What is a Panic Attack?

A panic attack can be a very frightening thing.

Some sufferers feel as if they are choking or having a heart attack.

But knowing what’s going on can go a long way in helping you cope with such an attack.

Here is what a panic attack is, and some of its possible causes and symptoms.

What Is a Panic Attack?

When you experience sudden, terrifying feelings of fear over which you have no control, it may be a panic attack.

Such feelings are often accompanied by physical sensations, such as pain in the chest or abdomen or a feeling of suffocation and choking.

Panic attacks are often a symptom of an anxiety disorder.

Causes
As noted above, panic attacks are often a manifestation of an underlying disorder.

Thus, to find the cause(s) of the attack, doctors and therapists must look at causal factors of the disorder.

Sometimes, panic attacks don’t have any apparent cause or may have specific triggers.

For example, you may experience a panic attack every time you try to get into an elevator or drive under a bridge.

The elevator and the bridge are not causing the attacks, but something about your perception of them is. Thus, there is an underlying anxiety or fear that needs to be addressed.