Most of us have panicked with good reason at some time. The traffic light goes green, we start to cross the road, a car approaches fast and makes no sign of braking. To panic in this situation is normal - we run, and fast.
But what if a perfectly harmless everyday experience creates the same response. Or worse, if you experience panic for no apparent reason and completely without warning. While some people enjoy being scared - think of roller coasters - it's quite a different thing if you have no idea why you're scared or when it's going to stop.
Common phobias
It's possible to be phobic about anything, but these are particularly common fears:
Dental treatment Flying Blood /needles. Social phobias
Agoraphobia (open spaces)
When a person with a phobia comes into contact with the thing they're frightened of - or knows that they soon will - they develop some of the more immediate physical symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety is made up of a long list of symptoms, and different people develop different patterns of symptoms.
For many people, this is enough to make them completely avoid whatever they're dreading - a whole life can become structured around avoiding the situation or object. But sometimes it's unavoidable and a person with a phobia is forced into a situation they fear. For example, years of someone not going to the dentist ends in the need for emergency treatment, or someone suffers an accidental cut or has to attend a meeting that can't be avoided. Panic often follows.
The word 'often' is important here - panic isn't inevitable, and it doesn't always follow. Many people with a phobia surprise themselves and come through the situation, even though they find it highly unpleasant.
Symptoms of panic attacks : for those who do panic, the symptoms are:
Fast, pounding heartbeat Difficulty catching your breath Chest pain
Flushing and sweating Feeling sick Trembling Dizziness Dry mouth
Needing to go to the toilet Feeling faint
This experience can be so intense that the person becomes convinced that they're having a heart attack, which adds to their feeling of panic.
Some people also begin to feel that the reactions of their body are so extreme and so out of control that they're simply an observer of it all.
The first step is to break the vicious cycle that builds up. Learning relaxation techniques is a good way to do this. Your body instinctively becomes tense - it's not a response that we learn - and relaxation also has to be consciously learned. This takes some practice, but you will be shown how to do this.
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