Panic attack symptoms treatment. Panic attacks, VSD, anxiety - what's the difference? Fear of new attacks

In this article, I will present the most complete list symptoms of panic attacks (PA) and panic disorder. In addition, I will explain what causes these symptoms, how dangerous they are and what they can lead to. And also at the end of the article I will tell you whether it is possible to get rid of this and how neglected the situation can be.

The purpose of this article is not only to list the symptoms, but also to give a complete and adequate understanding of the phenomena of panic attacks and panic disorder. Understanding this is necessary not only for those who suffer from panic disorder, but also for relatives and friends of such people. In this article, I will explain how panic attacks differ from anxiety disorder(GAD), agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, etc. (do they differ at all and in what relationship do they exist with each other).

This is also relevant because in the domestic information space there is a lot of confusion with the definition of what relates to panic attacks: in the course of incorrect and vague diagnoses like "VVD" (vegetative-vascular dystonia, which do not bring any certainty to the problem) . People still do not understand what is happening to them and what to do about it. I set myself the task of bringing certainty to the topic under consideration, so the article will not be just a dry listing of symptoms.

When a person begins to experience panic attacks on a systematic basis, it is usually not limited to panic attacks themselves: in addition to sudden attacks of fear and panic, which can easily be attributed to a panic attack, a person may begin to feel unpleasant anxiety between seizures, derealization(smoky feeling in head), suffer insomnia, experience fear of dying and going crazy, intrusive thoughts, tension in the body, nausea may develop depression and agoraphobia (fear of open spaces) or any other phobia.

And this fact becomes a cause of even greater concern for people who are already in difficult situation. They do not understand what causes these symptoms, whether they can be attributed to panic attacks, or whether this is already some kind of serious illness.

I am often asked questions like: “I experience abrupt awakenings at night, as if a current is passing through the body. Are these panic attacks? or “I started having panic attacks, and recently I had a feeling of some kind of unreality of what is happening, some kind of fog - what is it?”

Although this article does not pretend to make an accurate diagnosis (only a specialist can make such a diagnosis with personal observation), it will help everyone figure out what symptoms a person with panic attacks can generally observe (and there can be many symptoms), and what these symptoms are associated with.

Because I myself suffered from panic attacks and got rid of them, and now I help people forget about fear forever, I know about these symptoms firsthand. I have experienced many of them myself. Then, in those Hard times, it seemed to me that I was subject to some kind of incurable serious illness, but now I know that certain reactions of the body are just a consequence of panic disorder. In the article I will talk about these reactions.

Panic attacks, VSD, anxiety - what's the difference?

1. Within the framework of this classification, as well as in the practice of world psychotherapy there is no such diagnosis as VVD (vegetative-vascular dystonia)! Many residents of Russia and the CIS could be faced with the fact that doctors, after listening to the patient's complaints about panic attacks, diagnose him with VVD. This diagnosis is considered incorrect (again, within the framework of world practice). Therefore, in the article I will not operate with this term.
2. I will use terms such as "anxiety disorder", "obsessive-compulsive disorder", and this should not mislead you. I don't think the above concepts are in any way related to each other. It cannot be said that, for example, “anxiety disorder” and “agoraphobia” are completely different ailments (in the article I fundamentally do not use the word “disease”) that require radically different approach like a cold and a broken arm. These things are strongly interconnected, they can be parts of each other or, rather, parts of one whole.

   I am convinced that there is just some kind of general anxiety, which in some people can be expressed in panic attacks, in others - in obsessive thoughts or phobias, and in others - both at the same time and, in addition, be accompanied by depression. And in my opinion, it is necessary to work not with panic attacks as such, not with private phobias, but with general anxiety, the consequences of which are PA and phobias. In short, effective the scheme for ridding a person of anxious thoughts and constant anxiety will not fundamentally differ from the methods of working with panic attacks. You must be aware that there is no specific individual solution for, for example, agoraphobia. There is a set of measures aimed at working with general anxiety, getting rid of which you will get rid of all its manifestations, no matter what they are expressed in - phobias, panic attacks or obsessive thoughts.

   Initially, you should work with concentration exercises and, as far as possible, not direct attention to the excess body. That's why medicinal meditation in this case is not convenient in the original format. It is quite possible to work with some psychoeducational concepts that allow the patient.

   If we stop to observe the body, the person may begin to “hypervigilate,” that is, compulsively look for signs of possible panic in their body. Only when psychotherapy has achieved containment of acute symptoms in panic and understanding of its condition, can we begin a more intense practice when we turn on breathing, body awareness and, of course, emotional states and thoughts.

3. I will divide the symptoms into three groups. The first group: "Symptoms of a panic attack." This will include only those symptoms that a person can feel directly during the attack itself. The second group: "Symptoms of panic disorder." A panic attack is a single panic attack. A panic disorder is the recurrence of attacks on a regular basis coupled with anxiety about the appearance of new seizures. Here I will collect everything that you can feel both during attacks and between attacks in accordance with the ICD-10 classification. And the third group: "Concomitant symptoms." These are symptoms that cannot be attributed to either PA or panic disorder per se, but nevertheless they often disturb people who have encountered PA, being both a cause and a consequence of the attacks of fear themselves. This division is purely for convenience. Again, do not get attached to it: all these symptoms are interconnected, and the boundaries of these groups are actually somewhat arbitrary and blurred.

Panic attack symptoms

A panic attack is a sudden fear or acute anxiety that is accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, dizziness, shallow breathing, and other symptoms. A panic attack can last from several minutes to several hours.

Sudden, intense fear!

Let's start with the most important: what is usually associated with a panic attack. This is a sudden attack of fear that can appear in the absence of any threat.

What is happening in our body? It all starts with the amygdala, an area of ​​our brain located in the temporal regions. She, like an alarm, begins to sound the alarm: "Danger, danger, fight or flight!" The amygdala sends a signal to other parts of the brain, stimulating the release of hormones and neurotransmitters such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol. Such a chemical bouquet gives rise to an intense feeling of fear, a desire to leave the “danger zone” as soon as possible.

This reaction is called "fight or flight". It is absolutely natural and probably saved a person from mortal danger many times. You must understand that any emotions are formed for a reason, and often serve the principles of survival. So fear is created by nature not with the aim of tormenting you, but so that you can critical moments rush headlong from the threat, not thinking about anything.

But the trick is that during a panic attack, as a rule, there is no danger. Why does our amygdala work like faulty alarm, including "false alarm"? It's already a question a separate story, but I'll cover it briefly towards the end of the article, so stay tuned!

For now, it is important to understand that nothing threatens you during an attack. A natural biological mechanism is triggered, with the only amendment that in external reality there is no threat. An adrenaline rush has never killed anyone, on the contrary, such a reaction has saved many lives. It is with the release of adrenaline that the feeling of sudden fear is associated (there is an erroneous hypothesis that lovers thrill enjoy the adrenaline rush. This is wrong. What delivers the "high" during a skydive are endorphins - endogenous morphines designed to prevent possible death from pain shock as a result of an injury. And adrenaline makes you only afraid, panic and mobilize the protective resources of the body. By the way, the release of adrenaline increases our immunity, resistance to disease).

Accelerated heartbeat

During a panic attack, your heart rate may increase. And this is very scary for many. People start to think they have heart attack. But what actually happens in such moments in your body? Again, the release of adrenaline provokes an accelerated heartbeat. And why is this happening (we remember that many reactions in our body have some purpose)? And this happens because our brain “thinks” that something threatens our life.

And since there is danger, then the body must be ready to flee or to fight. And so the heart begins to work in an accelerated rhythm for faster blood flow to the muscles and tissues. The body seems to be mobilized for increased activity. This is a normal reaction of the body to danger (we will omit for now that there is no danger), and it does not lead to cardiac arrest or death. This mechanism, as well as an attack of fear, was created for self-preservation, and not for the suicide of the organism.

Rapid breathing

Breathing during an attack can become frequent and shallow. And again, against the backdrop of panic and fear, people begin to fear that they are suffocating. But if you remember that a panic attack is a fight or flight reaction, everything falls into place. Our body is mobilized to defend and attack, so we breathe faster to get oxygen to the lungs and blood faster, as during physical activity. And again, this is not dangerous, just as rapid breathing while running is not dangerous. This does not lead to any risk of suffocation or fainting. More on the latter below.

Dizziness, high blood pressure, fear of fainting

Many people experience dizziness during an attack. Can sharply "jump" the pressure. These symptoms can make you feel like you're about to faint. Which, accordingly, causes the fear of falling. I want to reassure you fainting during an attack is highly unlikely. Why? Because a collapse is preceded by a sharp decrease in pressure, and during a panic attack, on the contrary, it rises! Do not worry if people fainted at the sight of danger (this is only possible in films, but in reality it is an extremely rare occurrence), then I am afraid that humanity would not have survived to this day, because in this case they would become the dinner of wild animals before which they would have people spread out on the ground instead of running away. Nature has provided for everything.

Gastrointestinal reactions (nausea, stomach pain)

Some people experience nausea during a panic attack. This is due to several factors. The sudden release of adrenaline can affect the functions of the stomach and intestines. In some cases, digestion can slow down significantly or stop altogether. Digesting food is not the most important and urgent occupation of the body in times of danger. In this case, our body again redistributes resources in favor of what will help us directly avoid the threat (we remember that there is no threat during a panic attack, our body “thinks” this due to a mistake and triggers an appropriate reaction). Although nausea occurs in certain people during a panic attack, vomiting is highly unlikely.

In his free online course e "3 Antidotes for Panic" I tell how learn to deal with seizures and many symptoms. Sign up for this course using the link below:

Other symptoms

There are also other symptoms, which I will simply list without delving into their essence. During a panic attack, increased sweating, tremors, "tunneling" may occur. visual perception, uncontrolled pupillary mobility.

Panic Disorder Symptoms

I remind you that panic disorder is the repetition of panic attacks on a regular basis, which is accompanied by all the inconveniences of a person's life, subject to constant fear of new attacks. There are people for whom panic attacks are reduced to isolated cases in their lives. For example, one person told me that the attack happened for a long time back when he was on the bus. But it never happened again. Therefore, it cannot be said that such a person suffers from a panic disorder, nevertheless he had a panic attack.

For such people, this is expressed in single episodes, so they are unlikely to turn to specialists or read articles on the Internet. Therefore, with a high degree of certainty, it can be argued that the patients of psychiatrists and psychotherapists, the readers of this article, are faced with panic disorder (which may be accompanied by symptoms of anxiety disorder, depression, intrusive thoughts etc.), because it is it that causes problems in life, and, one might even say, is characterized by the presence of these problems. Although, of course, everyone is used to saying exactly “panic attacks”, since this is the most striking symptom of this disease. But such a definition should not be misleading. It should be clear that a person experiencing panic disorder may experience more than just the symptoms of panic attacks per se.

Derealization and depersonalization (feeling of haze, unreality)

Such clever words denotes a feeling that I can describe as "a feeling as if you are looking at the world through a haze, a thick veil". It seems that the signals from the outside world seem to be bogged down in this “haze”, passing through it with a delay. I am very familiar with this feeling, it accompanied me throughout the period when I suffered from panic attacks. It made me pretty nervous, assuming it was the most direct symptom of schizophrenia. While providing support to people who suffer from panic attacks and panic disorder, I became convinced that derealization (feeling of the unreality of what is happening) and depersonalization (feeling of the unreality of one's own "I") accompany so many people who are faced with constant fear and anxiety.

The mechanism of occurrence of these symptoms is not fully understood. One version claims that due to a stressful situation, there is a slight delay in the transmission of signals in our brain (which is defensive reaction to stress) because of which, in fact, this feeling of “haze” is formed. But whatever these symptoms are associated with, you need to know that they are derivatives of anxiety and panic. This is not a messenger of madness, not symptoms of schizophrenia, but simply a consequence of panic disorder. Despite the fact that there are techniques to get rid of derealization (Western psychotherapists, like me, insist on mindfulness development techniques for help in this problem), this symptom is "tied" to our anxiety. That is, it is worth getting rid of anxiety, as derealization will go away. That's what happened to me. This symptom no longer bothers me since I got rid of panic attacks.

Fear of new attacks

Although panic attacks are harmless (although it is difficult for people to live with the thought during moments of a severe attack), they are quite unpleasant and leave a residue of fatigue and nervous tension in their wake. It is quite logical that a person who has experienced several seizures becomes very afraid of their return. This fear forms a tension, a constant anxious expectation of an attack, which can be even more unpleasant than the attack itself. The purpose of this article is not to analyze the causes of the onset and development of panic disorder. Therefore, I will only say that it is the fear of seizures that is the main driving mechanism for the emergence of new attacks, and I will not delve into this topic further in this article.

Fear of going crazy, losing control. Fear of dying.

Despite the fact that during a panic disorder a variety of fears can appear, so to speak, for every taste, it is the fear of going crazy or losing control of one's behavior that is most often observed. In my personal experience, this fear appears in most people with panic disorder. I had that fear too.

When new students appear in my interactive course, many of them, anxious about their mental health, write to me that they are constantly afraid to go crazy, lose control, commit some terrible act against themselves or their loved ones. It seems to them that only they have such a fear, that this is their personal "quirk", and this plunges them into even more anxiety. But I quickly reassure them by offering to read the comments of other participants in which they describe a similar symptom in themselves. All (well, almost all) people who suffer from panic attacks have such a fear. Let's all do a little research together. Please write in the comments if you have such a fear.

Can this fear come true? That is Is it possible to go crazy with panic attacks? I have to reassure you, I have not heard of such cases, despite the fact that I have studied so many materials on this topic and talked to so many people with this problem.

Panic attacks are not related to schizophrenia or other mental disorders. The main difference between schizophrenia and PA is that the schizophrenic will not worry about going crazy without being aware of the changes that are happening to him. A person with PA, on the contrary, constantly worries about his condition, constantly notices all the slightest changes.

If you are afraid of something, this does not mean at all that the object of your fear will come true. You won't go crazy or lose control, don't worry.

The fear of losing control may be due to the fact that the situation of an acute panic attack is a little beyond the ordinary experience. Roughly speaking, you are lying in bed in complete safety, and suddenly a sharp panic seizes you (this is how my first attack happened). Why would it suddenly? If you experienced such a fit of fear during a meeting with a bear in the forest, it would not surprise you at all. The routine of the situation, in which there are not at all ordinary sensations, forms a dissonance, as a result of which there is a fear of losing control over the body. In addition, you cannot control your emotions during an attack. And it begins to seem to you that now your body will also get out of control.

I remind you that you have nothing to fear. This will not happen to you. No one has yet lost control and goes crazy because of a panic attack. It's just a reaction to danger, an adrenaline rush. The task of this mechanism is to save you (although there is nothing to save from in this situation), and not to kill you.

There is no possibility of dying during an attack, so don't worry. We remember that seizures are safe: they do not lead to heart attacks or respiratory arrest.

Tension in the body

Many people feel tension in different parts body: in the neck, in the head area. Most often it is discomfort in the area chest.

Many fear it is due to heart disease. Although the pain in these diseases is concentrated closer to the left hand, while the tension in panic attacks is localized in the center of the chest. Again, there is no danger in this, and this goes along with panic attacks.

Associated symptoms

The group of "comorbid symptoms" will include symptoms of anxiety disorder, depression. Before proceeding to their consideration, I want to remind you that if you find in yourself, in addition to panic disorder, symptoms of, say, an anxiety disorder, this does not mean at all that you have several different ailments. It also does not mean that you need to "treat" both of these ailments separately by taking "panic pills" and "anxiety pills." There are no such pills. In fact, all these symptoms are interconnected, intersect with each other, are causes, effects and varieties of each other. Just as cough and runny nose are considered different symptoms of a cold, depression, insomnia, panic attacks in certain cases are different symptoms of the same thing. It is not necessary to treat a specific cough, it is necessary to treat a cold. The same principle can be applied to all anxiety-related symptoms rather than just one of them.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms

The symptoms that I will describe below are quite often accompanied by people suffering from panic attacks. Personally, I have seen all of them. But do not worry, if you get rid of general anxiety, then these unpleasant effects will also pass.
Many of the symptoms of anxiety and panic disorders overlap (rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, nausea, derealization, etc.) so I won't list them. I will list only those that cannot be considered within the framework of the symptoms of PA and panic disorder.

alarm condition

Immediately after my first panic attack ended, I realized that I was alive and, for the time being, seemed to be in my right mind. But relief did not come, because the panic was replaced by a lingering, lingering anxiety. This feeling is hard to describe. You could probably say this: that feeling when something seems to be wrong, but you can't tell what it is. Some people write to me that their panic attacks last for days or weeks. This cannot be: attacks of acute fear by themselves cannot last more than a few hours. Most likely, when people say this, they mean this unpleasant anxiety. A person can wake up with it, and then fall asleep.

Sometimes it even happens that the panic attacks themselves go away, but the constant feeling of anxiety does not disappear. Therefore, it is important to work not with particular manifestations of anxiety like panic attacks, but with the cause of the general symptomatology that is behind all these unpleasant effects. When this cause is eliminated, the anxiety goes away. Don't worry, you can get rid of all this, which confirms both my experience and the experience of many people who already live without fear and panic.

Nervous tension, shuddering during wakefulness

It happens that panic disorder is accompanied by such effects as irritability, constant mood swings, increased anxiety, tension, problems with concentration. There may also be cases when a person flinches at every sharp sound.
I had it all and gone along with other symptoms of an anxiety disorder.

Sleep problems

Insomnia

Insomnia in people with panic disorder can be related to several factors. Firstly, it can be the result of general nervous tension, constant anxiety. Secondly, it is caused by bouts of fear, anxiety and panic that some people experience at night. And finally, in the face of sleep problems, people can develop anxiety about not being able to sleep, and this will cause further insomnia (and people who suffer from PA tend to be restless, prone to worry). I described this mechanism in an article on how to fall asleep.
And again, if insomnia is a consequence of anxiety, anxiety, then it is only necessary to eliminate these factors, as sleep immediately normalizes. You don’t need to “treat” insomnia itself, you need to get rid of the anxiety that caused it.
There are several other factors of insomnia, which I will discuss below.

Startle during sleep (Hypnic Jerk)

Another effect, which may seem unpleasant and even frightening, but is absolutely harmless, I described as “starting during sleep”, since I did not find an adequate translation of the medical term “Hypnic Jerk”, which refers to this phenomenon. It is as if a person is “thrown out of sleep”: he shudders, feels a feeling of falling, loss of balance and wakes up. When I suffered from PA, I have this could happen five times a night, mainly in the very initial phase of sleep.

There is nothing to be afraid of. This symptom is observed even in “healthy” people (I put in quotation marks, because I don’t want to say that you are sick, since you suffer from PA. This is not a disease). From the point of view of evolution, there is such an explanation for this: in ancient times, people slept on trees. And nature equipped them with a kind of internal alarm clock that woke up a person so that he could make sure that his body was in a stable position, and change this position if the body was in danger of falling.

The catch is that, for some reason, people with symptoms of panic and anxiety disorder may experience this effect more often than anyone else.
But again, there is nothing to be afraid of.

Auditory and visual hallucinations

People with symptoms of an anxiety disorder may have auditory and visual hallucinations, especially when falling asleep. These may be images eyes closed, sudden squeak, conversations (as if listening to a recording with a speech). Sometimes a strong squeak that you hear falling asleep may be accompanied by a start in a dream, which I spoke about above.

Again, there is nothing terrible about this. If you suffer from other symptoms of panic and anxiety disorder and realize that these hallucinations are something unreal and extraordinary (as we remember, really crazy people do not doubt the reality of their delusions), then it is quite possible that you have nothing to fear. There is a good chance that these effects will go away with the panic and anxiety. Although, I repeat, only a doctor can accurately diagnose your case.

Phobias

We have already talked about some phobias before. It's the fear of going crazy, the fear of dying. But it happens that these fears are not limited. Any fears that have developed to a state of phobia, obsessive fear can manifest themselves.

Phobias can be very different:

• Agoraphobia (fear of open spaces. Quite common in people with panic attacks)
• hypochondria
• Claustrophobia
• Fear of riding in an elevator
• Fear of flying on an airplane, before traveling in transport
• Fear of swallowing food
• Fear of suffocation
• Fear of driving
• Fear that the food is poisoned or that a psychoactive substance has been added to it
• Etc. and so on.

Phobias for "every taste". Don't misunderstand my irony. I say "for every taste" because I want to emphasize that the subject of a phobia of a single person suffering from PA does not have of great importance. What matters is the anxiety and anxiety that caused this phobia. If you try to "strangle" a separate phobia, then others will come in its place: they were afraid of elevators, then they began to be afraid to fly on an airplane. Therefore, you need to work with what underlies phobias. I describe this mechanism in my free webinar 3 deadly mistakes in panic attacks.

obsessive thoughts

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Panic- this is an unconscious instinctive horror, a negatively colored affect provoked by an imaginary or real danger, a psychological state characterized by a feeling of intense fear, an irresistible desire to avoid a situation that seems dangerous. This condition can cover one subject or several people at the same time.

The state of panic often gives rise to serious complications and problems, most of which end in the ridiculous death of the panicking person. it is dangerous because an individual experiencing unaccountable fear tends to rash actions that aggravate the situation. In addition, the state of panic spreads like a chain reaction. And then, instead of one panicking person, you can get an uncontrollable crowd that is not aware of its own intentions. Many scientists are convinced that there is no more terrible weapon than a thoughtless frightened crowd.

Causes of panic

To this day, it is not possible to establish the exact causes that provoke panic attacks. However, most researchers are convinced that the propensity to need to be found in family relationships and upbringing. In addition, the occurrence of panic attacks is associated with:

- with multiple stressful situations, unrest that was pushed into the realm of the subconscious;

- family conflicts and confrontations at work;

- neuro-physical overwork;

- injuries psychological nature who were suppressed by an effort of will;

- anticipation of some kind of stress;

- a violation of the production of hormones;

- emotional, mental overstrain;

- a sharp pain in the body or a sensation in the body of an unclear etiology of discomfort, which causes anxiety and sudden;

- abuse alcoholic drinks;

— mental disorders such as depressive states and various phobias.

In addition, anxiety and panic can be generated by some ailments and physical causes. So, for example, often panic attacks can be observed with the following ailments: hypoglycemia, mitral valve prolapse (a disease characterized by improper functioning of one of the heart valves), hyperthyroidism.

Also, panic can be observed due to the intake of certain stimulants, for example, caffeine, amphetamines, cocaine.

Among physical factors, increased activity of beta-adrenergic receptors is distinguished. With deviations in the functioning of these receptors, an excessive amount of adrenaline is suddenly released, which provokes vasoconstriction of the bloodstream, as a result of which the pulse quickens, blood pressure rises and the airways expand.

Psychoanalytic theory argues that an unconscious feeling of anxiety arises due to the presence internal causes. Along with this, followers of behavioral therapy are convinced that anxiety has a connection with external conditions, for example, when you are not able to overcome some problems.

Panic in a child may occur due to the peculiarities of adaptation in modern society. Children already from an early age face the problems of competition. They are trying to be more attractive in order to take a certain position in the school hierarchy. In addition, a child's panic can often be based on the fear of being ridiculed.

Also, adults should understand that the child’s subsequent panic intensifies when the kids try to hide their own state from the environment, to hide emotions.

Childhood panic attacks are accompanied by various manifestations from the vegetative system. When a feeling of panic arises, the baby feels his own insecurity, vulnerability, so he is in dire need of parental support.

Psychology of panic

Panic people have the following characteristics:

- it occurs mainly in a large number of groups (crowd, mass gathering of people);

- provoked by a feeling of uncontrollable fear due to real danger or based on an imaginary threat (for example, a panic on an airplane);

- panic is most often a spontaneously emerging phenomenon, manifested in the disorganized behavior of people;

- people in a panic state are characterized by behavioral uncertainty, which consists in confusion, chaotic actions and inadequacy of the behavioral response in general.

Thus, the panic of people is a spontaneously emerging phenomenon of a large crowd of people who are in a state of increased emotional arousal due to the influence of an uncontrolled feeling of fear and horror.

It is known that anxiety and panic do not arise in every mass gathering of people. The combination of a number of conditions and the influence of various factors becomes decisive for the occurrence of such a state:

- the psychological atmosphere of increased anxiety and uncertainty of a group of individuals in situations of danger or as a result of a prolonged experience of negative emotions (for example, living in conditions of regular bombing), such an atmosphere is considered pre-panic, that is, preceding and contributing to the emergence of a panic state;

- the presence of rumors inciting and stimulating a panic state, for example, inciting a degree negative consequences from perceived danger;

- certain personal qualities individuals and the presence of a tendency to panic.

Types of panic

Panic states are classified by coverage of individuals and by nature.
According to the coverage of individuals, panic happens: mass, that is, it covers a large number of individuals (for example, during floods) and individual (for example, a woman just before giving birth).

Types of panic by nature: affective panic and behavioral panic.

The first type is a group response, which is controlled by instantly engulfing individuals. strong feeling fear and horror (for example, panic on an airplane). Usually, such a state begins with the panic of individual highly suggestible, hysterical persons (alarmists), who infect the environment with a panic mood. This species is characterized by a state of acute, mass, uncontrollable behavior, indistinct perception of the environment.

The second type is emotionally dictated, deliberate decisions and actions that do not always correspond to the level of danger. Forms and fades gradually. It originates not in a mass accumulation of individuals, but among individual groups population.

Also allocate various forms panic:

- exodus, which is an unconscious flight from an imagined or real-life threat;

- panic moods, which are psychological states individuals or entire classes, in which the balance between guiding and regulating components, emotional and rational, changes. As a result, behavior becomes subject to random stimuli and is practically unpredictable;

- economic panic, first of all, is observed on banking exchanges and is manifested either by an incredible influx of depositors, or by a crisis due to inflation, rising prices or a change in the economic structure in the country.

panic signs

Panic symptoms and signs usually develop suddenly and reach their peak very quickly (no more than ten minutes). Most attacks last about 20-30 minutes.

Basically, the attacks occur as follows: the individual is relaxed, doing everyday activities, for example, watching TV, suddenly he is covered by a wave of absolutely unreasonable strong fear.

Typical signs and symptoms of panic: shortness of breath or hyperventilation of the lungs, choking, increased heart rate, increased pressure, discomfort or pain in the chest area, tremors, a feeling of unreality or isolation from the environment, intestinal upset or nausea, sweating, fainting or dizziness, tingling or numbness, flashes of cold or heat, confusion, fear of losing control, dying, or going crazy.

Except listed signs they also distinguish atypical symptoms of panic: vision or hearing is impaired, muscle cramps appear, the gait becomes uncertain, there is a feeling of the so-called “coma in the throat”, the individual loses consciousness, profuse urination.

In the body, after a sudden fear, the release of adrenaline increases, which sends nervous system"fight or run" message. Breathing increases its intensity, the heart begins to beat at a frantic speed, profuse sweating occurs, as a result of which chills may appear. Due to hyperventilation of the lungs, dizziness and numbness of the extremities occur. The body prepares to escape from dangerous situation which may not actually exist.

At the end of the attack, the person does not feel better, on the contrary, he develops a persistent fear of a recurrence of such a state. Such fear only increases the frequency of the next attacks.

In addition, the manifestations of seizures depend on the form of panic. There are three forms of panic, depending on the degree of leakage: mild, moderate and extreme. Lungs panic symptoms experienced by every individual throughout existence. A sharp sound - and the person shudders, but it remains. The situation in which there is a complete reassessment of what is happening provokes average shape attack.

Most dangerous form A panic attack is considered an extreme degree at which a state of affect is born, and the individual loses control. This condition can be caused natural disaster, catastrophe, earthquake.

Panic Treatment

In the treatment of panic attacks, drug therapy is widely used. More often, tranquilizers are prescribed (they can quickly stop an attack), antidepressants (they contribute to a more stable result, reduce the level of anxiety) and antipsychotics (eliminate vegetative clinical symptoms).

However, often, even after the patient has undergone full course therapy, relapses may occur. This is due, most often, to the inability of patients to manage and control their own thoughts and emotions. Psychotherapy helps to learn control over thoughts and feelings.

Cognitive-behavioral methods of psychotherapy are considered the most common in the treatment of mental pathologies, which are manifested by bouts of fear. As a rule, treatment with the help of psychotherapeutic techniques contains several stages: didactic, cognitive and behavioral.

At the didactic stage, the patient becomes aware of the logic and mechanism of his illness and the clinics that accompany it, as well as finding a way to overcome it.

At the cognitive stage, the patient is helped to discover "automatic" thoughts that contribute to the maintenance of depressed mood and anxiety.

At the behavioral stage, with the help of the therapist, a strategy is developed that allows the patient to form.

In the course of treatment, the patient learns to overcome panic attacks on his own, learns. For this purpose, relaxation techniques are used. breathing techniques such as meditation.

Today, in the treatment of panic, it is less common than cognitive, but in certain situations it turns out to be the most effective. Since very often panic disorder does not occur as an isolated symptom, but develop as a result of some kind of life trouble. Psychoanalytic techniques are especially effective when an individual seeks not only to eliminate the symptoms of panic attacks, but also to understand himself, establish relationships with the environment and learn to set priorities correctly.