Learning the Triggers of a Panic Attack

A panic attack is a horrible and gruesome attack of sudden and overwhelming fear that comes out of nowhere without a person knowing it is coming. This attack of fear will sneak upon its victim at any place and any time, no matter what he or she is doing or where he or she is. Fear has no boundaries, nor is it a respecter of person or age. When the panic attack hits, it is so strong that it weakens the person and drains every ounce of his or her strength.

There are many people who have experienced some form of a panic attack and felt its crippling affect on their life. Learning to live with this torment is not an easy thing for anyone to do. Some people use alcohol and/or drugs to numb themselves, so they will not feel as much pain and fear. Others many isolate themselves because of depression and hopelessness, quit their jobs, not drive anymore and just stay home. For anyone who has panic attacks, he or she knows that it is a struggle to survive from day to day.

Many years ago, when my children were younger, I experienced panic attacks. Therefore, I know the devastation of it and its destructive pattern. Those who knew me looked up to me and considered me to be this strong woman, but what they did not know was the gripping fear I had to face every day of my life. I recall so many times when all of a sudden, this enormous fear would strike me and make me feel powerless.

The attack of this force was such a paralyzing and unbearable fear that seemed to surround me on every side. My heart felt like it was going to burst and my body began to tingle and burn beneath my skin due to the intensity of the fear. I could not breathe and had to gasp for air. I thought I was going to die. All I could do was pray and ask God to take care of my children as I prepared for the worst.

The cause for panic attacks has not been discovered, nor understood, but a panic attack is believed to come from triggers. Genetics, trauma, abuse and various other things can be a mechanism to trigger a panic attack. For example, a person who has been abused, as I was, can see or hear something that will instantly trigger a memory. At that moment, the person will relive the memory, as though it is happening all over again. This memory will be thing that provokes the panic attack. If the person can discover the trigger points, this will help to prevent a panic attack.

There are ways to deal with and treat panic attacks and fight back, as I have learned to do. One of the ways used to treat these attacks is similar to therapy where the person is taught how to unveil and recognize the trigger points that seem to be the cause of the panic attack.

The treatments will help those who suffer from these attacks and enable them to live their lives without torment. For me, I learned to renew my mind by changing the way I think. I made myself think about good and positive things. I refused to think about the negative and bad memories, while forgiving the ones who were responsible. Doing this took a long time and was not so easy to do. Strong discipline was required but my efforts paid off because I do not have panic attacks anymore.