What Causes Panic Disorders?
Anxiety disorders in general are caused by complex interactions between your genetic makeup and the experiences you have in the external world. It is important to understand that a genetic predisposition alone does not guarantee that a problem will develop. Certain experiences in your environment activate the genes associated with anxiety disorders, and they can occur early in childhood or not until later in life. This explains why some people experience anxiety problems early and consistently throughout their lives, while others do not develop an anxiety disorder until adulthood.
Panic Attacks
A panic attack is an extreme version of disordered anxiety that comes on suddenly and reaches a peak within a few minutes. Symptoms of a panic attack include heart palpitations, chest pains, hyperventilation, tingling or numbness in the limbs, racing thoughts, sweating, dizziness, and nausea. You may also have a terrifying sense that your surroundings are somehow unreal, or that your own thoughts or body do not belong to you. And while a panic attack is not fatal, it is common to think you are having a heart attack and that your life is in danger.
Panic attacks may occur reliably in specific situations, such as exposure to certain animals, feeling as though you are stuck in a crowd or other environment where escaping would be difficult, or being reminded of a past sexual assault, violence, or another trauma. On the other hand, panic attacks are often unexpected and seem to occur randomly.
When panic attacks feel random, an ever-present sense of worry about the next occurrence can settle in. After experiencing such an extreme state of anxiety and fear, it makes perfect sense that you would want to avoid it happening again. So, you may start to live life in a state of high-alert, constantly monitoring your body for warning signs and avoiding situations you worry might bring on another attack.
Therapy can be very useful for treating panic attacks. However, before seeking therapy, someone experiencing symptoms similar to a panic attack should be examined by a medical doctor to rule out other possible causes.
The Root of Anxiety
Many people come to therapy in hopes of uncovering how or why anxiety and the symptoms associated with it became a problem. This quest can be relatively straightforward for someone whose anxiety disorder clearly developed after a difficult life event, such as the death of a loved one, losing a job, or experiencing violence or other trauma. However, some people who develop anxiety problems in adulthood may not be able to identify a difficult event that led to the problem, and others may have experienced anxiety as far back as they can remember. For people with these experiences, identifying the beginning of the disorder can be nearly impossible.
The good news is that we do not need to know exactly how the anxiety problem started in order to successfully treat it. Exploring the origins of an anxiety problem can add a richness to therapy, but it is a misconception that therapy should focus solely on finding a “root cause.” A modern therapy approach can directly target the anxiety problems, helping you get relief from anxiety that lasts.
If you’re ready to find relief, reach out today to learn more about how we can teach you the tools you need to overcome panic and anxiety in your life.