Panic Attacks

A panic attack is a period of intense, often temporarily debilitating, sense of extreme fear or psychological distress, typically of abrupt onset. Though it is often a purely terrifying feeling to the sufferer, panic attacks are actually an evolutionary body response often known as the fight-or-flight response occurring out of context. Symptoms may include trembling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pain, sweating, nausea, dizziness, lightheadeness, hyperventilation, paresthesias, and sensations of choking, smothering and dreamlike and disconnected sensations. During a panic attack, the body typically releases large amounts of adrenaline into the bloodstream. Many first time sufferers of a panic attack believe they are dying or going insane or having a heartattack. Many say panic attacks are among the most frightening experiences of their lives. Occuring repeated and seemingly unprovoked, panic attacks may be a sign of panic disorder, but panic attacks are associated with other anxiety disorders as well. For example, people who suffer from phobias may experience panic attacks upon exposure to certain triggers. People with panic disorder often can be succesfully treated with therapy and/or anti-anxiety/depression medication.

...More at Wikipedia 

Related Links:

• US National Library of Medicine
• Mayo Clinic

Recent Hope Cube Blog Entries For Panic Attacks

• Today Wed, January 09, 2008 - [view]
  Hey all, Well i wanted to post a blog to thank the people who have given me advice and all. Anyay on to todays events, well i kinda had a major panic attack because well...my exams are around the corner and i have been studying but i am not so sure i will pass, i have a positive mind about it all, dont get me wrong, but well i am hoping i will do good. something caused it to suddenly hit me today that i might fail which would mean i would be stuck at home...and well i broke down today and just curled up on my bed and cried because as much as it sounds like me being delicate again idk i couldnt control it...as much as i tried to get it off of my mind i couldn't. The panic attack lasted for the good part of half an hour and well i am fine now i dont think i would want to go through ...