What is a panic attack?

A panic attack is the result of a high peak of anxiety. Panic attacks can happen to any person at any time but with people who don't have an anxiety disorder, panic attacks only usually happen when they are confronted by something highly anxiety provoking. If you have to ask the question "what is a panic attack?" you have probably never had one - sufferers know all too well what they feel like but not many understand what is going on physiologically to produce such alarming symptoms.

Panic and anxiety are both good things; it's only when they become inappropriate reactions that they become invasive and frightening when the logic of why they occur can' be applied, it's human nature to start to fear them.

Panic attacks are caused by an intense surge of nervous signals, which are meant to warn of us of impending danger. Once this 'warning signal' is received by the brain, an organ called the Amygdala in the central nervous system is activated, this organ controls the anxious response. This system can become 're-set' allowing the Amygdala to react with anxiety when it is completely inappropriate. This causes high anxiety and panic attacks.

When the Amygdala gives the signal to the body to react with anxiety, a hormone called Adrenalin is released from the Adrenal glands, it is this which produces the classic, heart racing, sweating, stomach and breathing problems which are characteristic of panic attacks. Because this reaction is inappropriate, the adrenalin is not used up fighting or running and the panic attack is formed.

This 're-setting' of the anxious response in the Amygdala can be set back to 'normal' without therapy or medication.

Charles Linden
Author of The Linden Method^® and
CEO of The Linden Centers