Why Sleep Panic Attacks Can Be Harmful

Sleep panic attacks, when they occur, are extremely intense and frightening. The sense of helplessness, surprise and raw fear that accompanies these episodes can be more intense than when experienced during the hours you are awake, partly out of the added element of surprise which frequently is part of it.

The most common, immediate symptoms of sleep panic attacks is an accelerated heart rate, sweating and breathlessness. Being awakened by these symptoms, often with heart palpitations as well, is extremely frightening and will cause many to believe they are having a heart attack.

Most sleep panic attacks are symptomatic of a form of anxiety disorder and are not related to any physical anomaly or cause. When this disorder is experienced during wakefulness, it generally comes on progressively, perhaps starting with a sense of general unease. It can then escalate until it becomes a full fledged panic attack with all the irrationalities, fears and physical discomforts which are associated.

But when it occurs while you are sleeping, you are suddenly awakened after it has reached full throttle and this suddenness intensifies the feelings, making a totally awful situation even worse. And that is isn’t the worst part of it.

Panic attack disorders generally are repetitive in nature; that is they will reoccur without much notice. One of the most insidious aspects of the disease is that part of its persistence depends on it becoming habitual. This habitualization is further strengthened by the individual’s fear of the panic attack itself reoccurring. There is an unfortunate irony in this, but it just makes it more difficult to overcome.

Sleep panic attacks can worsen this situation because once one occurs an individual may well fear sleep and consequently deprive themselves of required rest while adding force and substance to the attacks. What the individual does to deal with the attacks is extremely important and a misstep at the start can lead to a worsening of the situation instead of its improvement.

Medications, for example, can be very dangerous and a poor choice unless prescribed by a competent physician. There is a wide range of choices from beta blockers to narcotics and anti-depressants, but choosing the wrong one by yourself can be very dangerous. All drugs will have side effects, including addiction, and ultimately these may make the condition more intractable. Seeing a licensed practitioner immediately after having a sleep panic attack or any, for that matter, is a primary recommendation.

The sleep panic attack will occur during the early stage of REM (Rapid Eye Movement). Dreams occur during the later stages, Therefore, dreams are not what precipitates these attacks, as many people will believe. In fact, once these episodes begin, it will be the fear of their repetition which will most likely pave the way for their continuation.

It is very important to understand some basic premises concerning panic attacks, in general. First, although we could call it a disease, the fact is that having them does not mean you are physically or even mentally ill. It’s like the difference between not being able to breathe (inability), and simply not breathing (incapability) even though you are actually able. It is not a mental illness which is causing the incapability but a combination of habitualized reactions usually derived from poor coping mechanisms of one’s daily life.

Of course this is not the case for all people. Some people have physiological problems and others have serious psychological conditions. But just based on the numbers, most sufferers of panic disorders today will not fall into those categories. That means that in order to recover from having these attacks, most people will need to approach it from the viewpoint of breaking the habitual supports and of looking squarely at what the attack really is, not letting it fool you into thinking it can actually harm you, and thereby weakening it until it no longer is an issue.

This can be accomplished with a combination of medication and therapy, or just therapy, but not just medication. While lessening the power of these sleep panic attacks and making them disappear, one can find immediate improvement, even while still experiencing them, by simply remembering that they (the person) are not the panic attack; that the attack is a lie, that they are not sick or dying.

Practicing and developing some mind control will have additional benefits. Not only will it eventually relieve one of this particular anxiety disorder, but it will strengthen your self confidence and enable you to learn better how to cope with other aspects of your life that need you to take firmer control

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What is Anxiety Disorder?

What is anxiety disorder? Anxiety disorder is really nothing more than a set of reactions and habits which may have very real merit in certain situations but which are experienced in situations in which they have no use or merit. When one is in a dark parking garage and feels that they are being followed, the reflexes that lend our muscles the strength to run or fight like an animal and the psychological condition that transforms us from rational creatures to beings driven by our most primal desire to survive are useful things. Those reflexes, however, are wholly inappropriate in most other situations.

Where our brains are concerned, the question “what is anxiety disorder?” begins at the amygdala. This part of the brain is responsible for setting into motion the responses to danger designed to keep us alive in dire situations. Unfortunately, this response, like all emergency responses, tends to override all others. “Thinking” one’s way out of a panic attack is a laborious activity that is oftentimes ineffective. Oftentimes, the best solution is just to ride it out and acknowledge it for what it is. Sometimes, catering to it—having a good, healthy jog, for instance—is the best remedy.

In our bodies, “what is a panic disorder?” is a very complex question. There are a host of substances secreted into the blood, principally adrenaline and related substances, which enable us to move faster, with more purpose and to focus with an incredible intensity on our surroundings. Unfortunately, when one has no real reason to run or fight, the sensation is one of utter fear. Without an outlet, these substances still stimulate our bodies but cannot be “burnt off” in the normal fashion. A common characteristic of a panic attack is, unlike real danger, there is no real indicator as to when the danger has been outrun or outfought.

Anxiety disorder, above all other things, is not a rarified condition. Many individuals feel varying degrees of this condition at different times in their life. When one loses their job or suffers a medical condition, for instance, this disorder is fairly common. Understanding the causes of it make it much more manageable. However, there are some causes of this disorder that are poorly understood. The good news is: there is one answer to this question that should lessen the fears of any sufferer.

The most accurate answer to the question “what is anxiety disorder?” is: Anxiety disorder is treatable. This disorder can be successfully treated and overcome and is no cause to, well, panic. Psychotherapy offers several treatments, both with medications and without, and regular doctors can help patients to develop healthy eating and exercise habits that can lessen the frequency and severity of symptoms such as panic attacks. No matter how horrible these symptoms become, there is no reason to feel that one is fighting them alone or in the dark. Medical science has invested a great deal of study into the mechanisms behind this disorder and help is readily available.

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Treating Anxiety Disorder Effectively

There are numerous ways of treating anxiety disorder on the market at present. Some of them involve treating the body with exercise, good nutrition and other healthy habits. Some treatments involve drugs such as SSRI reuptake inhibitors. Others involve traditional psychotherapy. Like any treatment, the success rate is largely dependent upon the individual’s attitude and commitment to overcoming their disorder. Successful treatment can take time and effort and, sometimes, it may involve engaging in some activities that are a bit uncomfortable to lessen the fear that one associates with them.

Treating anxiety disorder oftentimes starts with determining the underlying cause. Provided that one’s panic attacks and other symptoms aren’t the result of a physical cause such as a thyroid disorder, psychologists and other professionals will oftentimes wish to work with the patient to find out the starting point of their anxiety. Oftentimes, seemingly complex problems have very simple origins and it is part of the science of psychological treatment to root-out these problems and to help the patient find a healthy way of addressing those issues. Be prepared for this to be somewhat difficult at times.

Some methods of treating anxiety disorder involve exposing a phobia or other psychological condition. Social anxiety, for instance, is the cause for many a panic attack and treating this particular manifestation of anxiety may result in some reduction of the other symptoms one experiences. Other phobias, such as those related to public speaking, leaving the house or certain disorders such as hypochondria oftentimes prove to be the root causes of many anxiety problems. A psychotherapist may use several different methods to root out these problems and to defang them as much as possible with the client which can, sometimes, result in a significant reduction of anxiety-related symptoms.

Treating anxiety disorder can be done, to a certain degree, by the affected individual but with some serious caveats. There is a type of home remedy for certain phobias which is a layman’s version of desensitization or exposure therapy. For instance, if one happens to have a pervasive fear of insects, this therapy would hold that the affected individual should expose themselves to insects wherever possible to “get over it”. This is, oftentimes, a very bad idea. Undertaking this type of therapy without the assistance of a qualified professional can be far more damaging than helpful and can make the problem much worse.

Treating anxiety disorder may involve getting more exercise. When one sits all day, they fail to allow themselves a physical outlet for their emotions. This can become a pronounced problem for those who have stressful jobs where physical stagnation is the norm. It’s surprising to many individuals how much a good run, ride on a bike or walk out in a wild place can do to eliminate their anxiety. Sometimes treatment doesn’t involve drugs or therapy but simply taking the responsibility to attend to one’s mental health, and their physical, in a way that improves their overall health at the same time.

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The Sensations that Panic Attacks Cause

The sensations that panic attacks cause are universally horrid. There is no other way to state this fact. There is the sensation of one’s heart pounding far too fast. The sensation of one’s head screaming a thousand different thoughts that make no sense save for the universal terror they encompass.

There is the overly-sharp appearance of the world, the tingling and numbness of the lips and limbs, the fear that one will embarrass themselves by fainting or falling over, the rapid breathing that still leaves one breathless and the feeling that one is suffocating at the same time. For all their power, these symptoms have one weakness: predictability.

Panic attacks cause a host of sensations that are very similar from one individual to the next. This is because these symptoms are actually rooted in totally normal bodily functions.

These sensations are what happens when a person’s body essentially empowers them to survive the most dire of situations but when there is no dire situation that needs to be survived. This is all the power in the world in the absence of an outlet through which to distribute that power. Understanding this can make the attacks much more tolerable.

Panic attacks cause a sense of breathlessness. This is one of the most terrifying parts of these episodes. The reason for this, however, is not that one cannot breathe but because they are breathing too much. Hyperventilation causes a buildup of oxygen in the blood which is necessary if one is running or fighting.

However, if one is at rest—sitting at their work desk in a raw panic, for instance—this causes there to be an imbalance of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the body which causes the feeling of suffocation. Breathing into a paper bag can lessen this effect.

Panic attacks also cause a feeling that something is going horribly wrong with one’s body and, oftentimes, a sense that one is about to die, usually from a heart attack. Checking one’s pulse is a frequent sign that one is having a panic attack. The heart begins beating rapidly due to the presence of adrenaline and other stimulants in the blood.

Like the accelerated breathing, this is a great asset if one needs to outrun a predator but a horrible feeling if one is blindsided by the experience. A strongly and regularly beating heart, incidentally, is the opposite of the symptoms of a heart attack.

Panic attacks cause a very overwhelming mental distress. This is characterized by racing thoughts. Oftentimes, it is a race to determine the origin of the panic itself, thus all the worry about a heart attack, a stroke, a collapsed lung, and so forth.

Recognizing the progression of these symptoms of these attacks can reduce them from terror-inducing to wholly manageable. Once one understands that it’s only a panic attack and that, aside from the mental distress, that it’s entirely harmless one is on the road to recovery from anxiety problems

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The Panic Attack and Anxiety Disorder

The panic attack and anxiety disorder are related in the same way as are the sore throat and the common cold: the first is a symptom of the latter. There are several reasons, however, why one may experience a panic attack. Disorders of the thyroid, the heart and other causes may be the root and one must consult with a doctor rather than simply dismissing these episodes as an anxiety symptom. Once one knows for certain that anxiety is the root of their issues, however, understanding the panic will help to understand the rest of the disorder.

Of all the other symptoms associated with it, the panic attack is the anxiety disorder symptom that is the most distressing, in the majority of cases. However, what many individuals don’t realize is that the panic attack really does have value, in the right circumstances. The roots of the panic attack are found in the less-civilized lives of our ancestors when the ability of the body to instantly raise the heart rate, the respiration rate and to demand a razor-sharp focus of the consciousness oftentimes meant the difference between life and death. Consider the value of this reflex.

A panic attack from a anxiety disorder is defined by its uselessness. However, if one were in the forest and a grizzly bear suddenly took enough of an interest to give pursuit, the reality of there being such a thing as a constructive panic attack becomes apparent. The increased heart rate and breathing mean more oxygen, and thus strength and endurance, to the muscles. The focus one experiences means the ability to concentrate all of one’s efforts on survival. The panic attack, in reality, is our primitive brain at its run-or-be-run-down, kill-or-be-killed finest. In everyday life, however, it’s a bit much and therein lays the problem.

When a panic attack and other anxiety disorder symptoms manifest, they’re often so distressing because there is simply no way to burn off the energy they produce. One cannot begin running through the halls of their bank because having their loan approved caused in them a very real panic! From this unfortunate situation come the most frequent symptoms of the panic attack: sweating, shaking, racing thoughts, hyperventilation and the fear of dying. It all makes sense when one thinks of its origins. A panic attack is not a disease; it’s an inappropriate reaction.

Once the panic attack and other anxiety disorder symptoms are understood for what they are, they’re often much more easy to control. They become a nuisance after a while—“There I go again!”—rather than an occasion to be in very real fear for one’s life. The first step in overcoming this disorder and having it dominate one’s life is simple understanding of the origins. The anxiety causes a reaction that fuels itself and gradually tips toward panic. This may happen over and over again as one learns how to control it but the fear will oftentimes dissipate with better understanding.

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Anxiety and Depression Disorders

Anxiety and depression disorders are very much part and parcel of one another. Understanding why this is the case is really not too difficult provided one engages in a bit of thought about the matter. Both of these disorders are characterized by a pervasive sense that one’s situation will never change or that, if the situation does change, that the change will inevitably be negative. If one truly takes a look at these disorders, there is oftentimes a bit of magical thinking involved, as well, that is common between the two conditions.

Anxiety and depression disorders are oftentimes characterized by the individual feeling powerless to change their life. To that end, they sometimes develop a habit of engaging in feeling sorrowful or stressed out about their problems instead of addressing them; sometimes thinking that this may result in some real change coming about. Of course, feelings seldom change one’s situation and oftentimes provide the obstacles to action that actually would make one’s life different. Understanding that depression and anxiety, aside from their medical implications, have real habitual causes that can be changed is oftentimes the first step in coping.

Anxiety and depression disorders are oftentimes treated by mental health professionals by providing the patient with a new set of coping skills for the trials and tribulations that characterize everybody’s lives. This oftentimes means taking a hard look at some negative habits. Depressive individuals are famous for throwing up their hands and falling into a pit of despair over the smallest of issues. Anxiety disorder sufferers oftentimes obsess over minor issues and inflate them into life-changing affairs that are far more fictions than fact. Meeting, and defeating, these habits head-on is oftentimes the first courageous act in a series of such acts that can defeat these disorders.

Anxiety and depression disorders, unfortunately, are very real, even if the reasons adhered to by their sufferers for those feelings are not as serious as they claim. These patters of thought, rooted in brain chemistry, situational causes and learned habits, are oftentimes very difficult to take on and orders of magnitude more difficult to overcome. One must be willing to take on this challenge if they’re ever to have relief and many individuals who make this choice begin by finally having enough of the disorder and by realizing that they have no choice but to take it on.

Anxiety and depression disorders are oftentimes experienced simultaneously, increasing the evidence that they are very much related. This, of course, is easy to understand. One will understandably feel depressed if they cannot sleep, eat or enjoy themselves because of panic attacks or other anxiety symptoms. Likewise, the fear that one will never be truly happy is most certainly a cause of anxiety. Just as they are related, however, both of these disorders are highly treatable. Every year, millions of people take on these disorders and come through it much stronger and more capable people for having slain their personal demons.

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Panic Attack Relief Strategies

Panic attack relief strategies are necessary tools for those who are trying to find an overall way of relieving their anxiety disorder. Panic attacks will come, in most cases. How one intends to deal with these episodes is part and parcel of making them less distracting than is usually the case. Additionally, those individuals who accept the inevitability of panic attacks and who develop a strategy for dealing with them oftentimes have a much easier time overcoming the root causes of those attacks and their overall problems dealing with anxiety.

The first step in developing a panic attack relief strategy is in acknowledging the nature of one’s attacks and in accepting that they will happen again. Denying that these attacks will come or expecting them to be lessened in severity before one’s therapy has a chance to offer its full benefits can actually make these attacks worse. This comes down to the old adage about knowing one’s enemy. If one, for instance, tends to have panic attacks before dealing with their superiors at their job, one can make time to have the attack and, thus, reduce the hold it has over one’s life.

A panic attack relief strategy must take a hard and honest look at the particular symptoms that define one’s typical attack. For instance, one will oftentimes feel a sensation of claustrophobia or suffocation that accompanies the attack. Should this attack happen when one is in a vehicle, it can be orders of magnitude more unpleasant. To that end, if one has symptoms that mimic this example, think ahead about what one should do if the attack becomes too much in a situation that tends to enhance the sensations. Perhaps rolling down the window would help or perhaps one should accept that they need to pull over and get out of the car and walk around for a while. This is not giving in; this is being sensible.

Panic attack relief oftentimes means explaining to those individuals in one’s life the nature of one’s disorder and what those individuals need to do to accommodate one’s well-being. Many individuals are stopped from doing this because they believe it makes them appear weak. In fact, it takes a great deal of personal strength to take this step. One should inform one’s spouse or one’s children about the symptoms of panic attack and about what they need to do to make it survivable for the affected individual.

The most important thing to remember about panic attack relief is that, with a bit of hard work and attention towards one psychological and physical needs, it is very much attainable. People tend to have episodes of anxiety at various points in their lives and those episodes do tend to pass. Whether it takes medication, more exercise, a significant change in one’s lifestyle or simply a regular visit to a mental health professional, anxiety disorders and the panic attacks by which they are characterized can be overcome by their sufferers.

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Chronic anxiety disorder has become more prevalent over the last decade. This, of course, could stem from it being more commonly experienced or from it being more readily identified but, whatever the cause, millions of people suffer the effects of this disorder. The symptoms are very distressing—oftentimes to the point of making one’s life extremely difficult—and these symptoms tend to get worse if left untreated. Understanding this disorder is imperative to overcoming its effects and to living a better life than would be afforded if one let it go untreated.

Chronic anxiety disorder sufferers tend to be constantly stressed out. Ask them why and they may give a reason, many reasons or they may simply confess that they have no idea why they feel so wound-up. No matter what these individuals do, they often feel that they’re on the edge of one catastrophe or another and, oftentimes, they experience attacks of panic that are very real sensations of one’s life being in danger. Anyone who has ever been in a life and death situation can empathize with the situation of these sufferers save for one important point: when the life and death situation ended, so did the panic for most individuals. This is not the case for anxiety sufferers.

Chronic anxiety disorder is like being on a roller coaster that never ends and the safety of which has not been assured to the rider. One never knows if their difficulty breathing is simply due to hyperventilation that went unnoticed or if their lung really is collapsing. This may sound silly to someone who has never experienced this sort of attack but it’s very real and very devastating to those who suffer these attacks. It is a truly awful sensation to never be at rest.Modern life and chronic anxiety disorder seem to have many connections. Individuals work more and play less than they have for mostof the last century. Incomes are lower and debt is higher. Many individuals are stagnant economically, if not falling downward altogether in that regard. There will, inevitably, be a great deal of stress in such a situation and, for any individual, it can get out of control and manifest a disorder. Fighting anxiety requires help and support from friends and family and, above all, understanding from the individuals in one’s life.

A chronic anxiety disorder sufferer is not a drama-lover or an attention-seeker. This disorder is very real and those who have fallen into its grip would generally like nothing more than to be done with it altogether. No one likes interrupted sleep, sudden attacks of intense fear or the very real sensation that they’re dying. These things are all part of this disorder. One can help such individuals by offering them pleasant distractions, by listening and understanding and by encouraging them to seek help. Oftentimes, though the eventual cure may take time, medical professionals can provide interventions that can greatly reduce the manifestation of the worst symptoms.

Identifying Anxiety Stress Disorder

Anxiety and stress disorder problems are very much related. Stress is one of the least-addressed problems in modern life while, at the same time, being one of the most pervasive and potentially deadly. Stress has been shown to affect the heart, the brain and the body at large. Without a way to relieve stress or to reduce it, one is, make no mistake, putting their health at risk. Anxiety is oftentimes one of the first symptoms of stress that is too powerful to be ignored and which ends up causing the affected individual to seek help.

Anxiety and stress disorder are related on the physical and mental planes. Physically, stress tends to cause a rush of adrenaline, an increase in heart rate and blood pressure and physical tingling, numbness or shaking. Anxiety has much the same effect on the body when let go too far. This commonality of manifestation is no coincidence. Anxiety is simply a type of stress related to fear. Other types of stress are those related to anger and embarrassment. Oftentimes, these feelings can morph from one to another when the underlying cause is left unaddressed.

Anxiety and stress disorder symptoms can be understood by examining the worst manifestation of the “Type A” personality. This individual is demanding, quick to anger and slow to forgive. Oftentimes, these types of individuals will be angry about a host of issues—oftentimes in a way that is confusing to those trying to make sense of their rants—when the true source of their anger is something entirely other than what they claim. The same is true of the anxiety that oftentimes overcomes stressed-out individuals. The stress they experience becomes so overwhelming that it becomes generalized anxiety and, unfortunately, they drift farther and farther from understanding the nature of their condition as this process continues.

There are healthy, sensible ways to address both anxiety and stress disorder symptoms. Oftentimes, individuals who constantly feel stressed are simply unable to communicate their needs effectively or they simply demand and expect too much of the world and of those around them. Leveling out one’s expectations is one of the first defenses. It’s important for these individuals to remember that, while the individuals with whom they share the world are responsible for their own actions, they are not at all responsible for the expectations of others. Being realistic fights stress.

Anxiety and stress disorders should not be taken lightly. The stereotype of the overly-driven executive type who collapses from a heart attack at a young age is not rooted in fiction. These problems can become very serious and, oftentimes, they’re something of a habit on the part of the individual. While yelling, screaming, being stressed out and otherwise having a fit may get one their way now and again, it causes more problems than it solves and, if not kept in check by more mature and healthy ways of interaction, it can gradually become an issue that can take away everything.