may not be needed, better tolerated volitional self-sufficient people, socially adapted and independent of the opinions of others.

In these cases, when faced with an attack, a person is not focusing its attention on the sensations, do not speculate on the reasons. Such a reaction does not allow the symptoms to withdraw into the circle, the disease does not receive feeding and dies by itself.

Night crises

Night attacks are carried harder and have a strong negative impact on the life of a man between the crises. Instead, a good rest after a busy day, the patient is faced with an even greater stress. First attack interrupts sleep - there is depressed, depression, fatigue accumulates. Man begins to be afraid to fall asleep.

Insomnia leads to nervous exhaustion, which causes the border states, depression and other more serious mental disorders. At night crises likely imminent development of generalized anxiety disorder.

Menopause and panic attacks

Age-related hormone changes in the body of a woman is very often the cause of panic attacks. Due to the shrinking amount of estrogen a woman's mental state becomes unstable. May complicate the situation and menopausal syndrome, the symptoms of which are very common with the symptoms of a panic attack.

Distinctive features include the following features:

1. irritability;
2. nervous breakdowns;
3. the so-called "hot flashes", a condition in which the feeling of stuffiness, heat is replaced by chills;
4. fear and anxiety.

The most frequent panic attacks occur when abnormally early or late menopause, as well as in cases of artificially induced menopause on medical grounds. Panic attacks, symptoms and treatment are determined jointly by a gynecologist and a psychologist - It is the most common and natural reaction of the female body in the extinction of reproductive function.

Vascular dystonia

Vascular dystonia is responsible for the pain in the heart, neurological disorders, headaches, panic attacks. As such, the disease does not exist - a generic name of the body dysfunction, in which poor health due to a set of causes rather than one specific disease.

First of all affected vessels. In this regard, there are pressure surges, arrhythmia, weakness and other symptoms accompanying bouts of panic attacks. Given the characteristics of vascular dystonia, it can be either a symptom and a cause of anxiety.

Diagnosis

For the diagnosis the therapist must make sure that the repeated attack happened unpredictably, without external provocation. Also excluded depressed, depression between attacks.

A single attack is not considered as a disorder. For the diagnosis of seizure frequency should vary from one half times up to 3-4 times a week.

Upon confirmation of the diagnosis, medical history is complemented by information on the patient lability, stressful experiences and other important information that will help to identify the causes and treatment assignment.

Treatment of panic attacks

In the treatment of panic attacks, there are two areas: psychotherapy and medication. The most effective treatment is mixed, is simultaneously an impact on the physical and mental symptoms.

In addition to a health care professional, a person suffering from panic attacks, can independently learn the methods and techniques that will help to facilitate and safer to move the next attack. Knowledge about how to help a person in a surprise attack irrational fear will be useful to people, there are those patients in whose environment.

Action at a panic attack: proper breathing technique

Settlement of breath - this is one of the first ways to restore calm and to break the cyclical nature of the attack. To do this, take a deep breath nose. Hold the breath. Exhale through the mouth. All actions are recommended to be done slowly and repeat at least 15 times to complete the normalization of breathing.

To divert attention from the unpleasant feeling and soon regain self-help support breathing exercises for the hands.

To do this, you need to inhale slowly raise outstretched arms above his head. And as you exhale, and slowly and without bending, pull them down along the body. This exercise will help to synchronize breathing with the movements, as well as help relieve the feeling of numbness in the extremities.

How to help a person during a panic attack?

In cases where a person is unable to cope with the attack, it is important that a number of people were able to help. First, you need to take over the patient's attention. In moments of fear of man important emotional support, confidence that it will not leave to cope with the situation alone.

Be sure to soothe calm and steady voice with the help of affirmative phrases that reflect reality: "You are not alone, I'll be there, together we can handle, there is no threat." In this case, you can first adjust your breathing under the patient's breathing rhythm, and then gradually to normalize the frequency of breaths.

The patient will unconsciously repeating these actions, which will accelerate the completion of the attack and to facilitate health.

In addition to emotional support a very important role is played by physical contact. Massage can help relax tense muscles, relieve spasticity, which is a common symptom of a panic attack. The larger and longer the person to fixate on their feelings, the more intense the attack takes place.

Distraction is fully capable to stop a panic attack. For these purposes fit any of the alleged mental work: complicated by objects, writing or retelling stories. It is important to inspire the patient and direct his thoughts away from its current feelings.

Drug treatment of panic attacks

Panic attacks, symptoms and treatment which determines the therapist amenable to medical correction. Treatment is carried out in two ways: stopping a panic attack when the first symptoms and the prevention of recurrent attacks in the future.

For cupping used drugs rapid response, which have sedative and anxiolytic effects: diazepam, midazolam, temazepam. The disadvantages of these funds is the development of dependence in taking them, man.

Controlling repeated attacks carried out by prolonged use of antidepressants, anxiolytics and courses of hormonal agents. These drugs are chosen according to the physical health of the patient, causes nervous disorders.

The dosage is gradually increased to the required to maintain the effect. To remove the drug, there is a gradual reduction in dosage.

Category medication	the impact of the principle of	Contraindications	preparations
tricyclic antidepressants	Increasing the level of serotonin and norepinephrine, improved emotional state, sedation	Diseases of the heart and lungs	imipramine, clomipramine, Desipramine.
monoamine oxidase inhibitors	mood stabilization, concentration improvement, normalization of sleep	Kidney and liver, withdrawal syndrome, treatment with other antidepressant	Pirlindol, Moclobemide.
serotonin reuptake inhibitors	Expressed antipanic effect	Epilepsy, mania	fluoxetine, sertraline, Paroxetine.
tranquilizers	Sedation, antipanic effect, relieve muscle tension.	Liver and kidneys, epilepsy, hypotension	alprazolam, clonazepam, Lorazepam.
Beta-blockers	Eliminating the effects of adrenaline effect on the body	Bradycardia, hypotension	metoprolol, Propranolol.
atypical antidepressants	Neutralization of mental and physical symptoms	Diseases of the liver, kidney, receiving other antidepressants	bupropion, trazodone, Mirtazapine.
nootropics	Improving brain activity, normalization of blood circulation, stimulation of stress	Chronic liver and kidney disease, myasthenia gravis, epilepsy	Glycine, Lecithin, Pyritinol.

All preparations are appointed therapist. In the presence of acute or chronic diseases reception drugs consistent with the therapist.

Psychotherapy in the treatment of panic attacks

Panic attacks are treated effectively with an integrated approach. Psychotherapy in these cases is aimed at identifying and eliminating the causes of anxiety disorders.

In each case, the selected individual technique and treatment program:

1. Cognitive-behavioral therapy. The therapy is based on the change in the patient's relationship to the attacks.
2. Psychoanalysis popular in severe cases, followed by the negative conditions of life. Treatment is directed at finding the true causes of what is happening with the patient, the resolution of internal conflicts.
3. Hypnosis. Suitable for patients amenable to such influence, suggestible. Therapy consists in attitudes that the patient receives during trance.
4. Neurolinguistic programming corrects the patient's response to potential irritants, increasing the ability to handle stress.
5. Gestalt therapy helps to identify the repressed needs and to find a way to meet them. This approach helps to calm the subconscious anxiety makes a person more confident.

The use of herbal

In mild attacks, and to eliminate mild anxiety help gathering of medicinal plants with a calming effect. Infusions should take the course, but no more than 1 month. Then needed a break.

Plants that have a relaxing effect:

1. linden flowers;
2. Melissa;
3. St. John's wort;
4. chamomile;
5. motherwort
6. valerian.

It is important to understand that systematic attacks can not be cured phytotherapy. It is aimed at alleviating the symptoms of anxiety, normalization of sleep, stress reduction.

Prevention of repetitions of panic attacks

Measures taken as a preventive measure, to help reduce the risk of repeated panic attacks:

1. Meditation will help stabilize the emotional state, organize thoughts.
2. Sports will remove stress, lead to discharge accumulated fatigue, promote physical health.
3. Phytotherapy would calming effect, improve sleep.
4. Proper rest that positive emotions and rejuvenate the body.

It is very important to change the usual life for the better, to work on yourself.

What you need to do to avoid panic attacks?

Reconsidering the habits, lifestyle, improving yourself as a person, you can avoid a panic attack:

1. Personal development in the field of increasing stress. Getting rid of complexes raises self-esteem and gives confidence.
2. Failure of bad habits, which may be a somatic symptoms of panic attacks.
   
3. Timely prevention and treatment of diseases.
4. An active lifestyle has beneficial effects on physical and emotional health.
5. Antidepressants strictly on the recommendation of the attending physician.

Positive attitude, communication skills, self-expression can significantly improve quality of life and reduce anxiety attacks to zero.

That could trigger panic repetition?

Stimulus for the formation of re-anxiety may be a condition in which early already had fits. Unexpected sounds, claps, shots are also able to trigger a panic. The situation is aggravated by the rejection of qualified care and treatment medicines.

Particularly sensitive to the provocations of the patients who chose an isolated lifestyle. Each output of the comfort zone becomes severe stress to which they are unable to cope.

The diagnosis of panic attack - it is not a sentence to a painful existence in fear. Its symptoms can be treated and corrected. But it is important to understand that the result of, first of all, depends on the person, of his desire to beat the disease and determination to work on themselves and their world view.

Registration of the article: Lozinski Oleg

Videos about panic attacks

What are panic attacks and how to treat them: