Why Do Panic Attacks Happen Randomly

Why Am I Getting Panic Attacks All Of A Sudden

Panic attacks may follow in the wake of a very stressful event or life change. Also, panic attacks can tag along with other mental health issues. In fact, when the diagnostic manual for psychological health problems, called the DSM-5 was revised a few years ago, its now recognized that panic attacks can be a part of nearly every other mental health diagnosis.1

Is there a new source of stress in your life, or are many changes piling up to make you feel like theres more than you can cope with right now? The total amount of stress in our lives is called our allostatic load. Bad things that happen cause distress, and add to our allostatic load. Death, divorce, moving, job loss and legal problems are a few examples of very stressful events that are likely to impact our health. Sometimes we dont realize how much stress we experience from good changes also. A brand new job, a new baby, a new relationship, more frequent family get-togethers, a wedding. These all seem like great, happy life events, and they are. However, even major positive life events add to our allostatic load. One way to measure your current stress load and perhaps even predict health outcomes is to systematically examine stressors in your life in the past year.2 You can take the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale online to see your score and health predictions.

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What Are The Symptoms Of A Panic Attack

Panic attacks usually present with a number of common symptoms. Some people mistake these symptoms for a heart attack or other serious illness, which can make the panic attack feel like a terrifying experience.

In most cases, a panic attack will last for around 10 minutes, although it may take longer to calm down after the experience.

If a panic attack feels as though it is going on for a long time, you may be experiencing a string of panic attacks in a row.

Common symptoms of a panic attack include:

• An increased heart rate that feels like its pounding or racing
• Feeling faint and dizzy
• Sense of impending doom, feeling as though something bad is about to happen
• Feeling disconnected from yourself and/or the situation
• Finding it difficult to breathe
• Experiencing hot flushes or feeling very cold
• The sensation of choking or a lump in your throat
• Chest or abdomen pain

The above symptoms can feel extremely intense and scary, and this is due to the bodys flight or flight response being activated due to a real or perceived threat. In most cases, a panic attack is an extreme reaction to a minor or even imaginary danger and will usually pass fairly quickly.

Could I Have Panic Disorder

If the first symptom plus several of the others come on suddenly, you may be experiencing a panic attack. Panic attacks usually peak within a few seconds or a few minutes, although it can take some time for all the symptoms to settle. Panic attacks can happen at any time and while they are sometimes triggered by a stressful life event, they can often appear to be triggered by nothing at all.

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Agoraphobia And Other Phobias

Agoraphobia is a fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult, or help wouldn’t be available if things go wrong.

If you have agoraphobia, leaving home, going out in public and travelling alone can cause intense anxiety. Many people with agoraphobia avoid everyday activities because of their phobia.

Agoraphobia is one of the conditions that can develop alongside panic disorder. People with panic disorder can develop agoraphobia because of their fear of having a panic attack in a public place.

You may worry that a panic attack in a public place will be embarrassing, or that you’ll have difficulty getting help if you need it. You may also worry about public places that you would have difficulty leaving, such as a train, if you were to have a panic attack.

If you have agoraphobia, you may find it difficult to leave the house, particularly if you’re not with a trusted family member or a friend.

If you have panic disorder, you may also develop other fears and phobias, which can often seem irrational. For example, you may start to worry about a particular object or action that triggers your attacks and become fearful of those things.

The Causes Of Unexpected Panic Attacks

Expected panic attacks are typically associated with a specific trigger such as crowds, flying or exams, whereas unexpected panic attacks have no apparent trigger and can seem to happen for no reason.

It is not yet known what causes panic attacks but certain factors may play an important role, including genetics, mental health conditions, major stress or having a predisposition to stress.

Panic attacks are typically experienced as a result of misinterpreting physical symptoms of anxiety. Heart palpitations may be mistaken for symptoms of a heart attack, breathlessness or feeling faint may be taken as a sign that a person is collapsing or dying, and the racing thoughts can lead a person to think that they are losing control of their mind.

These misinterpretations which a person may be unaware that they are doing can trigger a panic attack, which seems to appear out of the blue.

Panic attacks and anxiety attacks certainly share a number of symptoms, but they are different. You can usually tell them apart by:

• The intensity of the symptoms panic attacks symptoms tend to be much more intense and severe than anxiety attack symptoms
• The length of time the main symptoms occur over panic attacks tend to start abruptly and finish quickly , whereas anxiety can build and persist for months on end

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Concentrate On Your Breathing

Focus on breathing in slowly, then breathing out slowly. It can be helpful to count when youre breathing to focus your mind. You can start small at first, like counting to three as you breathe in and counting to three as you breathe out. When you begin to calm down, you can increase how long you hold each breath to five seconds or seven seconds.

There are lots of different breathing techniques that you can try. You can use apps like Headspace and Calm to practise breathing exercises, or have a look online and see what works best for you.

How To Respond To Internal Triggers

To put it simply: don’t do anything about the fact that you’re panicking.

Let yourself panic but don’t let it stop you from doing anything. Act as if you weren’t panicking: Continue on with whatever you would be doing with your time in that moment if the panic feelings weren’t there.

Avoidance maintains anxiety, so anything you do to try to fight or get rid of the panic will make it worse in the long run even if it makes you feel better right now. You want to teach your brain that these internal sensations are not actually dangerous. For your brain to learn that, it must repeatedly register that you can do absolutely nothing in response to the sensations and nothing actually happens. This is the basis for Exposure Therapy, a very effective treatment for panic disorder.

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What Is A Panic Attack

A panic attack is a brief episode of intense anxiety, which causes the physical sensations of fear. These can include a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling and muscle tension. Panic attacks occur frequently and unexpectedly and are often not related to any external threat. A panic attack can last from a few minutes to half an hour. However, the physical and emotional effects of the attack may last for a few hours. Panic attacks are common. Up to 35 per cent of the population experience a panic attack at some time in their lives. A panic attack can also be called an anxiety attack. Without treatment, frequent and prolonged panic attacks can be severely disabling. The person may choose to avoid a wide range of situations for fear of experiencing an attack.

What Helps To Manage Panic Attacks

Panic attacks can be frightening, but there are things you can do to help yourself cope. It could help to print off these tips, or write them down, and keep them somewhere easy to find.

During a panic attack:

• Focus on your breathing. It can help to concentrate on breathing slowly in and out while counting to five.
• Stamp on the spot. Some people find this helps control their breathing.
• Focus on your senses. For example, taste mint-flavoured sweets or gum, or touch or cuddle something soft.
• Try grounding techniques. Grounding techniques can help you feel more in control. They’re especially useful if you experience dissociation during panic attacks. See our page on for more information on grounding techniques.

After a panic attack:

• Think about self-care. It’s important to pay attention to what your body needs after you’ve had a panic attack. For example, you might need to rest somewhere quietly, or eat or drink something.
• Tell someone you trust. If you feel able to, it could help to let someone know you’ve had a panic attack. It could be particularly helpful to mention how they might notice if you’re having another one, and how you’d like them to help you.

See our pages on and for more information on what could help.

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How To Deal With Panic Attacks

A panic attack is a feeling of sudden and intense anxiety.

Panic attacks can also have physical symptoms, including shaking, feeling disorientated, nausea, rapid, irregular heartbeats, dry mouth, breathlessness, sweating and dizziness.

The symptoms of a panic attack are not dangerous, but can be very frightening.

They can make you feel as though you are having a heart attack, or that you are going to collapse or even die.

Most panic attacks last somewhere from five minutes to half an hour.

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How To Handle A Panic Attack Safely

In a May 2018 article for Forbes, comedian Chris Allport was frank about what happened after he called 911 while having a panic attack caused by cannabis use. The dispatcher advised him to remember that it will pass and to drink water and breathe. Allport said the panic attack passed eventually.

Most people who call 911 because of an adverse reaction to cannabis report feelings of panic. The NHS says it is important to confront your fears head-on during a panic attack because it is the only way to learn that you will not be harmed.

It can help to have a friend support you through a panic attack. If you see someone else going through a panic attack, reassure them that they will be OK.

Medical News Today outlines a few additional tips:

• Visit a doctor if this is the first panic attack.
• Breathe from the stomach while slowly allowing the lungs to fill.
• Use medication if it has been prescribed.
• Breathe lavender scents unless you have taken a benzodiazepine recently.
• Go to a calm place or corner. This can reduce the stress that causes a panic attack.
• Identify the things that set off panic attacks and aim to avoid them.

Generally, 911 will not classify a panic attack as an emergency, but if you call them, they will oblige your request for an ambulance if you feel you need it. Though panic attacks are not dangerous, they are unpleasant. Having them frequently may also signify that you have panic disorder and need additional help.

When Might I Have Panic Attacks

Panic attacks happen at different times for everyone. Some people have one panic attack then don’t ever experience another, or you might find that you have them regularly, or several in a short space of time. You might notice that particular places, situations or activities seem to trigger panic attacks. For example, they might happen before a stressful appointment.

Most panic attacks last between 5 to 20 minutes. They can come on very quickly. Your symptoms will usually be at their worst within 10 minutes. You might also experience symptoms of a panic attack over a longer period of time. This could be because you’re having a second panic attack, or you’re experiencing other .

“My panic attacks seem to come out of the blue now. But in fact, they seem to be triggered mainly at night when I want to go to sleep but cannot stop my mind racing, experiencing worry and panic about anything that may be on my mind.”

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What Do Panic Attacks Feel Like

During a panic attack, physical symptoms can build up very quickly. These can include:

• a pounding or racing heartbeat
• feeling faint, dizzy or light-headed
• feeling very hot or very cold
• sweating, trembling or shaking
• pain in your chest or abdomen
• struggling to breathe or feeling like you’re choking
• feeling like your legs are shaky or are turning to jelly
• feeling disconnected from your mind, body or surroundings, which are types of .

During a panic attack you might feel very afraid that you’re:

Should You See Your Doctor About Panic Attacks

A panic attack can make you feel like youre about to collapse or even die, but it’s usually harmless. However, in some cases, you may need medical advice to rule out an underlying physical cause.

Get medical advice if:

• your panic attack continues after doing 20 minutes of slow breathing
• you still feel unwell after your breathing returns to normal
• you still have a rapid or irregular heartbeat or chest pains after your panic attack
• you regularly have panic attacks, as this could be a sign that you have panic disorder

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Assessing Panic Attacks: 3 Tests & Questionnaires

Here are a few tools your client can use to examine their panic attacks and the relevant aspects of their mental health:

• The Panic Attack Questionnaire is the most widely used clinical tool for assessing the severity and characteristics of panic attacks and can help you and your client better understand their unique experience.
• The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire is used as part of a diagnosis of a variety of anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, and might be useful for examining whether your clients panic attacks are isolated or part of a broader mental health issue.
• The British National Health Service hosts a depression and anxiety self-assessment quiz that may be a useful tool for clients of any nationality to examine their general mental health, which may provide useful insight into the general triggers of their panic attacks.

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Can Anxiety Attacks Happen Randomly

January 16, 2015 by Jenny

Hi. Its Jenny at AnxietyBoss.com. Our question today is from Frank in Clinton, Massachusetts. Can anxiety attacks happen randomly?

We all experience panic during our lifetimes, but people who have repeated panic attacks will require medical intervention from a skilled mental health professional. Can anxiety attacks happen randomly? Yes. They can come on suddenly anywhere, anytime and without any obvious triggers. They can last anything from a few seconds long to half an hour and even longer. Recurrent attacks can be triggered by a specific situation where you are unable to escape.

A panic attack may also occur because it forms part of another disorder such as a phobia. These effects of these attacks can take their emotional toll on the sufferer. Because apart from the overwhelming sense of fear, the person often becomes a social recluse fearing a random attack and a physical loss of control.

Panic attacks include some of the following symptoms: trembling, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, nausea and sweating, hot and cold flashes or being lightheaded. During a panic attack, our brain receives a surge of nervous signals to alert us of impending danger, and the amygdala in the brain is alerted and controls the way we respond to danger. There are people, however, who react with anxiety even when there is no danger and they are more prone to these terror attacks.

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