In order to deal with panic attacks it is first necessary to properly understand exactly what they are and what causes them. A panic attack is where you get a sudden rush of apprehension, discomfort or intense fear that comes on very suddenly and may last anywhere from 15 seconds to many hours if you get a particularly bad episode where the panic attack comes in waves.   Where you are in the unfortunate position of having the longer episodes there is also generally discomfort caused by expecting an attack to occur. So in essence you get caught up in a feedback loop where expecting a panic attack causes a panic attack and so on. The way I found to deal with them effectively was with this.

Deal With Panic Attacks… First Thoughts

It is not uncommon for people who are experiencing a panic attack for the first time to phone up for emergency services, because they think they are having a very real physical problem like a heart attack. So it is no surprise that when it happens people would actively seek to deal with panic attacks in as quick a way as possible, because they can be deeply upsetting episodes, and really leave you feeling as though you are not properly in control of your own mind.

There are a number of different causes of panic attacks, and to understand how to deal with them effectively we first need to look at some of the underlying reasons why they occur.

Start To Deal With Panic Attacks -
The 12 Most Common Causes of Panic Attacks

1/ Hereditary Factors – In some studies it has been shown that certain people are more pre-disposed genetically to panic attacks. In twins for example it has been shown that if one twin suffers from panic attacks that there is between a 31% and 88% chance that the other twin will also similarly suffer.

2/ Biological Reasons – People who suffer from various diseases like hypoglycaemia and even Vitamin B deficiency can be a precursor for a Panic Attack.

3/ Phobic Situations – If you are petrified of spiders or heights, or anything else. Then this can trigger a panic attack.

4/ Lifestyle Change Reasons – You lose your job. Your girlfriend dumps you. Sudden lifestyle changes can be triggers for a panic attack.

5/ Avoidance Behaviour – Ironically, not dealing with stress in your everyday life can cause panic attacks. For example your neighbour consistently parks his car on YOUR driveway. But you say nothing, or passively let him. This can actually lead to bottling up the pain and causing more problems down the road. Your neighbour may not see you have a panic attack, but you will.

6/ Negative Self-Talk – If you are constantly telling yourself you are useless, or that you are not a confident person then in many ways you are adding fuel to your problems. (Seriously, if you are doing this or any of these other symptoms the you really should check this out, it helps a lot)

7/ Medications – There are certain drugs that can cause interactions in your body that can trigger panic attacks. Examples include Ritalin and Fluoroquinone type antibiotics. This is another reason why you should always read the labels on any medications very carefully before taking them.

8/ Withdrawal from Addictions – This has been noted in many types of withdrawal from alcohol, drugs and other medications. This can be psychological triggers, because you are already at a low ebb, but there can also be physical factors in play. One particular example is withdrawal from drugs (and alcohol) that have tranquilising properties. So that when that is no longer present the anxiety levels can quickly go up.

9/ Hyperventilation Syndrome – This is where your system is exhaling an excessive amount of carbon dioxide in proportion to the amount of oxygen that is in your bloodstream. And this in term then leads on to such symptoms as dizziness and rapid heartbeat which can then trigger a panic attack.

10/ Spatially Inclined Panic Attacks – This is where you have associations with a certain place that causes you to have a panic attack. In everyday life this could be as simple having to go to the office triggering an attack, or in more extreme situations for example entering a shop triggering a panic attack because you were mugged in their a few years ago.

11/ Pharmacological Triggers – Caffeine, alcohol and amphetamines for example can act as triggers in certain people because of the way that the chemicals in those substances interacts with that persons biology.  This is by no means true of everyone, but it is easy to see how this can occur if you consider alcohol as an example. Some people get very placid and calm on alcohol, whilst others get violent. And the same is true if you are looking to deal with panic attacks.

12/ Chronic Illness – There are certain cardiac conditions such as Long QT Syndrome and Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome that can be causative factors in panic attacks. Part of the problem comes with the patient being able to differentiate between a symptom of their disease and a panic attack, and this in itself can be enough to cause a panic attack.

These 12 causes of panic attacks are clearly interlinked and interwoven, and it is worth learning how to deal with panic attacks right now, as there is a lot of factors that influence it.

To do exactly that and make panic attacks a thing of the past in your life take a look at this.