Tag: panic attacks
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WHY DO OUR THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS INFLUENCE BREATHLESSNESS?
SPOILER ALERT! ~ Cues linked to breathlessness trigger sensations even without the original cause. ~ Negative emotions like anxiety and depression play a significant role in breathlessness perception. ~ Anxiety and depression often coexist with respiratory issues, intensifying breathlessness. ~ You would feel more out of breath when you’re in a place or situation that…
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IS HAVING OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCES DURING ANXIETY A BAD SIGN?
Depersonalization (DP), characterized by a sensation of detachment from one’s body and a distorted sense of reality, has garnered significant attention due to its intriguing connection with anxiety. Numerous studies highlight a strong correlation between depersonalization and anxiety, particularly in social anxiety and panic disorder. Anxiety emerges as a key predictor of depersonalization disorder, where…
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PATTERNS OF SLEEP DISTURBANCES ACROSS ANXIETY DISORDES
Sleep and anxiety are intimately connected, so much so that sometimes we cannot tell which one comes first. In recent studies, findings indicate that in 43.5% cases of insomnia, anxiety symptoms preceded chronic insomnia. By contrast, the percentage of chronic insomnia and anxiety disorders occurring simultaneously was not too far behind at 38.6%, which implies…
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HOW DOES SEPARATION ANXIETY SHED LIGHT ON PANIC DISORDER?
THE OPIOIDERGIC SYSTEM AND PANIC There is compelling evidence suggesting a connection between panic disorder and deficits in endogenous opioids, which are naturally produced by the brain and contribute to our sense of well-being. Studies have indicated that the sensitivity to carbon dioxide (CO2) is modulated by the opioidergic system. Endogenous opioids appear to reduce…
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THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF USING SAFETY BEHAVIORS TO CONTROL ANXIETY
In accordance with cognitive-behavioral theory, anxiety disorders manifest when individuals perceive situations as more perilous than they truly are. This distortion in perception sets off a chain reaction of responses, beginning with a heightened focus on threat-related stimuli, physiological arousal, and the adoption of safety-seeking behaviors, such as avoidance and escape tactics. Paradoxically, these safety-seeking…
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WHAT IS A PANIC ATTACK?
A panic attack is a short episode of intense anxiety accompanied by acute bodily symptoms such as increased respiration, fast heartbeat, sweating, dizziness, etc… (among many other possible symptoms). Although some people may feel like their panic attack lasts for hours, it is very unlikely that what they are experiencing is a single panic attack.…
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CAN PANIC DISORDER CAUSE HEART PROBLEMS?
Panic disorder is often associated with chest pain that can either be of cardiac and noncardiac origin. As a result, rates of cardiovascular diseases are high in PD as is the risk of mortality.
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RESPIRATION: TRUE & FALSE
This article tackles the true and false beliefs in breathing under normal conditions and under anxiety.
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DOES THE AMYGDALA ACTUALLY INHIBIT PANIC ATTACKS?
The amygdala triggers spontaneous “breathing pauses” as a response to an anxiety-provoking situation, but they don’t normally trigger panic attacks. However people with hypersensitivity to Co2 changes (such as panic disorder patients) tend to experience panic attacks when those pauses occur more frequently.
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ARE THE BODILY SYMPTOMS THE SAME BETWEEN PANIC DISORDER (PD) AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)?
Post-traumatic stress disorder and panic disorder share similar bodily symptoms of anxiety, however they differ in how unstable and severe they are across the disorders.