Panic attacks affect millions of people worldwide. There are an estimated 20 million in North America alone. The burden of suffering from panic attacks and anxiety disorders in general is not carried by the sufferer alone. If you consider the costs carried by the health care industry, days off work and the cost of emergency services, then you can see that the cost is also carried by society.
Add to that the stress of the family who must compensate for the consequences of this illness. The good news is that panic disorders can be treated and the success of the treatment can be long term and complete. Panic attack sufferers can regain control of their lives and live it to the full.
But let’s look at what happens when sufferers do not seek treatment. This can happen for a number of reasons. They may be ashamed to admit that they are not in control of their feelings, they may realize that what they fear isn’t really there but they can’t help fearing it anyway. They may think that the coping mechanisms they have in place will do the job fine and there is no need to involve other people in the problem.
The trouble is that these coping mechanisms may lead to further problems. Quite often, the sufferer of panic attacks goes to such lengths to avoid the situation or object that was involved in their first attack that a phobia develops. Avoidance behavior can result become extreme to the point of affecting that person’s quality of life.
One of the classic consequences of a panic attack is the fear of another one. This can sometimes be more potent than fearing the attack itself. In this case, that person will go out of their way to avoid the situation or thing that is related to their first attack. For example, they may have experienced their first attack in a crowded place like a supermarket. They then avoid going to a supermarket and either shop on-line or get family or friends to do the shopping instead. This is such a successful strategy that it may develop into a reluctance to go out at all. Before you know it, agoraphobia has set in.
While this may be a simplistic explanation, it does adequately illustrate the process. You can imagine the same happening if the first attack took place in a lift, or while flying. Those people would take care never to be in a lift or a plane again and soon their lifestyle is affected. Maybe the former would only consider renting apartments on the ground floor; the latter leaves their job rather than have to fly to business meetings.
As stated above, no-one has to live like this. There are very successful treatments. The most difficult step to take is the first – admitting that there is a problem. After that, it is a matter of finding the right method for each person.
About the Author:
Emma Hudson is a panic attacks expert. For more great information on panic attacks, visit http:www.panicattackneedtoknow.com
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – How Panic Attacks can lead to Phobias
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