What causes panic attacks?

Have you ever wondered  what causes a panic attack? According to one theory of panic disorder, the body's normal "alarm system," the set of mental and physical mechanisms that allows a person to respond to a threat, tends to be triggered unnecessarily, when there is no danger. Scientists don't know exactly why this happens, or why some people are more susceptible to the problem than others. Panic disorder has been found to run in families, and this may mean that inheritance (genes) plays a strong role in determining who will get it. However, many people who have no family history of the disorder develop it. Often, the first attacks are triggered by physical illnesses, a major life stress, or perhaps medications that increase activity in the part of the brain involved in fear reactions. There also appears to be a connection with major life transitions such as graduating from college and entering the workplace, getting married, and having a baby. Severe stress, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or job loss can also trigger a panic attack.

Reference: Medicinenet.com

Triggers and Causes
According To Wikipedia
The causes of a panic attacks include the following
  • Long-Term, Predisposing Causes - Heredity. Panic disorder has been found to run in families, and this may mean that inheritance genes plays a strong role in determining who will get it. However, many people who have no family history of the disorder develop it. Various twin studies where one identical twin has an anxiety disorder have reported an incidence ranging from 31 to 88 percent of the other twin also having an anxiety disorder diagnosis. Environmental factors such as an overly cautious view of the world expressed by parents and cumulative stress over time have been found to be causes (Bourne 2005).
  •  Biological Causes - Generalized anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, hypoglycemia, hyperthyroidism, Wilson's disease, mitral valve prolapse, pheochromocytoma and inner ear disturbances (labyrinthitis). (Bourne 2005) Vitamin B deficiency from inadequate diet or caused by periodic depletion due to parasitic infection from tapeworm can be a trigger of anxiety attacks.
  •  Phobias - People will often experience panic attacks as a direct result of exposure to a phobic object or situation.
  •  Short-Term Triggering Causes - Significant personal loss, life transitions, significant life change, stimulants such as caffeine or nicotine, or the drugs marijuana or psilocybin, can act as triggers (Bourne 2005).
  •   Maintaining Causes - Avoidance of panic provoking situations or environments, anxious/negative self-talk ("what if thinking"), mistaken beliefs ("these smptoms are harmful and/or dangerous"), withheld feelings, lack of assertiveness. (Bourne 2005)
  •    Lack of Assertiveness- A growing body of evidence supports the idea that those that suffer from panic attacks engage in a passive style of communication or interactions with others. This communication style, while polite and respectful, is also characteristically un-assertive. This un-assertive way of communicating seems to contribute to panic attacks and be consistently present in those that are afflicted with panic attacks.(Bourne 2005)
  •     Medications - Sometimes panic attacks may be a listed side effect of medications such as Ritalin (methylphenidate). These may be a temporary side effect, only occurring when a patient first starts a medication, or could continue occurring even after the patient is accustomed to the drug, which likely would warrant a medication change in either dosage, or type of drug. Nearly the entire SSRI class of antidepressants can cause increased anxiety in the beginning of use. It is not uncommon for inexperienced users to have panic attacks while weaning on or off the medication, especially ones prone to anxiety.
  •     Hyperventilation Syndrome - Breathing from your chest may cause overbreathing, exhaling excess carbon dioxide in relation to the amount of oxygen in one's bloodstream. Hyperventilation Syndrome can cause respiratory alkalosis and hypocapnia. This syndrome often involves prominent mouth breathing as well. This causes a cluster of symptoms including rapid heart beat, dizziness, and lightheadedness which can trigger panic attacks. (Bourne 2005)
  •     Situationally Bound Panic Attacks - Associating certain situations with panic attacks, due to experiencing one in that particular situation, can create a cognitive or behaviorally predisposition to having panic attacks in certain situations (situationally bound panic attacks). It is a form of classical conditioning (Bourne 2005). See PTSD
  •     Pharmacological Triggers - Certain chemical substances, mainly stimulants but also certain depressants, can either contribute pharmacologically to a constellation of provocations, and thus trigger a panic attack or even a panic disorder, or directly induce one. This includes caffeine, amphetamine, alcohol and many more. Some sufferers of panic attacks also report phobias of specific drugs or chemicals, that thus have a merely psychosomatic effect, thereby functioning as drug-triggers by non-pharmacological means.
The above is the most common panic attack causes. Additional Cause of panic attack also include

What is the Cause of Panic Attacks?
  •       Your Genes:- There has been significant research that has found that panic and anxiety disorders run in our genes. Which means like most things, while you can monitor and control through environment forces, your likelihood of having a panic attack issue is based on if your family members do or      have. The type of family and upbringing you have can also play a role in what level of anxiety levels you have. So if you grew up in a dysfunctional home, where you were always being left alone, perhaps you may start to get them when you feel like someone is leaving you.

  •      Fight or Flight- When we are faced with a reasonably anxious situation, like being verbally or physically attacked, our body reacts with our fight or flight mechanisms. This means our body tenses the muscles, floods the brain with adrenalin and pumps our heart. These functions give us the ability to fight or flight. Some people who get panic attacks have the same reaction when they are faced with every day situations. Their brain, part of it called the Amygdale which triggers fight or flight reactions, and sends WARNING! DANGER! messages to our brain and a panic attack occurs.

  •     Brain Chemistry- In our brain there are two neurotransmitters play a role in panic attacks and our feelings in general. These two neurotransmitters also play a major role in many of our other daily thoughts and emotions. Serotonin and Dopamine imbalances can cause a range of issues, such as sleep concerns, rewards system issues, depression and panic attacks. These are not a life sentence, get help now.
* Article Source:EzineArticles.com
Article Written By: Chris Hunter
January 24, 2008
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Hunter

   
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