People learned about the existence of sudden anxiety attacks not so long ago. This means that it is not at all surprising that many do not know the reasons why it may arise and how to combat it.
And this despite the fact that 10% of the population, that is, every tenth person, is susceptible to such attacks!
Therefore, it is worth considering in more detail the questions of what a psychic attack is, the symptoms and treatment of this disease. As they say, forewarned is forearmed.
What are mental (panic) attacks
So what is this until recently unknown disease?
A psychic attack is a sudden attack of intense fear. It occurs unexpectedly for a person, develops very quickly and reaches its peak within a few minutes. Moreover, such an attack can happen not only during the day, but also at night, even during sleep.
The strength of such a phenomenon does not depend on the circumstances surrounding a person.
Place in the modern world
Panic attacks can not only be a one-time occurrence, but can also be a sign of serious mental disorders.
Mental attacks have become a real problem in the United States. Today, about 60 million people there (which is 20% of the population) suffer from various panic disorders, and about 3 million more people (1.7% of the population) have experienced panic disorders at least once in their lives. mental disorder in a pronounced form.
Most often, people aged 15-19 years suffer from attacks of mental attacks, but still no one is immune from them.
Causes of psychic attacks
Loss of psychological balance can also provoke mental attacks. The reasons why this happens may be the following:
- stress;
- chronic fatigue;
- presence of mental and somatic diseases;
- use of substances that stimulate the psyche;
- problems and difficult life circumstances.
The first attack may occur during adolescence, during pregnancy, after the birth of a child, or during menopause. This is due to significant changes in hormonal levels in the body.
In addition, there may be internal prerequisites for the manifestation of the disease. These include: neuropsychiatric or drug addiction, alcoholism.
It is necessary to remember that such a disease (mental attacks) does not occur without certain prerequisites in the form of health problems. Previously, the appearance of mental attacks was considered a sign of vegetative-vascular dystonia.
Symptoms of a Psychic Attack
An attack is not the only confirmation of a disorder such as a mental attack. Symptoms can vary. But there are certain criteria by which this pathology is diagnosed.
So, if a person is truly having a psychic attack, the symptoms could be:
- increased sweating;
- increased heart rate and pulse;
- trembling, chills;
- shortness of breath and feeling of lack of air;
- suffocation;
- abdominal pain, which may be accompanied by nausea;
- discomfort or pain in the left side of the chest;
- faintness, dizziness, unsteadiness;
- numbness of the limbs and a feeling of “goosebumps” on the skin;
- alternating alternation of heat and cold;
- having a feeling that everything that is happening is unreal;
- fear of dying;
- fear of going crazy or doing something unexpected.
As you can see, there are many manifestations. A psychic attack combines at least four of the symptoms listed above. When fear and anxiety do not leave the patient within 10 minutes.
After these symptoms, a mental attack can move into the next stage, which manifests itself in the form of agoraphobic syndrome - fear of going out, driving public transport. The longer the duration of this condition, the greater the possibility of depression, during which a person’s social activity decreases, fatigue increases, appetite worsens, sleep disorders and problems with sexual life appear.
How to relieve a psychic attack without outside help
It is necessary to remember one important detail: attacks of fear and anxiety can be learned to be controlled independently. Therefore, it is important not to get confused during the next attack, but to know exactly what to do during mental attacks.
There are many methods and methods of control, but one of the most effective in practice remains the method of breathing control. Its principle is very simple - you need to slow down your breathing to 4-5 breaths per minute. Take a deep breath (as far as possible), then take a couple of seconds and exhale deeply. It is best to do this with your eyes closed to feel the movement of the muscles and lungs.
After several such inhalations and exhalations, the panic attack begins to recede and soon goes away completely.
Diagnosis of psychic attacks
If there are at least four signs of a mental attack (we discussed them above), you must immediately contact a therapist for a more detailed diagnosis.
The doctor will prescribe a change for the patient necessary tests and will send you for an electrocardiogram.
If necessary, you may need additional examinations from a neurologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist, pulmonologist.
After all inspections have been completed and test results have been received, a selection is made on an individual basis. necessary treatment psychic attacks. It can be carried out in the form of taking a course of medications, psychotherapy or hypnosis.
Drug treatment for panic attacks
In most cases, treatment of mental attacks is carried out with the help of medications, since this is the most effective method getting rid of this type of disorder.
Most effective treatment carried out using such groups of drugs as:
- Tranquilizers.
- Antidepressants.
- Neuroleptics.
The required group of drugs or any one drug (for example, one of the antidepressants) is selected separately in each case, depending on the nature of the course and accompanying symptoms of a mental attack.
In this case, the drug treatment itself includes two stages:
- Elimination of psychic attack.
- Prevention of a recurrent attack and its secondary symptoms (depression, etc.) in the future.
A mental attack is eliminated with the help of tranquilizers (Lorazepam, Diazepam, Clonazepam, Relanium, Alprazolam, Lorafen, etc.), which are administered intravenously or taken orally. The attack completely goes away 15-20 minutes after administration of the drug.
This method of treatment has a significant disadvantage: tranquilizers are to some extent narcotic drugs, and can also cause the body to become addicted to them. active substances. As a result, after some time, taking drugs in standard dosages ceases to bring any effect or even causes severe dependence. Unregulated use of tranquilizers can cause new mental attacks.
In addition, it is important to know that tranquilizers cannot cure the disease, but only temporarily eliminate symptoms, so they are used only as an auxiliary, but not the main drug for the treatment of mental disorders.
The main treatment for panic attacks is carried out through the use of antidepressants, which not only help get rid of depression, but also eliminate excessive anxiety and unreasonable fears, and treat mental attacks. The main drugs that are most often prescribed for treatment: Anafranil, Zoloft, Cipralex and others.
Neuroleptics, as well as tranquilizers, act as auxiliary drugs during the treatment of mental attacks. They have a mild effect on the body, but at the same time they perfectly relieve autonomic symptoms psychic attacks. These may be drugs such as Propazine, Etaperazine, Sonapax.
The second stage of treatment is to consolidate the results obtained. At this stage, stabilizing therapy is used, which includes taking (TAD), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and selective serotonergic drugs (SSRIs).
The TAD group has an anti-panic effect, but it begins to act only 2-3 weeks after the first dose, which is a significant disadvantage. In addition, antidepressants of the TAD group can cause side effects such as dry mouth, constipation, weight gain, etc.
Selective serotonergic drugs (SSRIs) have fewer side effects compared to the previous option. Basic side effects such drugs: irritability, nervousness and worsening sleep in the first 2 weeks after starting treatment. The advantage is that SSRI antidepressants can only be taken once a day.
In parallel with the treatment of a mental attack, its secondary syndromes, such as hypochondria, depression, agoraphobia, are eliminated.
How to treat a psychic attack and in what doses is determined by the doctor individually. As a rule, the minimum dose is prescribed, after which it is monitored whether the disease subsides or continues to develop. All this is carried out under the supervision of a therapist or another doctor responsible for the treatment. It is strictly forbidden to self-medicate with tranquilizers and antidepressants!
At the right approach to treatment and following all recommendations, in 90% of cases there is a stable remission to panic attacks.
To get rid of the disease more successfully, a set of measures is used.
Treating panic attacks with psychotherapy
Along with drug treatment, a course of psychotherapy is also carried out at the same time, which continues for some time even after the drugs are discontinued, which makes it easier to survive this process.
Psychotherapist sessions can be divided into two types: symptomatic and deep therapy.
In the first case, the psychic attack is seen as a symptom. A specialist helps you understand how a panic attack develops and how you can deal with it yourself. As a rule, symptomatic therapy lasts no more than three months.
The deep one involves identifying the reasons that result in an attack. This occurs as a result of long-term work that can last for years. The psychotherapist learns inner world a person, his attitude towards himself, unmet needs and unexpressed feelings. But in the end, the specialist manages to eliminate not only the symptoms of the problem, but also its original cause.
Psychologists teach patients not to look for flaws in themselves, but to concentrate on their positive qualities. Only an optimistic outlook on life and positive thinking can drive away the disease and ensure that it will not return.
Separate work is carried out to raise the patient’s self-esteem, as it plays an important role in the development of the individual and the perception of the surrounding world as a whole.
Combining medication and psychotherapeutic methods helps speed up the recovery process, as well as teach the correct course of action during a possible future panic attack.
Treating panic attacks with hypnosis
Treatment of mental attacks using hypnosis is practiced by psychiatrists. This way of dealing with the disorder Lately is gaining more and more popularity due to its effectiveness. The essence of the treatment is simple: during hypnotic sleep, the patient is given appropriate instructions, the main goal of which is to get rid of mental attacks. After a hypnosis session, patients feel peace, a sense of lightness, a surge of vigor and energy.
The disadvantage of hypnotic treatment is its short-term effect, and also the fact that this method is not suitable for all patients.
Preventing panic attacks
People who often suffer from mental disorders live in a state of constant tension and stress, as a result of which the body's stability is reduced to critical levels. In such situations, any unforeseen circumstance (for example, a conflict at work) can become the “last straw” and cause a panic attack. However, there are some simple ways, which help improve psychological well-being, reduce the level of emotional stress and reduce the likelihood of a mental attack.
- Cold and hot shower. A very simple and at the same time effective way. Jets of cold water that briefly touch the skin can stimulate the production of hormones that improve mood. The method can be used both for prevention, general strengthening psychological state, and during an attack increased anxiety and panic. How to take it correctly cold and hot shower? Everything is very simple, but there are some nuances. It is important to douse yourself with water, only then will you get the desired effect. The procedure should begin with warm water. After a few seconds it needs to be switched to cold, and after a few seconds again to warm. Wherein cold water should not be cool, but really cold, even icy. Do not be afraid of catching a cold - during such a procedure this is impossible, since the body’s defense reactions are activated.
- Muscle relaxation. By learning to relax your muscles, you can simultaneously relieve the level of psychological stress. There are many ways of psychological relaxation. Having familiarized yourself with them in more detail, you can easily choose the one that is ideal for you.
- Full sleep. Lack of sleep does not have the best effect on the human nervous system. In the case when it develops into a chronic form, the situation worsens significantly, and in parallel with this, the possibility of a psychic attack increases.
- Active physical life. It is important to choose the right intensity of exercise for yourself. While regular exercise is enough for some, others go to fitness, to the pool or gym. The main thing is that the activities bring you pleasure, because only in this case will they benefit your psychological health.
- Regular meals. Everything is simple here: a hungry person’s blood sugar level decreases, and this increases the likelihood of a panic attack.
- No stimulants. These include: coffee, energy drinks, cigarettes and alcohol. Moreover, the case with alcohol is unique in this regard: one or two glasses help reduce a panic attack. But a morning hangover only makes the situation worse. In addition, if you take alcohol during each attack, there is a high risk of developing another disease - alcoholism.
Summarizing all that has been said, we can conclude that mental disorders, no matter whether it is a panic attack or something else, can be completely avoided. To do this, you just need to learn to control your emotions and monitor your psychological health.
Feeling fear is an absolutely normal ability of the body, which produces the hormone adrenaline, designed to protect a person from external negative impact. When a large amount of fear hormone is released into the blood, pressure rises, heart rate increases, oxygen levels increase (it is impossible to breathe full breasts), and other symptoms appear. These factors increase strength, endurance, arousal - everything that a person needs when faced with danger.
But what if sweating, coldness or numbness of the limbs and face, and incessant and illogical fear suddenly overcame the body without meaning to? objective reasons(no real threat to life)? An unprepared person is lost, believing that such symptoms are the result of a serious illness. Let's look at the picture of the symptoms of panic attacks and find out how they are related to different phobias.
Primary symptoms of a panic attack
A characteristic feature of the first panic attack is its unpredictability: it is impossible to predict in advance when and where a panic attack will begin. It all starts with the fact that some phenomena or events around are perceived by a person as dangerous for no reason. The main cause of a panic attack appears - fear. Adrenaline causes the primary core symptoms of panic disorder: rapid heartbeat and difficulty breathing.
Secondary symptoms of a panic attack
There are quite a lot of them - more than 30 species. Ultimately, the appearance and development of certain symptoms comes down to what the person focuses on. Fear of certain consequences provokes further repetitions of panic attacks.
Fear for your life (thanatophobia - fear of death)
This includes physiological symptoms that the patient expects to lead to death:
- Cardiophobia (fear of cardiac arrest): rapid heartbeat; chest tightness; pain in the solar plexus; high blood pressure; causeless trembling; tension in the body, it is impossible to relax the muscles.
- Anginophobia (fear of suffocation) and fear of fainting: difficulty breathing; in the chest and throat; it is impossible to catch your breath, take a deep breath; dizziness; nausea; rapid pulse; weakness in the knees; noise in ears; tightness in the temples; blurred vision; dryness and lump in the throat.
- Fear of gastrointestinal disease (including fear of getting cancer): pain in the stomach; frequent urge to the toilet; belching; nausea; spasms and pain in the intestines.
These are the main types physiological symptoms, which selectively appear in people with panic attacks.
Fear for your psyche (normality, adequacy)
Fear go crazy, losing control of your mind and body are prevalent in this category of panic symptoms:
- Depersonalization. This mental sensation as if the body does not belong to the person. He can look at himself from the outside, but he is not able to control his body. Additional physiological symptoms: heaviness in the body, weak legs, numbness of the limbs, cold hands, stiffness of movement.
- Derealization. Inability to think clearly and logically, inability to realize where a person is, what he is doing, why he is standing here, etc. The reality around is distorted, tunnel thinking may appear, visual distance of objects, changes in their color, size, etc. From the side of the body : fragmented attention, inability to focus on objects, muscle tension, foggy eyes.
During this period, the patient is afraid of losing control over himself and believes that such symptoms will lead him to madness.
Fear for the reaction of others
This category also applies to psychological symptoms , however, expresses itself in physiological aspect, i.e., it combines the above-mentioned first and second groups. The patient is afraid that people around him will notice the following external changes in a person prone to a panic attack:
- Increased sweating.
- Hand tremors, body tremors, weakness.
- Stiffness in movements, heaviness of limbs (impossible to raise an arm without trembling).
- Redness of the face, spots on the neck and chest.
- Labored breathing.
In fact, the patient himself adds fuel to the fire, thinking that people around him will notice similar symptoms. Practice shows that a person worries primarily about his own appearance and rarely pays attention to other people.
Atypical manifestations of panic attacks
They are less common than typical ones and are mostly worn physiological nature. As a result, the patient and doctor may be misled by:
- Muscle tension, cramps.
- Obvious gait disturbance.
- Feeling of body arching.
- Aphasia (obvious speech impairments).
- Hysteria, depression, feeling of hopelessness.
Unreasonable crying is rare and can be confused with PMS in women, with signs of pregnancy, or with disturbances in the hormonal system. For clarification, you should contact a specialist.
The difference between the symptoms of panic and those similar to other diseases
The final diagnosis is made by a doctor who specializes in panic attacks, since another illness may be hiding under the guise of a mental disorder. There are a number of common characteristics that will help distinguish between symptoms of a similar series. Let us list the features of the condition during a panic attack:
- Duration. All symptoms disappear as suddenly as they appeared - at the end of the attack.
- Painful sensations. At psychosomatic illness the pain occurs unexpectedly, is local in nature (does not move to other parts of the body) and quickly disappears.
- Difficulty breathing. In the presence of additional symptoms(abdominal pain, stiffness) is a symptom of panic disorder.
- Time. The average duration of a panic attack is 15–20 minutes. The peak of the attack occurs at the 10th minute.
- Tingling in the limbs, numbness. It is not localized to one arm or leg, but affects several parts of the body at once.
This is a general characteristic that does not take into account the many individual manifestations of panic in different people.
Panic attack in children and adolescents
As a rule, it is a consequence of two factors:
- Social. Fear of surrounding people, confined spaces, and strong emotional shocks can cause panic in school-age children.
- Hormone. It occurs in children from 11 to 17 years old and is a consequence of hormonal changes and renewal of the body. Accompanied increased tearfulness, attacks of aggression, inability to adequately assess the situation, etc.
Parents can influence the condition of their child. First, during a panic attack, you should calm him down and show him that you are in complete control of the situation. Do not yell at your child or punish him under any circumstances! This behavior will only worsen the situation, the teenager will withdraw into himself, and panic disorders will visit him even more often.
The next step for parents should be to take their child to the doctor. Mild medications and cognitive therapy are usually prescribed.
Consequences of panic attacks
Contrary to popular belief, it should be noted that this disease has a psychological basis, which means it does not have physiological consequences. However, a person’s condition may worsen over time, panic attacks will become more frequent, and their nature will be more intense. To avoid leading yourself to neurosis, you should consult a psychiatrist.
What is a panic attack? People of the older generation, who endured the hardships of the war and the post-war restoration of the national economy, were generally not familiar with this term, except that psychotherapists used it in their conversations. But modern man often “gets depressed.” What is this connected with?
Widespread computerization, stuffy offices, a “crazy” rhythm of life and the desire to be aware of the events happening around at all costs often tires a person so much that his psyche begins to refuse to work in such conditions and speeds and responds with attacks of fear, anxiety, internal discomfort. The environmental situation and events in the international arena only contribute to the worsening of the situation.
Panic attacks, a prerequisite for the occurrence of which is modern life, are themselves often the cause and manifestation of various psychological problems that beset the future patient of psychiatric doctors. Probably, our high-tech, “advanced” in all respects, century somehow contributes to the development of new syndromes that are within the competence of specialists who study the central nervous system and its activities? This is probably true and it's worth talking about.
Emotions and vegetation
Why do panic attacks happen? Probably, to understand the origin of the pathology, given its versatility, it is better to divide the causes into two groups: predisposing And calling.
To the prerequisites Which cause the appearance of panic attacks include:
List of factors causing and forming panic fears, includes:
- Psychotraumatic circumstances, emotional stress.
- Excessive amount of physical activity, high sexual activity.
- Great mental stress, prolonged stay in virtual space, excessive passion for computer games.
- Flaw fresh air, physical inactivity, deficiency of vitamins and microelements, malnutrition.
- Climatic conditions not suitable for a particular person, increased level background radiation and the environmental situation in general.
- Chronic infections.
- Diseases of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular pathology, hormonal imbalance, nervous diseases.
- Traumatic brain injuries.
- Consumption of alcohol in excessive quantities, psychotropic medications on one’s own initiative, drug addiction, addiction to drinks containing caffeine.
In addition, panic fears can be caused by long-standing events in a person’s life that left a mental wound (separation, betrayal, betrayal) or nostalgic experiences.
scheme of occurrence and “cycling” of panic attacks
Phobias formed by various reasons(a fall from a height, failure in an exam, a stopped elevator, a thunderstorm, etc.) leave somewhere in the depths of consciousness a source of panic attacks, although the incident itself is erased from memory. For example, having fallen in childhood even from an insignificant height, but at the same time being very frightened, a person will be afraid of it for life. A peal of thunder followed by a fire, seen in early childhood, will cause panic fear already at the appearance of an approaching black cloud.
Inability to pass exams also sometimes falls into this category of reasons. Panic begins even before entering the classroom; all the learned material disappears from your head. Unfortunately, some people never manage to get rid of the state of panic that occurs at certain periods, and they stop studying in higher educational institutions, not looking at their excellent natural data.
Symptom, syndrome or separate disease?
What a “panic attack” can mean is already clear from the name this concept: panic, fear, anxiety that occurs sporadically without warning. That is why it is an attack, so that it does not depend on a person’s desire, but arises spontaneously, starting somewhere from the inside, behind the sternum or in the throat area. Panic attacks can also occur situationally, when a person finds himself in an environment that creates discomfort, for example, in a room without windows, from which he wants to quickly escape, because a sudden feeling of anxiety and tension prevents him from being there. Perhaps, after reading about the symptoms of a panic attack, some of us will try on its symptoms ourselves.
When there is no reason to worry
Panic attacks start at some point (not for everyone, of course). And if this happened for the first time to a person who is confident in his health, then the feeling of discomfort during an incomprehensible attack is considered by some as a random episode that has nothing to do with pathology. True, when the attack is repeated, the patient states that “this has already happened to him.”
- A panic attack can occur, as they say, out of nowhere, but it only seems. Let's say, a person lay down to calmly watch TV before going to bed and suddenly thoughts crept in about recently experienced troubles or some little thing brought back memories of days long past. My heart started pounding, my chest tightened, a lump came to my throat...
- Panic fear suddenly seizes: Your pulse quickens, you break into a sweat, it’s hard to breathe, your whole body trembles, you break into a cold sweat, and you may feel dizzy. Tinnitus, separation from reality and loss of it, anxiety, fear for the outcome of what happened knocks a person out of the usual rhythm of life, although in most cases not for long. Most often, such a condition is qualified as, since the participation of the autonomic nervous system is obvious.
- Often such panic states occur in women after childbirth. Fear for the baby, especially if a young mother is left alone for a long time, leads to the point that she begins to fear for her actions (“the child is defenseless, it’s easy to throw him out the window, scald him, drown him...”). Of course, these thoughts are caused by fear for the life of the little man; the mother will not harm him, but she begins to become panicky about going crazy and losing control of herself. By the way, the fear of madness and loss of control is quite often a companion to a panic state, therefore it haunts not only women in maternity leave, but also patients with various types neuroses.
- Some patients cannot tolerate a specific environment: elevator, bus, crowd, subway, that is, situations that cause far-hidden phobias, which the patient usually knows about, and therefore tries to avoid them or quickly escape if they are caused by unforeseen circumstances. Under other, comfortable conditions for themselves, they consider themselves absolutely healthy people.
- Panic state accompanied by anxiety of unknown origin(everything seems to be normal in life?), often appears at night. A person wakes up abruptly from fear and horror, which subsequently prevents him from falling asleep for a long time, or in the morning, providing for the day Bad mood. The attack lasts from several minutes to an hour, and even when it goes away, the patient continues to be afraid and wait for the next attack, which sometimes happens quite often.
In a state of panic, the patient is excited, worried, he says that he senses an impending disaster, seeks help and understanding from loved ones, but at first (or even never) turns to medicine, trying to fight on his own.
The patient knows what he is afraid of
Patients in this category, with the exception of adolescents who have reached the age of hormonal changes, experienced people. They know exactly what they are waiting for and what they are afraid of. In such cases, a panic attack is very difficult to differentiate from panic disorders. An ordinary person (and even a doctor of another profession), being not strong in psychiatry, is unlikely to draw the line between these concepts, because they are so similar. However, this is a matter for specialists, and our task is to recognize the symptoms of a panic attack.
- Panic attacks often accompany chronic pathology various systems: respiratory (bronchial asthma), endocrine (thyrotoxicosis, tumor of the adrenal cortex), digestive (irritable bowel syndrome), nervous and cardiovascular. (wide range of diseases). Waiting for a relapse, constant internal tension leads to panic attacks, which in such a situation are the only complaint (and symptom) of the underlying disease without an exacerbation.
- Such attacks are very typical for pathology of the cardiovascular system. First of all, panic attacks plague patients who have been diagnosed, which is completely natural and understandable. Meanwhile, such diseases, likewise, often have anxiety and panic as their companions, which come along with the symptoms of cardialgia. Horror, panic, a feeling of approaching death or madness (different for everyone) are quite unpleasant symptoms attacks.
- Transient states of anxiety and fear are very characteristic of adolescence or menopause, which is primarily due to the influence of hormones. Attacks of tachycardia, dizziness, horse racing, suffocation, bad mood and disturbed sleep - all this fits into the clinical manifestations of vegetative-vascular paroxysms. Complaints made during a visit to the doctor are the basis for appropriate therapy. As for a panic attack, its symptoms and individual treatment, such issues are rarely considered, only in severe cases. Since it can be very difficult to distinguish between these conditions, and medications prescribed by a therapist usually help, a consultation with a psychotherapist is not prescribed for everyone.
- The symptoms of a panic attack acquire a special, most vivid coloring in alcoholics during abstinence. There they are all gathered together: trembling, tachycardia, melancholy, a pessimistic assessment of the future, a feeling of self-pity, a premonition of death (“my heart is about to stop”) and a firm belief that “if I manage to survive, I’ll quit drinking.” Panic attacks associated with such a causative factor soon pass, but are repeated with a new binge or when alcohol has already caused significant harm to the body, even if the person has “given up” with the bad habit.
Thus, autonomic disorders (episodes of general weakness, non-systemic dizziness, presyncope, internal trembling, spasmodic pain in the stomach, and ), as well as emotional and affective symptoms of a panic attack, manifested by fear of death, madness, and committing a rash act, are signs of one pathology, but this does not mean that they will all appear simultaneously.
A sign linking different psychopathological conditions
Many patients who are plagued by attacks, panics and fears already have a note on their card indicating that they have (dystonia, neurosis, panic disorder or depressive syndrome. In general, there is no clear boundary between these diagnoses, so only specialists in this field can separate them. In the American classification of mental illnesses, these concepts are summarized and under the name “panic disorders” are included in the class of “anxiety conditions”.
Among those listed pathological disorders A panic attack is often included, which is a syndrome that is often called a sympathoadrenal or autonomic crisis, which, however, does not reflect psychic origin paroxysm. Such patients in most cases are treated for NCD and primarily require emotional correction. However, occasional panic attacks should still be distinguished from panic disorders and depressive states, where a panic attack is one of the signs (symptoms) of a disease that requires a strictly individual approach and treatment by a psychotherapist.
Panic disorders
Panic disorders are characterized by the patient focusing on one problem, for example, they fear for “their heart.” This often happens after an experience. Fear sudden death due to late delivery medical care forces a person to be tense all the time, not to go far from home and constantly monitor his condition. The result is panic, attacks of weakness, palpitations, suffocation, which really begin to poison a person’s life.
Fear for “your intestines” probably ranks second among the causes of panic disorders. Everyone knows that the famous, plan-destroying and life-poisoning “bear disease” occurs on nervous soil, and because of the “bear disease”, fears and anxieties arise, causing digestive upset. Vicious circle.
The cause of concern is often the previous operations on the gastrointestinal tract and their consequence - adhesive disease. Anxiously listening to one's feelings, panicky fear of intestinal obstruction, a person experiences severe discomfort and thereby involuntarily contributes to the fact that attacks become even more frequent.
Panic disorders often accompany other psychopathological conditions(alcoholism, taking certain psychotropic drugs, depressive syndrome).
Neurotic conditions
Without the accompaniment of a panic attack, where it is also a symptom of an underlying disease, it is difficult to imagine such a psychogenic disorder as neurosis. Similar neurotic disorders arise due to various psychotraumatic situations in people endowed by nature with certain personal characteristics (psychotype). The worst thing is that it is your own character that does not allow you to overcome these situations. A personal conflict formed under such circumstances is manifested by a dysfunction of the emotional-vegetative-somatic sphere.
Manifold clinical manifestations Neuroses often make it difficult to differentiate them from each other and clearly distinguish them from other similar pathologies.
Neurosis is called a specific module of response to various life events, but the fact that neurotic disorders of any origin are accompanied by the occurrence of panic attacks does not raise doubts among psychiatrists or specialists in related professions. Psychovegetative syndrome in these cases is also a response to stress and a traumatic situation.
Depression
Panic attacks do not leave even in case of depressive states. Patients understand that their bad mood is not ordinary sadness, because the “soul hurts” so much that it prevents them from sleeping, eating and simply living fully. Early awakenings already strong feeling anxiety, which is considered a characteristic sign of depression, despondency, irritability or apathy, loss of appetite and therefore weight loss, as well as many other symptoms. The patient (without sleeping pills does not fall asleep), his eyes do not dry out from tears, his face expresses universal sorrow, the present and future are seen in gloomy tones.
With depression without therapy, the patient quickly loses interest in life and work, focuses on his problems, “withdraws into himself” and allows suicidal thoughts. By drowning out frequent attacks of mental pain with a random medicine, alcohol (which is even worse) or, God forbid, drugs, the patient only worsens his condition. Such phenomena require mandatory intervention from specialists if they last more than two weeks. By the way, oddly enough, patients with severe forms of depression respond better to treatment than people with mild depression.
How to deal with panic attacks on your own?
Attempts to get rid of panic attack syndrome, its symptoms and manifestations on their own, produce results in 50% of patients. In 20% of cases, attacks continue sporadically, but no significant changes in the condition of the patients are observed. However, 30% of sufferers may develop depression, which is in no hurry to go away without treatment. At the same time, anxiety attacks also do not leave the person and still come, but as a symptom of another disease.
Often a person turns to a doctor when he has already diagnosed himself: depression or neurosis, in general, what he knows and what he has heard about, but only a specialist psychotherapist can do this. Unfortunately, the professional direction of the doctor often scares off patients. In addition to sudden panic fears and anxieties, the patient may experience fear of doctors of this profile. But in vain, because you can get rid of a panic attack, only by noticing its symptoms, by taking appropriate treatment.
The ideal option for starting treatment for panic attacks is still considered to be a consultation with a psychotherapist. By considering the problem from a psychiatric perspective, success can be achieved more quickly, since the doctor, having identified the psychogenic origin of the disorders, will prescribe therapy in accordance with the degree of emotional and vegetative disorders.
Therapy without “serious” drugs
When everything has not gone very far, a thoughtful and experienced doctor in this area will try to do without the influence of strong psychotropic drugs, and if he does prescribe pharmaceuticals, then they will be from the group of mild tranquilizers and mild hypnotics.
Treatment for mild forms of panic disorder at first includes:
- Psychotherapy, capable of bringing out the cause of anxiety and panic attacks and changing the attitude towards them.
- Help in regulation of work and rest schedules, propaganda healthy image life, exception bad habits, limiting the consumption of strong coffee and tea.
- Auto-trainings: self-regulation of psycho-emotional and autonomic disorders, suppression of negative emotions, mental relaxation. The elimination of panic disorders is achieved with the help of special gymnastics to relax skeletal muscles, breathing exercises, regulating the rhythm of heart contractions and vascular blood flow, as well as verbal formulas pronounced in strict sequence.
- Ayurveda traditions, The source of which is Indian yoga, of course, are good, but mastering knowledge in this area is a complex and time-consuming task, so it is unlikely that you will be able to fight panic attacks on your own in this way. However, if a person “knows a lot about this matter,” then why not try?
- Transcendental Meditation according to modern ideas, it can help a person get rid of panic fears and anxieties, overcome fatigue and gain new health. To do this, you only need to find a good teacher (guru) who has deep knowledge and really knows how to help.
- Swimming pool, massage and various physiotherapy treatments.
- Acupuncture– a wonderful method of combating negative emotions and autonomic disorders: calms, relaxes, and lifts your spirits.
- Spa treatment, describing the advantages of which hardly makes sense, everything is already clear: such therapy, in fact, can change life for the better for a long time.
- Light sedatives: sedative collection (valerian, peppermint, trefoil watch, hop cones), tincture of motherwort, valerian, valerian tablets, adaptol, afobazole, novo-passit and other over-the-counter drugs.
The criterion for the effectiveness of the treatment completed is a decrease in the frequency of panic attacks and vegetative crises or even their complete disappearance.
Video: exercises to relieve panic attacks
The doctor will prescribe the necessary medications
If feelings of anxiety and fear persist (after health-improving and therapeutic measures), the need for treatment with stronger drugs becomes obvious, however, in this case the doctor goes from the smaller to the larger:
Strong psychotropic drugs with antidepressant effects are not intended to treat panic attacks as an isolated syndrome; they are used in therapy severe forms depressive states. Similar appointments, orders and cancellations are made medicinesexclusively as a psychotherapist, and patients take the medicine for a long time according to the regimen, prescribed by a doctor. It should be recalled that these medicines are not easy, they do not tolerate amateur activity, so it is better for the patient himself not to try to use them on his own initiative, because they have a lot of contraindications, restrictions and precautions.
Video: doctor's opinion on panic attacks
These conditions are pronounced phobias, fears and anxieties in combination with somatic (bodily) symptoms(excessive sweating, rapid heartbeat, digestive disorders, etc.).
In psychiatry, panic attacks are classified as neurotic disorders that have a wave-like course.
Violations occur in the form of unexpected attacks ( attacks), between them the patients feel well, nothing bothers them and they lead their usual lifestyle. The prevalence of this phenomenon today reaches 10% of the population.
Symptoms and treatment of panic neurosis have their own characteristics, which are within the competence of psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists. After a comprehensive examination by specialists, treatment tactics are developed, and effective techniques how to relieve an attack. Great importance has explanatory work of doctors with patients, with mandatory identification their root causes feeling unwell, which is hidden in the depths of the psyche, and not in physical ailment (it is a consequence of psycho-emotional problems). It is the work with the experiences of patients, their inner mood, worldview and stereotypes that shapes therapeutic measures and helps you decide on ways to get rid of panic attacks on your own, forget about neurosis forever and maintain harmony in your soul.
Panic attack video ( light form):
The very concept of “psychic attack” appeared in the early 80s in America and quickly took root in world medicine; it is now used in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10).
Panic attack t is in the section with mental disorders and behavioral disorders (V, F00-F99). Subsection: neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders (F40-F48): Other anxiety disorders (F41): Panic disorder [episodic paroxysmal anxiety] (F41.0).
Causes
Anxiety states and panic can arise in people suddenly and completely unexpectedly.
Often provoking factors are:
- stress, mental trauma;
- heavy chronic diseases or emergency surgical procedures;
— change in the usual way of life or place of residence;
- high responsibility in personal life or professional activity;
- drug and alcohol abuse;
— characteristics of temperament and character;
- sensitivity to a certain drug or overdose of a pharmacological drug;
- rejection of criticism from other people;
- heredity;
- hormonal status;
— low adaptive abilities and difficulties in settling into a new place (How to fall asleep? Establish the usual rhythm of life? Calm anxiety?);
- physical or mental fatigue, excessive stress on the body;
- lack of proper rest (sleep disturbances, work without vacations, etc.).
Symptoms and signs
The state of anxiety and fear during panic attacks has a wave-like character. Its distinctive features are:
- a growing increase in negative perception of reality, painful fear and panic, reaching a certain threshold, after which there is a decline in emotions and unpleasant sensations;
- a combination of emotional intensity with physical ill health, painful symptoms in many organs and systems;
- a feeling of “emptiness”, “brokenness” and confusion after the end of the attack.
Panic attacks, symptoms (signs) of which include autonomic complaints, similar to manifestations of vascular dysfunctions (VSD, arterial hypertension) and mental illness. However, these states have a clear time limit; they take from 5 minutes to 1 hour. After the end of the attack, the health of the patients is completely restored. In addition, no organic or pronounced functional disorders are detected during objective examination (X-ray, ultrasound, hormonal tests, laboratory tests).
Types of Panic Attacks
1. An attack similar to a cardiovascular crisis. In these cases, patients complain of rapid heartbeat, cardiac arrhythmias, a feeling of increased blood pressure (a feeling of constriction in the head, mild nausea, heaviness in the sternum, inability to take a breath). 
2. Seizure as a mental disorder. Here we observe: loss of orientation in space, poor coordination, internal trembling, confused speech, a feeling of a “lump in the throat” or fainting, various fears or phobias. 
3. Attack resembling dyspeptic disorder. Occurs with increased or decreased gastric peristalsis, decreased appetite, bloating, obsessive belching or hiccups. 
In any form of these disorders, at the peak of panic and fear, people lose their usual concentration, do not know what to do during an attack, rush around the room or, on the contrary, freeze in one position, waiting for the end of the disorder.
Most often, a panic attack has a combination of various somatic symptoms: neurotic, vascular, respiratory and digestive in nature.
Most common symptoms panic states are:
— heavy sweating, feeling of cold or heat in the body;
- intense anxiety or total fear (of death, illness, loss of identity);
- tremor and trembling in any part of the body;
- nausea, urge to vomit (defecation, urination), pain and heaviness in the stomach or intestines;
- a feeling of dryness in the throat, nasal passages, on the surface of the skin;
- paresthesia.
Test
Diagnosis of panic attacks is carried out with the study of indicators of physical and mental health patients.
Due to the fact that somatic signs of this condition are also observed in cardiac, respiratory, gastric or intestinal pathologies, and also occur in breast and cervical osteochondrosis, held differential diagnosis with them (ultrasound, MRI, ECG, gastroscopy, blood and urine tests, etc.).
Questioning patients using psychodiagnostic questionnaires and tests allows us to assume the presence of neurosis and identify it characteristic features. They examine the presence of patient complaints of sudden attacks of fear, excitement, horror, their frequency and intensity, as well as the presence of sensations of increased breathing and heartbeat, digestive disorders, changes in clarity of perception, impaired concentration, decreased mood, physical and mental discomfort.
Tests for panic attacks help to identify the degree of control people have over the situation during attacks, the level of awareness of the problem, methods that help patients cope with with sudden fears and anxiety.
As a result of analyzing individual patient data, psychotherapists and psychiatrists make recommendations for correcting these conditions, give advice on how to calm down during an unexpected attack and restore mental balance after it.
How to fight?
Many methods have been created in psychiatry to quickly relieve an attack:
1. Normalization of breathing. For people suffering from sudden panic attacks, special exercises have been developed to slow down breathing (smooth exhalations and inhalations, breathing in a square, etc.). Such complexes allow you to focus on normalizing breathing and distract from internal pressure, fear and anxiety.
2. Auto-training, with an emphasis on relaxing the whole body and concentrating pleasant sensations in it. 
3. Kinesio taping for panic attacks is based on the use (gluing) of special tapes (tapes), which help to evenly distribute the load on skin, relaxing them and reducing excess tension in the body.
4. Training sessions (art therapy, symbol drama, dolphin therapy and other types of psychotherapy) help normalize the emotional background of the mood, ease mental pressure, and reduce the consequences of stress and trauma.
5. Antidepressants and anxiolytics, these tablets have the ability to normalize the activity of the nervous system and improve mental processes. These include drugs such as: Sonopax, Afobozol, etc.
Usage modern methods treatment of panic attacks allows you to effectively combat them using psychotherapeutic techniques, innovative techniques and pharmacological agents.
Their timely identification and contact with a psychiatrist helps many people get rid of the scourge and return to an active and fulfilling life.
Video:
The feeling of anxiety or fear is familiar to each of us. This feeling signals that something bad has happened and calls on the body to mobilize to find a way out of the situation. The stress hormones that are produced at the moment help to mobilize the body’s internal reserves and quickly overcome the obstacle.
Much less common are symptoms such as stool and abdominal pain, frequent urination, hearing and vision impairment, cramps in the limbs and movement disorders.
Features of a panic attack and the development of the disease
The intensity of the attack usually varies over a very wide range, from pronounced panic to constant nervous tension. During a panic attack, the following may come to the fore: psychological sensations, such as fear and tension, and somatic. Very often, patients feel only the somatic component of PA, for example, dizziness, heart pain, lack of air, etc. Then they are first referred to therapists and cardiologists. Patients in whom the mental component predominates more often consult psychologists and psychotherapists.
The duration of attacks also varies widely, from several minutes to several hours. The frequency of attacks is also highly individual. Most often, doctors encounter spontaneous or unprovoked attacks that occur without visible reasons. Sometimes they have specific reason, for example, being in a closed space, in a crowd, etc.
If the patient at the first visit medical institution If you come across a not entirely qualified doctor who, without finding a pathology, will begin treatment of everything in a row and at random, this can lead to an exacerbation of hypochondriacal moods in the patient, convince him of the complexity and incurability of the disease, which will cause an exacerbation of the disease. Therefore, it is very important to visit a psychotherapist if there are signs of PA and if there is no improvement during treatment.
Often, over time, patients develop a fear of a new attack, they anxiously await it and try to avoid provoking situations. Naturally, such constant tension does not lead to anything good and attacks become more frequent. Without proper treatment such patients often turn into recluses and hypochondriacs who are constantly searching for new symptoms, and they will not fail to appear in such a situation.
Classification of panic attacks
To successfully treat panic attacks, you need to understand what they are and what causes them. The correct choice of treatment method will depend on this.
There are usually three main types of PA:
- Spontaneous panic attacks occur for no apparent reason. With such PA, it is necessary to undergo a full examination to exclude the presence of somatic diseases. If they are not there, see a psychotherapist.
- Situational PA arise during a specific traumatic situation. You can contact a psychotherapist without an in-depth examination, since the person’s fear, which causes all the symptoms, is obvious.
- Conditional situational PA occur when exposed to a specific chemical or biological stimulus. Such a stimulus may include drinking alcohol or narcotic drug, hormonal surges in different periods, etc. If such a connection can be traced, then you need to contact a specialized specialist.
Treatment of panic attacks
Treatment for panic attacks is sore spot our medicine, because a panic attack is not really a disease and traditional approaches usually do not help. The average patient with PA usually sees a cardiologist and an endocrinologist, and if all is well, the fun begins - there is a need for treatment, but there is nothing to do. Then they invent a disease, write, for example, VSD or something else related to vegetative nervous system. The problem is also often attributed to the brain, finding “convulsive readiness”, “minimal dysfunction”, etc. there. At the same time, quite serious drugs with an impressive list of side effects are often prescribed to an absolutely healthy person. In such a situation, a simple “pumping of money” in the form of homeopathy, dietary supplements, or To effectively cure panic disorder, you need to understand that this is not an infectious disease that can be cured with an antibiotic, it all depends on the patient. The only drug that can be indicated for PA is a sedative. Sedatives help relieve tension, which reduces the frequency and intensity of attacks. And you can completely get rid of them only by eradicating the cause. Few people manage to cope with this without the help of a good psychotherapist.
But everyone can alleviate their condition without a doctor. To do this, you need to give up bad habits, as well as caffeine-containing products, start leading a more active lifestyle, learn to rest and relax, constantly look for the positive in everything and think less about problems. It is very important to understand that it is impossible to die from a panic attack! It's the same as dying from fear. If you have been examined and the doctors have said that your heart and blood vessels are healthy, this means that you will endure the stress that occurs during an attack of fear easily and without harm to yourself. Even loss of consciousness during PA occurs very rarely (almost never).
How to help yourself during a panic attack (Video: “VSD. How not to be afraid”)
To overcome a panic attack, remember - you don’t die from it, absolutely nothing will happen to you, it’s just fear, and you’re not a small child to be afraid for no reason.
Don't get hung up on your feelings. If you find yourself overanalyzing your heartbeat, the clarity of your vision, or your breathing rate, immediately switch to something else. At this moment, you can stop and study the window, count the buttons on your coat, remember your first love, the main thing is to think about something else.
If you are at home, you can simply lie down on the sofa and, conversely, go deeper into your feelings. Only without, but with interest, we remember that they don’t die. During a panic attack, the perception of sound and color often changes; try to get new sensations and analyze them. It is quite possible that they are not scary at all, just unusual.
Try to breathe slowly. Frequent breathing provokes hyperventilation, which leads to an increase in feelings of fear, dizziness and disorientation. You can breathe into your fist or paper bag, this will reduce the level of oxygen in your blood and eliminate dizziness. And always remember, it’s just fear and you can overcome it!
