What causes panic attacks
The first type can arise from a lot of reasons: a strong fear, stress, other disease, in a word, anything. Can be even simply so, nor from what.
But in the next occurrence of panic attacks plays an important role... the fear of their occurrence. It's a vicious circle: I'm afraid of the PA - > it happens - > I'm even more afraid of the PA - > it happens again, and faster than the last time. And so on.
In the psychotherapy of panic attacks, it is important to deal with this fear. Then we reduce the chance that there will be another panic attack.
Note for now: the fear that there will be PA provokes subsequent PA. He is the fear of panic.
Why is a panic attack so frightening?
Because most people are convinced that because of the panic attack imminent heart attack (aka-heart attack) or inevitably go crazy. Another common explanation is that PA can suffocate to death. Less frightening may look the prospect of experiencing because of PA cramps somewhere on the street or in transport. And fainting.
Of course, this causes incredibly strong fear. By all means people want to avoid such consequences.
Therefore, they begin to fear panic attacks. In fact, they are afraid of the consequences: heart attack, cardiac arrest, suffocation, madness, convulsions, etc.
Vulnerability and susceptibility to disease
An important role in the consolidation of panic attacks is played by the so-called vulnerability, or the idea of yourself as vulnerable, particularly prone to diseases.
The idea of yourself as a person with a high probability of developing diseases.
That is, a person thinks of himself something like:
"I already have a weak heart" (although really no diagnoses and diseases does not) or
"I'm very sensitive to everything" or
"I am subject to various diseases", "I get sick easily", " I am very nervous»
"I'm more likely to go crazy because I had schizophrenics in my family»
"My respiratory system is basically not quite in order»
So, most often in panic disorder people are afraid of a heart attack, madness, suffocation, fainting and convulsions.
This fear triggers the next panic attack. The circle closed. The man is really convinced that the PA are dangerous to him. As long as that's the case, his steps will continue.
Panic attacks and fainting
PA itself does not cause heart attacks, they do not go crazy, they can not suffocate or faint. From the point of view of physiology, panic attack is a special mode of operation of the body. In this mode, do not go crazy (it happens in General differently).
The easiest way to understand this idea is on the basis of fainting. Fainting occurs with a sharp drop in blood pressure. In panic attacks, the pressure never drops, just because it never drops there. Rising, Yes, but falling, no.
How about going crazy with panic?
Regarding insanity: theoretically, schizophrenia can start at any time, including during any disease. It's not because one caused the other, but because it coincided. Bad luck-two different diseases at the same time.
There are many possible causes for schizophrenia - and genes, and disorders during pregnancy, and social factors, and much more-this issue is actively studied. Panic attacks are not on this list.
And so it is with all the other fears associated with PA: suffocation, convulsions, etc. — all this also happens in a different way, not like in panic.
When there is a lack of information, in particular, on physiology, about how the body actually works in normal mode, with disease and panic, people begin to sincerely believe in what can not happen.