After studying hundreds of cases, he says his theory is that catastrophic events -- like the Sept. Samuels is not referring to an everyday heart attack brought on by mild stress, but rather a shock to the heart caused by chemicals sent out by the brain. According to Samuels, the catastrophic event can be like a lightening bolt to the heart that is fueled by a series of internal chain reactions that begin deep in the brain -- what scientists call the "fight or flight" response.
It's not a game," he said. That rush can set off a life-threatening process: Pupils dilate, muscles prepare for action, and the heart is flooded with chemicals from the nervous system.
The heart goes back to normal, and we walk away," Samuels said. In mild to moderate cases, this information is then relayed to the hippocampus, situated directly above it.
The hippocampus puts our emotions into context. The hippocampus is where you realize you either saw a nothing, or b yes, a mouse or a centipede, but neither one will hurt you. Only when fear is too big and too sudden do people run into trouble. It hijacks the brain. Simply knowing that the symptoms are due to a panic attack and not something else can drain some of the intensity from the attack.
Some potential symptoms to be aware of include:. Learn more about dealing with panic attacks. PD is treatable — the right treatment may reduce the frequency and severity of panic attacks and prevent future episodes. Research has shown that cognitive behavioral therapy for PD can be highly effective.
Other effective treatment options include:. A study investigated the risk of heart attacks , CHD, and cardiovascular death among people with panic attacks or PD. The study identified the following correlations:. The research did not find that panic attacks cause heart attacks and heart disease. It also did not prove that panic attacks protect a person from cardiovascular-related death — the study only established a correlation between these factors.
A panic attack will not directly trigger a heart attack. However, a review linked chronic anxiety and stress to an increased risk of the following cardiovascular issues:. Chronic anxiety may trigger physiological changes in the body, which could lead to the following:.
People may also adopt behaviors that negatively affect health to manage their anxiety, including:. PD is a treatable condition. People should also phone or seek emergency medical attention if they experience any of the following signs of a heart attack:. Panic attacks can feel so overwhelming that a person fears they are going to die.
This fear of dying may intensify the panic attack, leading to a vicious cycle of worsening panic. However, if a person has an underlying medical condition, a doctor may recommend trying to find a safe place to stop and sit when they feel a panic attack coming.
Otherwise, cognitive behavioral therapists will recommend that they ride out the panic attack so that they can see that nothing dangerous happens. Alternatively, you can find a therapist to suit your budget with an online mental health directory like Psychology Today or GoodTherapy. Free options are available, too. Find your local community clinic via the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Talkspace and Betterhelp allow you to message or video chat a therapist.
Specialist apps exist, too. She has also written a book profiling young female activists across the globe and is currently building a community of such resisters. Catch her on Twitter. You really don't need to check the CDC's website again. You probably do need a break, though. Here's how to cope with your anxieties over the pandemic. Constantly worrying about things that haven't happened yet?
You might be dealing with anticipatory anxiety. Tensions at home might be running a little higher than usual, but that's a pretty common outcome of crisis like COVID In the midst of the COVID pandemic, some will find that their libido spikes, and others will see it disappear completely. Both are totally normal!
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