Anxiety or Panic attacks are sudden surges of overwhelming fear that appear to come on without warning and without any obvious reason and is usually far more intense than having anxiety or the feeling of simply being 'stressed out' that most people experience. One out of every 75 people worldwide will experience a panic attack at one time in their lives.

The majority of people who have panic attacks say that it is the fear of a fear happening. And that when they think about the thing they are afraid of happening they start experiencing a panic attack. The symptoms most people report are:

	Fast heart rate
	Heart palpitation, feeling of dread
	Difficulty breathing, feeling as though you can't get enough air
	Nervous, shaking, stress
	Dizziness, lightheadedness or nausea
	Trembling, sweating, shaking
	Choking, chest pains, distress
	Hot flushes, or sudden chills
	Terror that is almost paralyzing
	Tingling in fingers or toes 'pins and needles'
	Churning stomach or guts, feeling you need to go to the toilet
	Fear, fright, afraid, anxious
	Fearful that you're going to go crazy or are about to die

If you have experienced any combination of some or all of the above then the chances are that you were experiencing an anxiety or panic attack. The main symptom of a Panic Anxiety Disorder is the panic attack itself. Most people who have panic attacks say that it is the fear or the fear that frightens them.

What actually happens during a panic attack is that because the person is feeling anxious or fearful their brain naturally gets ready to protect them from potential danger and goes into a heightened state of alert, this is called 'fight or flight' which starts the release of adrenaline into the body. Adrenaline is a very powerful, fast acting hormone that is naturally produced by the body. The effect of the release of adrenaline is to make your heart beat faster, your breathing faster and shallower. Basically your body is getting as much oxygen into your blood as possible and at the same time pumping it around your body as fast as possible so that you can either fight or run away. Some of the effects of a high level of oxygen in your blood are dizziness and lightheadedness.

Unfortunately most people having a panic attack notice the effects of the adrenaline release and think that something terrible is happening to them or going to happen rather than realising that this is purely a normal physiological response to the perceived threat. Adrenaline is a vital and very useful hormone for everyday survival, it's effect on the body is what enables you to react quickly and get out of the way of danger i.e. crossing the road and hearing a car horn you instantly have an energy boost to get you out of the way of the car. When it is released it works instantly on the body and then takes about 3 to 5 minutes to be metabolised by the body, which is why fear sometimes comes on quickly and then takes a while to subside once the fear has gone.

A panic attack is normally a perceived fear rather than something tangible that you can touch or run away from. Normally if someone goes into fight or flight mode because of a tangible imminent danger as soon as the danger has passed the person begins to calm down as the brain steps the alert down from the full on alert of fight or flight, stopping the release of adrenaline into the body and allowing the person to begin calming down. During a panic attack because the person is continually thinking about being scared, fearful, nervous etc the brain continues producing adrenaline until the person becomes exhausted and is no longer capable of sustaining the high level of adrenaline and they fall asleep totally drained.

If this sounds like you or someone you know call me on 07768 877 719 and find out how to easily stop the fear and break the cycle of anxiety so that you can find freedom from the panic attacks or email me by clicking here to contact us now.

It is important that before you come to see me to help you stop your Anxiety or Panic attacks you should go to your GP first to rule out any underlying medical causes.

If you have any other questions or for a free no obligation chat about how you too could overcome your fears and change your life call Paul now on 07768 877 719 or contact info@phobiagone.com by email

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