What Are The Causes Of Panic Attacks?

By Greg Anderson

The precise causes for panic attacks is largely unclear, and can vary by person. While certain factors can make a person more susceptible to panic attacks, there is not a specific medical or psychological issue causing panic attacks: The cause can sometimes be as individual as the person experiencing the panic attack.

One of the leading scientific theories today states that panic attacks may possibly be caused by an improper trigger of the body's "fight or flight" mechanism. When this is triggered, panic attack reactions are quite typical. What is unknown is why the "fight or flight" response would be triggered at random and inappropriate times. Fear of having this random response is one reason that many who suffer from panic attacks are seized by an almost crippling fear when they think about facing more of them.

While precise causes may be unknown, it is known that some people are at an increased risk for experiencing panic attacks. Heredity appears to be a factor since panic attacks tend to run in families. The stress related with major life changes such as graduation, getting married, starting a new job, having a baby, divorce, or losing a job can sometimes tend to trigger panic attacks as well.

Some specific medical problems, and medications, may be causative factors in panic attacks. Should you start to suffer from panic attacks, especially if you have never had them, any potential medical causes need to be investigated prior to treatment.

The medical problems that might be related to panic attacks include the following: Mitral valve prolapse, hyperthyroidism, hypoglycemia, stimulant use, and withdrawal from medication.

Panic attacks which stem from diagnosed medical problems can often be eliminated or at least controlled much better by the alteration of drug doses or substitution of drugs where possible. There are other changes that your doctor may ask you to make to help control medically related panic attacks also.

If you suffer from panic attacks which are not medically related, then they can be controlled with the use of a sound psychologically based program. Since a program like this, such as Panic Away, works by first eliminating the crippling fear of future attacks, it puts you in a position of power over your own panic attacks and gives you the tools you need to beat them. Panic Away does not use drugs, hypnosis, or any kind of dangerous techniques. The methods are simple, and can be used at any time.

Because this program works only on the specific brain areas that cause panic attacks, you are able to be in control and make certain you don't have to deal with unexpected attacks any more. - 30437

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