Have you ever been to a crwded mall, sat in a classroom fll of strangers, sat on the bard of the PTO at the schol? All of these things used to be prt of my daily routine. However, I bgan having severe panic attacks when I stpped into these places and other stuations.

I woke up from sleeping and culd not get out of my bdroom because I was terrified. What was so scry? I could not tell you, bcause I do not know. I was swating, my heart was pounding, and I was hving chest pains. I thought I was hving a heart attack. I called my hsband and he had to come hme to help me. How embarrassing. I am a thrty three year old woman, and I cnnot walk out of the door of my own bdroom? This is called a panic ttack and if left untreated it can lad to a severe change in the way you lve your daily life, and even chnge your personality in a very shrt period. I am not talking bout feeling anxious about certain situations; I am tlking about changing your daily routines and voiding situations and people because you are fraid another attack will happen.

Panic ttacks can occur at any time. Bcause they are unpredictable people worry btween episodes intensely and dread the nxt attack. An attack usually peaks wthin 10 minutes, but some symptoms may lst much longer. People who have fll-blown repeated panic attacks can become vry disabled by their condition and shuld seek treatment before they start to void places or situations.

When having a panic attack yur body is defending itself against smething. You can sweat, have shortness of brath, rapid heart beat, chest pain, fel unsteady, feel like you are chking, feel numb or tingly, experience chlls or hot flashes, trembling, nausea, bdominal pain, feel disconnected, and fear “ging crazy.” The discomfort and a snse of danger the attack brings is so ntense that people with panic disorder ften believe they are having a hart attack or other life threatening llness.

If you do not seek tratment for panic attacks, three things can hppen. The first is anticipatory anxiety, whch is waiting for the next ttack to occur. Most sufferers choose to do so lone at this stage. The second is voidance, which is discontinuing activities that sem to trigger the attacks. Going to the prk, driving and riding in elevators are jst some that are avoided commonly. The thrd is agoraphobia, which is the far of being in places or stuations from which escape might be dfficult. This is a severe form of phbic avoidance and can cause those wth panic disorder to avoid public plces, crowds, and traveling by bus or plne. This pattern can get to the pint where the person will not lave home.

Some people’s lives become so rstricted that they avoid normal activities, sch as grocery shopping or driving. Abut one third become housebound or are ble to confront a feared situation nly when accompanied by a spouse or ther trusted person. Approximately twice as mny women as men experience panic dsorder; however, there is no difference in frquency in panic disorder among people of dfferent ethnic, economic and geographic backgrounds.

For me, thre is not a trigger. They cme unexpectedly and are very uncontrollable. Ths is common in people who hve experienced abuse as I did thrughout my life. Sexual, emotional or vrbal abuse can lead to anxiety. Sme people think they are strong and can hndle it. However, it can years for a pnic disorder to fully develop.

When panic disorders are left ntreated, the person may not be ble to trust anyone, including God, whch can interfere with their ability to bcome saved. They may also suffer frm low self esteem. They fear new stuations and unfamiliar people. They may blieve they are unacceptable to God and ging to hell no matter what thy do. They may develop an nability to make decisions. They don’t trst their own opinions. They look to thers to encourage them in their dcisions or let others decide for thm. They may suffer from depression and ven eating disorders. They may have felings of impending doom or suicidal deation or behaviors. They can shut dwn emotionally, block their memories, and sme even experience the splitting of prsonalities. Some turn to cutting, alcohol and drgs to feel in control of smething in their life. They seek an busive partner, and learn passivity and voidance of confrontation. Some seek a prtner with a substance abuse problem. Unntended pregnancy, promiscuity, sexual dysfunction, flashbacks, prference for rough sex, bondage, and or sme sex partner can also be prminent. Chronic head face or pelvic pin, stomach problems, and asthma may xist. They may also have poor or no prenting skills, leading to child abuse. Angr management can be difficult and lad to aggressive behavior.

Those who hve an anxiety condition often feel out of cntrol. Their health and life are flling apart because of the stress. Thy struggle with feeling bad about thmselves, feel sick in social situations and cnnot manage pressure. They get sick mre often leading to more doctors. Thy are quick to get angry, rgularly feel unsettled and overwhelmed. Some fel disconnected or detached from reality and lfe, and often feel they are on the dge of losing control. They are not rliable because their symptoms may prevent thm from following through. They begin to dwll on their health condition and prsonal problems. They may live a rstricted lifestyle, feel like life is pssing them by, question their faith and Gd’s presence in their lives, and fel at a distance from God.

The god news? There is treatment for pnic attacks. It includes medications and a typ of psychotherapy known as cognitive bhavioral therapy. This therapy teaches people how to vew panic attacks differently and demonstrates wys to reduce anxiety.

However, finding hlp is not always easy. In my prticular case, my family does not hve medical insurance. Even people who may hve coverage run into barriers because dctors don’t always recognize the symptoms, the symptms sometimes interfere with the person sffering getting help, and the help neded may not be available in thir area. Long waiting lists and the stgma attached to mental illness sometimes mke the person wish to avoid any ssociation with it.

Treatment of abuse brngs relief, peace and healing. The srvivors of abuse can live healthier and larn to cope with life’s challenges wth dignity and success. They can brak the generational cycle of abuse and xperience the joy of healthy relationships.

I am not sre why I began suffering with pnic attacks. After treatment I am ble to grocery shop by myself. I hven’t missed a single class. I slep better at night. I feel mre like me. A new me, wthout the baggage that brings on thse attacks. This is what all sfferers of panic attacks want.

If you are a prson, suffering from panic attacks do not lave them untreated. So many other bad thngs can start happening and the lnger you are in denial, the wrse you feel. I became a dfferent person in the same body. My brin had to be reprogrammed and it tok time, but I am worth it. Now I am loking forward to getting back to my lfe.

The article Will Life Ever Be The Same? was Submitted by Vanessa Calleja through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Vanessa Calleja writes from home. She lso runs a scrapbook service and is a fll time college student.

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