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How Do These Disorders Develop?
How Do These Disorders Develop?
At its best, anxiety and panic has helped keep our species alive. Imagine a prehistoric evolution in which our ancestors did NOT learn to be afraid of tigers in the bushes. Without a fear of tigers, they might have gone into the bushes all willy-nilly only to be the next meal for a fierce predator.
At its best, anxiety and panic has helped keep our species alive. Imagine a prehistoric evolution in which our ancestors did NOT learn to be afraid of tigers in the bushes. Without a fear of tigers, they might have gone into the bushes all willy-nilly only to be the next meal for a fierce predator.
Happily, such a glitch in evolution did not occur and over millennia our brains developed the reflexive mechanism of keeping us safe by fight, flight or freeze behaviors. Have you had the experience of having a near miss in an automobile where you hit the brakes before you were truly conscious of what was going on that led you to take that action? That's your hypothalamus (in the brain) and adrenal glands (located on top of your kidneys) working in collaboration to get adrenaline into your system to act at the speed of light. This is great in truly dangerous situations which are, we hope, few and far between.
Happily, such a glitch in evolution did not occur and over millennia our brains developed the reflexive mechanism of keeping us safe by fight, flight or freeze behaviors. Have you had the experience of having a near miss in an automobile where you hit the brakes before you were truly conscious of what was going on that led you to take that action? That's your hypothalamus (in the brain) and adrenal glands (located on top of your kidneys) working in collaboration to get adrenaline into your system to act at the speed of light. This is great in truly dangerous situations which are, we hope, few and far between.
For people with anxiety disorders, however, even imagined or anticipatory threats can likewise cause the body to create this same rush of adrenaline and can lead to a panic attack even when no danger is present. We do not fully understand why some individuals may have one panic attack or just rare occurrences in objectively safe environments and others develop a chronic condition with frequent attacks. Those afflicted with panic and anxiety attack conditions can learn to mitigate the symptoms of these disorders. Doing so most often requires making changes in the way one has learned to think about, react to, and feel about the world as well as themselves. More about managing panic disorder and anxiety attacks can be found in the Treatment for Panic and Anxiety Attacks module.
For people with anxiety disorders, however, even imagined or anticipatory threats can likewise cause the body to create this same rush of adrenaline and can lead to a panic attack even when no danger is present. We do not fully understand why some individuals may have one panic attack or just rare occurrences in objectively safe environments and others develop a chronic condition with frequent attacks. Those afflicted with panic and anxiety attack conditions can learn to mitigate the symptoms of these disorders. Doing so most often requires making changes in the way one has learned to think about, react to, and feel about the world as well as themselves. More about managing panic disorder and anxiety attacks can be found in the Treatment for Panic and Anxiety Attacks module.
Some research suggests that there is a genetic predisposition to anxiety disorders like panic and anxiety attacks. And other research suggests that anxiety may be a set of responses that children learn from the adults around whom they grow up. Even further research suggests that childhood traumatic experiences impact children's brain development which could lead to anxiety disorders. Whatever the cause, the effect is often debilitating to the person who experiences panic disorder or anxiety attacks, leading to missed work and classes, withdrawing from support persons, unpleasant bodily sensations (like nausea or hyperventilating), and frequent worry of "losing control".
Some research suggests that there is a genetic predisposition to anxiety disorders like panic and anxiety attacks. And other research suggests that anxiety may be a set of responses that children learn from the adults around whom they grow up. Even further research suggests that childhood traumatic experiences impact children's brain development which could lead to anxiety disorders. Whatever the cause, the effect is often debilitating to the person who experiences panic disorder or anxiety attacks, leading to missed work and classes, withdrawing from support persons, unpleasant bodily sensations (like nausea or hyperventilating), and frequent worry of "losing control".
The remaining Modules in this "class" will help you understand the difference between panic disorder and anxiety attacks (yes, there is a slight difference), ways to diminish symptoms of panic attacks as they occur, and understanding treatment options for panic disorder and anxiety attacks.
The remaining Modules in this "class" will help you understand the difference between panic disorder and anxiety attacks (yes, there is a slight difference), ways to diminish symptoms of panic attacks as they occur, and understanding treatment options for panic disorder and anxiety attacks.
Please feel free to contact the Counseling Services staff for more information or to talk to a counselor about your experiences with panic and anxiety attacks. We are open Monday - Friday 9:00 - 5:00 for appointments.
Please feel free to contact the Counseling Services staff for more information or to talk to a counselor about your experiences with panic and anxiety attacks. We are open Monday - Friday 9:00 - 5:00 for appointments.
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