Anxiety disorders are common among adults. Most anxiety disorders can be controlled with medications. However, there are times when certain stressors can overwhelm the body's ability to handle anxiety. When this happens, a panic attack is triggered. Many people will experience tingling sensations in the extremities, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, and a feeling of dread or fear. Panic attacks are unpredictable, coming on with such speed and force that they can debilitate the person being attacked. For some adults, the panic attack can be controlled with breathing or meditation exercises. Those who suffer from severe panic attacks should work to avoid the triggers that cause a panic episode. Finding out what triggers the panic and then avoiding that trigger is the best way to control the amount and severity of panic attacks. Here are 5 common triggers people need to be aware of if they suffer from panic attacks:
1 - Social Situations
Adults who suffer from social anxiety find it hard to be in group settings. They do not want to be the center of attention. Therefore, those who are placed in situations like office parties, weddings, or corporate meetings can find it very stressful. Having to make a toast, give speeches, or make small talk with strangers, can all be triggers that start a panic attack. There are many coping mechanisms that can be learned to help people overcome social anxiety disorder. These techniques may help to ease a panic attack when it happens.
2 - Illness
Diseases or illnesses are strong triggers when someone suffers from anxiety. A diagnosis of cancer or other potentially fatal disease can often come with crippling fear of the unknown. This is a sure trigger for a panic attack. Chronic illnesses with a poor prognosis also bring on panic attacks. For many people, facing their own mortality can be very stressful. The thoughts of dying, pain, and the unknown, will bring on fear and anxiety. When this happens, an attack is almost certainly going to follow. Finding ways to cope with the fears will help to lessen the frequency and severity of the panic attacks.
3 - Money
In America, it is impossible to function without money. It is necessary for food, shelter, and clothing. Money also makes the way for comforts such as a vacation or a fancy car. Money is also at the top of the list of stress triggers. Whenever adults cannot pay their bills the worrying starts. People worry about losing their homes, their cars, and their lifestyles. Since money is tied to everything else, this stress can splash over into other areas of life. Will the children get to go to college? Is the company selling out? Is there enough money in savings for retirement? These questions, along with other financial worries can lead a person straight to a panic attack.
4 - Relationships
Personal relationships are the top triggers for panic attacks. Marital infidelity, a son or daughter on drugs, or a break up, can all cause a panic attack. Personal relationships touch every aspect of a person's life. When that relationship is strained, the stress reaches every waking hour. If a marriage is stressed, there is strain in the home, in the bedroom, and at work, as people try to resolve the issues. Worry over children and adult children, or even parents, can cause stress overload, too. The inability to leave the stress behind can be overwhelming, bringing on a full-blown panic attack.
5 - Trauma
Enduring a devastating event, such as a flood or a war, can leave mental scars. Traumatic situations often result in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Many veterans suffer from this condition due to things they have experienced that traumatized them. Rape victims, burn victims, and other survivors of devastating events, can be triggered easily when the same situations are present. For example, a burn victim can have a panic attack if a kitchen fire breaks out. A rape victim may have a panic attack if she is held down. If a storm threatens, flood survivors may experience a panic attack. Situational triggers differ greatly from person to person, depending on the situation they survived.