Do you suffer from panic disorder? Do you live in constant fear that you will have another panic attack. Are you afraid to leave your house where you think you will be safe? If you have had more than one or two attacks you should get professional advice on your condition. Read further for more information on how to cure panic attacks.

What is a panic attack? If you’ve experienced one, you probably have no doubt about what it is. If you haven’t experienced one and just know someone who has, it’s hard to really understand their terror. A panic attack is not dangerous but it is real. Out of nowhere comes an overwhelming fear. Your heartbeat is racing and you have difficulty breathing. You suffer from nausea, dizziness, sweating and uncontrollable shaking. Vaguely you may know it’s not possible, but you feel like you’re about to die or are going crazy. It may seem like hours but the whole episode lasts about 10 to 20 minutes.

Why do people have panic attacks? Experts do not know exactly what causes panic attacks. When our body perceives danger, it reacts by either preparing to run away or deal with the situation. This is called “flee or flight”. When this happens we get a burst of energy, our heart rate increases and we breathe heavily. A panic attack occurs when this situation is triggered when there is no real danger.

It is believed that panic disorder comes about during stressful life transitions like going away to college, marriage, divorce, or a new baby. Some people have panic attacks as early as 15 years old. Many people believe that stress and/or an poor diet can cause panic attacks. One of the best things to do to combat panic disorder is to eat a well balanced diet. Reduce your caffeine intake and get a good amount of exercise to reduce your stree.

As stated before, the key symptom of panic disorder is a persistent fear of future panic attacks. This fears keeps people from doing their regular day to day activities. For instance, if a panic attack occurred in a grocery store, the sufferer may start avoiding grocery stores for fear of another attack. Since we don’t truly know why people have anxiety attacks it seems reasonable to some to avoid certain places. But if left unchecked, this fear can develop into several different phobias. It’s very common for a sufferer to feel that the only safe place is inside the home and develops the fear of going outside the door. A cure for panic disorder must be found before the phobias get too far out of hand.