Many people confuse an illness with a symptom. Symptoms are the physical (or mental) manifestations of an underlying disease or disorder. Health care professionals analyze given symptoms to help make the correct diagnosis. To help you combat your disorder it is similarly important for you to be able to identify panic attack symptoms.
Where do panic, or anxiety, attacks come from? Ironically, they are a remnant of a response given to us to help alert us to real danger. The "fight or flight" response is buried within all of us and dates back to the time of the cavemen. Unfortunately for some, this response mechanism can take on a mind of its own coming out when least needed or desired.
When faced with true peril, it is quite useful to have our body and mind convey the threat to us in no uncertain terms. However, when in the middle of an important presentation or while driving in heavy traffic a sudden attack of panic and anxiety is not conducive to one's well being. Panic attacks are the bane of many today, some experiencing such severe episodes it begins to disallow for a normal life.
It is important for sufferers to become familiar with all symptoms which can portend a panic attack. Without being in tune to the signals your body is sending, one is unable to take the necessary steps to ward off the attack. Even if you are unable to completely suppress the episode, it is often possible to take actions aimed at tamping its duration and severity.
The most salient symptom is generally described as an all consuming feeling of dread or terror. If one is on a crashing plane or other such dire predicament these feelings would be natural and warranted. However, for those afflicted with anxiety attacks these emotions occur without a rational underlying justification.
Other symptoms are harder to discern. Many report feeling a sense of being outside one's own body. Others experience racing, disjointed thoughts all with terrorizing themes. During attacks some begin shivering from a perceived icy cold feeling. Others experience sweating and intense hot flashes. These variations contribute to the difficulty of devising a one size fits all template describing which symptoms qualify and which do not.
The other class of symptoms are more physical in nature. Most common is a racing pulse. Vertigo, which is a sense of unbalance or dizziness, often occurs. Splotching of the skin has also been widely reported. Many times this can be confused with an allergic reaction. Diagnosing panic attacks is often complicated by the fact that many of its symptoms mimic those of other ailments.
If any of the above panic attack symptoms sound familiar, you might be experiencing panic attacks. As with most things in life, information is power. Many possible techniques are available to combat these attacks. However, you won't know to employ them without awareness if an attack is actually happening.
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