Panic attacks are no fun. Your heart races, you hyperventilate, feel dizzy or unreal and definitely terrified, sweat buckets (or shiver), think awful thoughts, and so on. Often panic attacks strike “out of the blue”–for no apparent reason. Sometimes they wake people at night.

Maybe a series of stresses chipped away at your sense of well-being and health. Maybe a terrible trauma knocked you off your feet. Maybe you don’t remember or know why you even became susceptible to panic attacks.

But you want to stop the panic. You want to get back to being “normal.” You want the cloud over your head to move away and the terror to leave. There are ways that have worked for many people of all different stripes and sizes. There are ways that can and will work for you. Do you believe that?

Unfortunately, you can’t just say “I believe” and it will all go away. At least not usually. But if you “want out” of the attacks, your belief can help you keep fighting through to end them.

It is a big step, for example, from thinking you are crazy or going to die to believing that your panic attack symptoms are not a sign of immediate harm. They do not accurately reflect any problem you might have.

Part of the problem with panic attacks is typically that your mind interprets your symptoms to mean something really bad is about to happen. You are anxious, so you have symptoms. The symptoms “prove” you should fear more. So more symptoms come, which increases fear, which causes more symptoms. Fear has a way of multiplying and magnifying itself. A state of anxiety can quickly accelerate into full blown panic. Your brain slams on the gas and accelerates into overdrive.

Understanding this is often a helpful first step to controlling panic. But more is needed. There are ways to retrain the brain to short-circuit inappropriate use of the fear accelerator. And such training is almost always a big help, if it is done right … with a little discipline.

But a word of caution or clarification. Think of your body, indeed all of whoever you are, as a complex, interconnected web of causes and effects. Hormones, nutrition, nerves, cellular waste, emotions, senses, genetic predisposition, human will, history of experiences, immune system, self-understanding — the whole ball of wax is like a set of nodes linked to other nodes. Any given node affects ever other one. Influence one node and in some degree you’ve influenced all. Your emotions affect your immune system. Your nutrition affects your emotions. Whatever.

I’m not saying we can never understand how to stop panic attacks. I am saying there may be more than one cause behind your attacks. And that there may be more than one way to improve.

Stresses in our particular circumstances may also need particular solutions. Financial problems, work stress, alcohol abuse, dysfunctional family relations, bullies at school, drugs, rejection, loss, trauma, and so on may need to be properly addressed to find relief caused in part from such sources.

That said, some approaches have proven to be more effective than others in most cases. A disciplined regimen of retraining your subconscious mind not to fear is one of them. Part of that may be practicing sincere gratitude even when stressed. Another is identifying and accepting fears. Avoidance encourages fear; facing fear helps control it. You may need some training and encouragement in this. But your mind is a powerful ally in unraveling your panic attack knot.

Note also that the effectiveness of a number of approaches varies with the causes and circumstances of the individual. Some prefer prescription anti-anxiety medication, if they feel the side effects are acceptable. Herbal substitutes to anti-anxiety drugs (like Kava Kava, Valerian, Hops, Lemon Balm, and Passionflower) and some nutritional supplements (like B-vitamins, vitamins C, and Magnesium) may be helpful and milder, with fewer side effects. Regular exercise, proper sleep and hydration, and avoidance of caffeine and alcohol may each play their helpful part.

In other words, there is hope for you to control and stop your anxiety and panic attacks. Just keep going.

Next read more specifics on how to how to stop panic attacks and sign up for the free report and email mini-course on getting anxiety and panic attack relief. The author is a long time health enthusiast interested in helping people overcome anxiety.

A panic attack is normally thought of as an out-of-control or extreme bout of anxiety. Anxiety and panic are emotions with corresponding bio-chemical reactions in the brain.

Nutritional deficiencies or imbalances in the brain can contribute to susceptibility to and severity of panic attacks. While not necessarily a cure-all, vitamins and nutritional supplements can thus play a positive, even critical role in improving the brain’s ability to function properly in regards to anxiety and panic.

Note also that stress tends to deplete the body of nutrients, or the diet may be nutritionally imbalanced or fail to deliver adequate amounts of a particular nutrient needed to maintain brain function in handling anxiety.

Vitamins and supplements helpful for panic attack follow, not necessarily in the order of importance. As always, if you are taking pharmaceutical drugs to control panic and anxiety or depression or for anything else, consult your doctor in regards to possible negative effects of combining the drugs with specific nutrition.

1) B-vitamins function best when there are enough of each kind present, hence the prevalence of multi-B supplement products. B vitamins are essential in many metabolic reactions in the body, some notably in nerve cell functioning. Vitamin B-6 or pyridoxine is known to have a calming effect on mood. Inositol (B and niacinamide — the latter being an amide of niacin (B 3) and not to be confused with it — are useful for enhancing GABA functions in the brain.

In this connection note also that probiotic supplements, such as those with acidophilus and/or bifidus strains, consist of helpful bacteria that enhance B vitamin production in the gut.

2) GABA or Gamma-aminobutyric acid is an amino acid which inhibits or decelerates nerve firings from the limbic to the cortex portions of the brain. During panic attacks, the limbic system, and amygdala in particular, signal the cortex rapidly and relentlessly. GABA supplementation, especially with inositol and niacinamide, help slow down the reaction. GABA is found throughout the central nervous system.

3) Vitamin C is found in high concentrations in the adrenal glands (on top of the kidneys). The body’s need for Vitamin C increases under stress. Known for having a tranquilizing effect in higher doses, perhaps because it (with glutamine) helps reduce the production of cortisol, one of the hormone the body produces in reaction to stress.

4) Magnesium supplements, taken in balance with calcium, helps reduce muscle tension and spasm. Magnesium can lower blood pressure and is useful in proper nerve function and the body’s use of B vitamins and vitamin C.

5) Taurine is an amino acid with a similar effect to GABA. Useful for epileptic and spastic conditions.

6) Tryptophan is the amino acid found in Turkey meat which helps you feel drowsy. Niacinamide helps with the production of tryptophan, which is known to help with insomnia if one’s anxiety disorder is accompanied by sleep problems. Tryptophan is used in the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter used in regulating mood. Some persons exhibiting obsessive-compulsive behaviors showed improvement after supplementing with tryptophan. 5-HTP or 5-hydroxytryptophan is an intermediate step in producing serotonin from tryptophan. It is also available in supplement form and has been known to reduce symptoms of anxiety.

7) Tyrosine or L-tyrosine is an amino acid used in the production of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and epinephrine useful in controlling anxiety and depression. Dopamine has a tranquilizing effect. Tyrosine should not be take when patients are on MAO inhibitor drugs.

If a natural anxiety treatment such as the above can be found to remedy anxiety and panic attack disorders, they may be preferred to the negative side effects common among drugs. As always though, you need to find out what works best for you.

And if you have panic attacks, nutritional supplements may help, but should in any case normally be included with other remedies.

Next, see further helpful information about natural anxiety remedies and be sure to sign up for the free report and email mini-course on panic attack relief. The author is a long time health enthusiast interested in helping people overcome anxiety and panic.

Do you have a phobia?

People who have had a panic attack — for example while driving, shopping in a crowded store, or riding in an elevator — may develop irrational fears, called phobias, about these situations and begin to avoid them. Eventually, the pattern of avoidance and level of anxiety about another attack may reach the point where individuals with panic disorder may be unable to drive or even step out of the house. At this stage, the person is said to have panic disorder with agoraphobia. Thus panic disorder can have as serious an impact on a person’s daily life as other major illnesses.

Panic disorder is a serious health problem in the United States. It is estimated that 1.6 percent of the American population has panic disorder. It typically strikes in young adulthood; roughly half of all people who have panic disorder develop the condition before age 24. Women are twice as likely as men to develop panic disorder. Panic disorder tends to continue for months or years. If left untreated, it may worsen to the point where the person’s life is seriously affected by panic attacks and by attempts to avoid or conceal them. In fact, many people have had problems with friends and family or lost jobs while struggling to cope with panic disorder. It does not usually go away unless the person receives treatments designed specifically to help people with panic disorder.

Treatment Options for Panic Attacks
Panic disorder is real and potentially disabling, but it can be controlled with specific treatments. Because of the disturbing symptoms that accompany panic disorder, it may be mistaken for heart disease or some other life-threatening medical illness. People frequently go to hospital emergency rooms when they are having a panic attack, and extensive medical tests may be performed to rule out these other conditions.

Others often try to reassure persons having a panic attack that they are not in great danger. Expressions such as “nothing serious,” “all in your head,” or “nothing to worry about” may give the incorrect impression that there is no real problem and that treatment is not possible or necessary.

Treatment for panic disorder includes medications and a type of psychotherapy known as cognitive-behavioral therapy, which teaches people how to view panic attacks differently and demonstrates ways to reduce anxiety. Appropriate treatment by an experienced professional can reduce or prevent panic attacks in 70 to 90 percent of people with panic disorder. Most patients show significant progress after a few weeks of therapy. Relapses may occur, but they can often be effectively treated just like the initial episode.

Medications are often used to break the psychological connection between a specific phobia and panic attacks, reducing future panic attacks. Medications can include antidepressants (SSRI’s, MAOI’s, etc.) taken every day, or anti-anxiety drugs (benzodiazepines, e.g. — Valium, Ativan, Xanax, etc.) during or in anticipation of panic attacks. Exposure to the phobia trigger multiple times without a resulting panic attack (due to medication) can often break the phobia-panic pattern, allowing people to fuction around their phobia without the help of medications.

In addition, people with panic disorder may need treatment for other emotional problems. Clinical depression has often been associated with panic disorder, as have alcoholism and drug addiction. About 30% of people with panic disorder use alcohol and 17% use drugs such as cocaine or marijuana to alleviate the anguish and distress caused by their condition. Recent research also suggests that suicide attempts are more frequent in people with panic disorder.

Lisa Angelettie, M.S.W., is a psychotherapist, author, and life coach. She has been helping people make smarter life choices since 1998. Get more free tips like this when you subscribe to the GirlShrink newsletter .

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Panic Disorder

A panic attack is a period of intense fear or discomfort, typically with an abrupt onset and usually lasting no more than thirty minutes. Symptoms include trembling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, sweating, nausea, dizziness, hyperventilation, paresthesias (tingling sensations), and sensations of choking or smothering. The disorder is strikingly different from other types of anxiety, in that panic attacks are very sudden, appear to be unprovoked, and are often disabling.

Most who have one attack will have others. People who have repeated attacks, or feel severe anxiety about having another attack are said to have panic disorder.

Most sufferers of panic attacks report a fear of dying, “going crazy”, or losing control of emotions or behavior. The experiences generally provoke a strong urge to escape or flee the place where the attack begins (“fight or flight” reaction) and, when associated with chest pain or shortness of breath, a feeling of impending doom and/or tunnel vision, frequently resulting in seeking aid from a hospital emergency room or other type of urgent assistance. The panic attack is distinguished from other forms of anxiety by its intensity and its sudden, episodic nature. Panic attacks are often experienced by sufferers of anxiety disorders, agoraphobia, and other psychological conditions involving anxiety, though panic attacks are not always indicative of a mental disorder. Up to 10 percent of otherwise healthy people experience an isolated panic attack per year.

A person with a phobia will often experience a panic attack as a direct result of exposure to their trigger. These panic attacks are usually short-lived and rapidly relieved once the trigger is escaped. In conditions of chronic anxiety one panic attack can often roll into another one, leading to nervous exhaustion over a period of days.

Lisa Angelettie, M.S.W., is a psychotherapist, author, and life coach. She has been helping people make smarter life choices since 1998. Get more free tips like this when you subscribe to the GirlShrink newsletter .

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article “Panic Disorder”. You are free to copy & use this article under the terms of the license. *Please note that a courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

The symptoms of a panic attack appear suddenly, without any apparent cause.

They may include:

- Racing or pounding heartbeat or palpitations

- Sweats

- Chest pains

- Dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea

- Difficulty breathing (dyspnea)

- Tingling or numbness in the hands, face, feet or mouth

- Flushes to the face and chest or chills

- Dreamlike sensations or perceptual distortions (derealization)

- Dissociation, the perception that one is not connected to the body or even disconnected from space and time (depersonalization)

- Terror, a sense that something unimaginably horrible is about to occur and one is powerless to prevent it

- Fear of losing control and doing something embarrassing or of going crazy

- Fear of dying

- Feeling of impending doom

- Trembling or “shivering”

- Crying

A panic attack typically lasts for several minutes and is one of the most distressing conditions that a person can experience in everyday life.

The various symptoms of a panic attack can be understood as follows. First comes the sudden onset of fear with little or no provoking stimulus. This then leads to a release of adrenaline (epinephrine) which cause the so-called fight-or-flight response where the person’s body prepares for major physical activity. This leads to an increased heart rate (tachycardia), rapid breathing (hyperventilation), and sweating (which increases grip and aids heat loss). Because strenuous activity rarely ensues, the hyperventilation leads to carbon dioxide levels lowering in the lungs and then the blood. This leads to shifts in the pH of the blood which then leads to many of the other symptoms such as tingling or numbness, dizziness, and lightheadedness.

Anyone who hyperventilates for a while can demonstrate this. For the person with a panic attack who does not know this, these symptoms are often seen as further evidence of how serious the condition is. An ensuing vicious cycle of adrenaline release fuels worsening physical symptoms and psychological distress.

Lisa Angelettie, M.S.W., is a psychotherapist, author, and life coach. She has been helping people make smarter life choices since 1998. Get more free tips like this when you subscribe to the GirlShrink newsletter .

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Would you like to see your article here? Submit your articles for publication on our site and gain massive exposure, traffic and backlinks for your business. Learn more about our writer’s guidelines and good luck!

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article “Panic Disorder”. You are free to copy & use this article under the terms of the license. *Please note that a courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.