I suffer from panic disorder: what it is and what I can do to overcome this?

What we feel during a panic attack?

During a panic attack can come to feel the following symptoms: palpitations, increased heart rate, sweating, trembling, shaking, shortness of breath, choking sensation, tightness or discomfort in the chest, nausea, dizziness, unsteadiness, feeling numbness, chills or hot flashes, perceive things or himself strangely, and finally, fear of dying, going crazy or losing control.

Why panic attacks originate?

Once we feel threatened by something (this danger may be real or imaginary) is activated in our brain since ancient times the alarm system, leading to the emergence of certain changes at the physiological level, this way our body prepares for the escape or flight.

Example of changes: epinephrine and norepinephrine is released, increases heart rate, you hyperventilate, your blood is concentrated in parts of the body related to the flight ... and so on. All these changes we have been doing since time immemorial, have allowed us to survive as a species and get to evolve.

But what about the man today?

Have ever observed a pack of lions while pursuing a group of gazelles, and usually these are usually the lions captured the weakest. Once this happens all the rest of gazelles remain quiet no more trouble to graze and rest. If we situacen us modern humans at the site of the Springboks would not stop running until he think we are in a place where lions will not see for miles. Being in the African savannas can conclude that these sites are very scarce, therefore, would stop running and not worrying about who the next of the pack to be captured, how it will happen ... and so on.

Many of the dreaded feeling that we have a panic attack the real causes, eg dizziness is just tension neck because it decreases the blood supply to the head by hyperventilation, shortness of breath is the result the rise of oxygen in the blood also by hyperventilation, tachycardia or palpitations occur when we are in danger, real or imaginary, because the heart beats faster to deliver more blood to the areas involved in the alarm reaction they can function effectively.

What can we do to control panic attacks?

The first thing you must learn is to care desfocalizar negative physical sensations associated with panic responses. For this it is important to work with the beliefs associated with having a crisis. In therapy, cognitive done through discussion, this method allows the person to change the valence associated with the fact that cognitive experiences. For example I'm thinking of going mad, he explains that there often exists no case where the person go crazy in a panic, madness (psychotic disorder) often have symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations striking, besides the psychotic fear not go crazy, they have no ability to discern the reality craze. By this rationalization the person understands what is happening, accept the situation lived in fear, and not escape it.

The following link explains step by step what to do to control your thoughts

As has been said one of the causes of physical changes is hyperventilation, this took too much air, thus increasing the oxygen level in the blood (decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide). This results in a narrowing of blood vessels which reduces the amount of blood to various areas of the brain, more oxygen is retained in blood lowers the flow of oxygen to various parts of the brain also. All this creates internal sensations already mentioned (dizziness, confusion, sansación of breath, blurred vision ...). This form of breathing is unconscious, that is patients do not realize it.

Therefore, a way to control panic attacks is by using specific breathing and diaphragmatic breathing slow. It is available at the following link:

http://psicologosbonnet.wordpress.com/2010/10/31/respiracion-diafragmatica-lenta/

Using these two techniques, discussion of your beliefs associated with having a crisis and breathing can be controlled panic episodes in no time. There meta-analysis (Gould, 1995) conclude that the most effective treatment for this problem is cognitive behavioral therapy. So if you feel you can present this problem is important to choose psychologists who specialize in this therapy.

For more information, please refer to: Barlow, D. W., and Craske, M. G: Master Your anxiety and panic. July Editorial Martin. 1993. Clark, D. M. and Salkovskis, P. M: Cognitive therapy of panic and hipochondriasis. Oxford: Pergamon Press. 1991.

Regards, Hector Peraza Díazwww.psicologosbonnet.es