Panic Attacks - Are They Unpredictable?

The most baffling, and likely the most scary panic attacks are those that happen out of the blue, when you least expect them. You may have no trouble in understanding a panic attack that happens in response to a perceptible and predictable risk situation such as jumping out of an aircraft with a parachute, but the panic attacks that happen while sitting down quietly at home are hard to explain.

You could be in a situation where is no outside threat to you and no ground to anticipate any threat, but with next to no warning you begin to perspire, you become short of breath, and have a thumping heart. Often these sensations are taken as signs of some internal threat, some risk to your health and wellbeing.

In the absence of any effective account for the panic attack, it is almost impossible to anticipate when and where the next episode will happen. The irregular and incomprehensible circumstances of these panic attack are an additional concern and burden for you. As you cannot be fully reassured of feeling safe at any time or locality, it becomes difficult to program day to day activities.

In the absence of prescriptive signs of threat, you tend to be directed by your moods. There may be days when you wake up and think I cant do anything today or go anywhere. If you are in this frame of mind then your mood will almost ensure that indeed you don't make the attempt. However, there will be some days which you feel calm and confident and feel that you are safe and unlikely to panic.

So your plans for the day, either going out or remaining at home, are determined primarily by these general feelings.

Regrettably we are all pre-disposed to over predict fear, we lean toward predicting that we will be more fearful under any given threat than usually turns out to be the case. I'm sure you will have noticed this.

An example of this over prediction happens for many people in anticipating public speaking. For many people the real event turns out to be less awful than they anticipated. Because of this broad disposition to 'over predict' your fears, you are inclined to be more guarded and cautious than is justified by your actual experiences of panic attacks. You predict many more panic attacks than you actually experience. This is common, you are not alone.

The occurrence of at least some unforeseen panic attacks is considered as a symptomatic sign of a 'panic disorder'.

With recurrent sequences of panic attack, it is possible to start to be able to describe 'triggers' for the unforeseen panic attacks, and find some pattern in their occurrence. This will enable you to better prepare and even avoid them altogether.

Do you want to learn more about the causes and cures of panic attacks?

Download a Free Expert Report on Panic Attacks here Panic attacks

Bobby is a psychologist and author.

Insomnia and Anxiety - What Comes First?

Many people have that odd night or two where they may have difficulty going to sleep and/or staying asleep. It is only when the odd night or two extends to a considerable period of time that it is likely to be considered a sleep disorder. It may not have been an anxiety problem to start with, but it sure will become that as time goes on and if nothing is done to overcome the initial cause.

When caused by anxiety, insomnia may not be quite as easy to cure as you would expect because anxiety sleep disorders can range from mild to very severe thus preventing you from getting any sleep at all. There are a number of anxiety disorders that often lead to insomnia for example, panic disorders, post traumatic stress and obsessive compulsive.

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome

Another type of anxiety sleep disorder that a person can suffer from is post traumatic stress syndrome. This occurs when a person becomes extremely anxious after having experienced a traumatic event such as an accident, rape or even terrorist acts. Such events come to haunt the person especially in the nighttime when the person becomes most fearful and will thus have difficulty in getting any sleep.

Panic Disorders

Panic disorder is a severe instance of anxiety in which the sufferer will feel that something terrible is going to happen, something that can strike without giving any warning. This condition is particularly devastating at night when it may even require the sufferer to be hospitalized because of its intensity. In this situation the condition really is an extreme case of anxiety sleep disorder.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

There is another type of anxiety sleep disorder which is known as obsessive-compulsive disorder. The sufferer becomes obsessed with thinking about rituals that are quite uncontrollable and which persist even though the person knows that these thoughts are quite senseless. It is an instance of anxiety sleep disorder which can be attributed to feeling fear and thus a person will not get to sleep because he or she is in dread of experiencing nightmares.

Dealing with the Anxiety

To be able to deal with an anxiety sleep disorder, one may need to take certain steps including practicing good sleep hygiene and even attempting self hypnosis. While a hot bath before turning in for the night is also recommended. A bath is preferable as a shower can be a bit too stimulating and could further keep you from falling asleep.

Playing soothing music while in bed is an option that helps many people deal with their insomnia. Take this a step further and try meditation as well as yoga movements, or you may find slow deep breathing exercises beneficial.

Of course, if your anxiety and insomnia continue you should seek medical advice without delay.

Insomnia is probably more common than you think. For facts, tips, information and resources on insomnia be sure to visit http://www.InsomniaTopics.com - a good night's sleep may be only a click away. Joan Maughan has been researching a wide range of health issues, insomnia and sleep disorders being the latest in her quest for answers and solutions. You may just find the solution at http://www.insomniatopics.com and say goodbye to sleepless nights!

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