Panic Attacks: An Evil That Feeds On Our Lifestyle

Panic attacks are a “silent epidemic” that is spreading in our society. Accentuated by stress and experiences that have not been properly assimilated and processed -because in our society there is no time for it- unfortunately they are more common every day and are discussed in consultation later. In fact, the person only usually comes to this when they are totally dysfunctional and not when they are partially.

Its symptoms include: sweating, rapid heartbeat or palpitations, a feeling of unreality, trembling, drowning, heat or chills, and fear of dying, among others. Thus, we see that physiologically it presents recurrent symptoms in many anxiety disorders, although with the particularity that the trigger is not clear and that the anticipation of the attack itself may even be the trigger.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), three out of ten people suffer from panic attacks. This means that about 30% of human beings have this condition. The WHO estimates that about 6 million people consult each year for one or more symptoms of panic, of which 1 million have the complete picture and are under treatment.

This symptom is relatively new. Only until 1980 was it classified as a malaise with its own identity. This happened after thousands of mental health professionals around the world reported that the number of people who consulted them for these sudden attacks of terror was growing more and more. They did not fit into other anxiety boxes and that is why they were called “panic attacks.”

Panic, an overwhelming experience

The worst thing about contemporary panic is the fact that it occurs completely arbitrarily and dissipates itself. A person can calmly walk down the street and suddenly experience the same symptoms of a heart attack or a “sudden experience.” In those moments it is as if he is looking directly at death. In fact, most of the time you feel that an episode has begun that can end in a fatal outcome.

The first difficulty is that if the person is not informed of what a panic attack is, they will surely assume that it is a physical illness that is manifesting itself. The most usual thing is that you consult several doctors first, without any of them giving you a reason about the disease that afflicts you.

The situation becomes very distressing. The person thinks that he is very sick and that the doctors do not detect anything. So she feels abandoned in her suffering. Usually their lives change. They begin to fear going out into the street, or being alone somewhere.

They fear that the symptoms will appear again and that they will not have someone to turn to for “rescue” or help in those circumstances. Strong feelings of sadness and frustration are also incubated.

Understand contemporary panic

Panic is a symptom that many, many people can experience. Sometimes they have one or two seizures, but they never come back. Other times, the attacks become recurrent and that is when it can be said that they are part of an anxiety disorder itself. It is always accompanied by strong doses of anguish, due to the suddenness of the symptoms and the difficulty in finding their motivators.

The most puzzling thing is that several studies have established that the personality type prone to panic attacks is, in general, those who have gone through complex episodes or difficulties in their life and have always maintained control.

They are people who tend to solve problems and move forward in the midst of difficulties. So when panic strikes, they are reluctant to assume that something is getting out of hand. It is difficult for them to admit that what is happening has its origin in their mind and not in their body.

The downside is that the vast majority only see a mental health professional after several years of dealing with symptoms. They do it after having gone through several consultations with general or specialized doctors, but not in the field of mental health, and they have not been able to give them an answer.

As panic transforms their lives, they develop other problems such as depression, distrust, irritability and constant restlessness. This brings with it new problems with themselves and with their environment, so that by the time treatment is started, the picture is usually quite tangled.

Panic attacks are thought to only occur in people who live in large cities, but this is not true. Although it is more frequent in urban environments, it is also suffered by people who live or spend most of their time in urban environments.

Certain  currents in psychology affirm that the appearance of panic is not in itself the context, but an experience or a conflict that is latent inside and has not been resolved. Hence the importance of formal psychotherapy to address this complex situation.