2008 Woodie Awards
Don't Panic!
A Look into the World of Panic Attacks
Kimberly Ecker
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Health
After five days of intensely studying for your calc exam you wake up late realizing you forgot to set your alarm and frantically sprint to Cowley Hall only to find the door has already been shut and locked and you are out of luck. Your palms start to sweat, you breath becomes short and choppy, your heart is beating a mile a minute, and the hallway turns blurry. You may think it is just anxiety, but when you realize you can not calm yourself down, you start to worry. This is not just anxiety; you are experiencing a panic attack.
Panic attacks can be triggered by a number of different things- family problems, break-ups, deaths, exams, and abuse are just a few possible causes. But the scary thing about them is most of them come on suddenly and for no reason at all. While experiencing a panic attack, you may feel so intense that you think you are having a heart attack or are experiencing a fate worse then death. The sudden attack can occur only once in your life, but if you have frequent attacks, you could be one of many who have a chronic anxiety disorder (Mayo Clinic). Symptoms include hot flashes, chills, trouble swallowing, sweating, rapid heart rate, nausea, or dizziness, and these symptoms can last anywhere from ten minutes to a half hour, or longer in intense conditions (Mayo Clinic).
Doctors have yet to come up with a diagnosis for what causes these sudden attacks but the three main areas which affect your body and could help to contribute to this anxiety are stress, genetics, and changes in the way parts of your brain function (Mayo Clinic). Obviously, college students experience tremendous change in their bodies and brain functioning due to alcohol, lack of sleep, change in diet or exercise, drugs, and hormones. That is why panic attacks are most common during the time period between late adolescence and the early thirties (Mayo Clinic).
There is no time for embarrassment or shame if you are someone who experiences a panic attack, because it can turn into a serious disorder if it is reoccurring and goes untreated. When consulting a doctor or someone you trust like a parent or a minister, explain your conditions to determine if you may need further help. Doctors can run multiple tests to see if it is an actual panic disorder or some other disorder triggering anxiety like a heart or a thyroid problem (Mayo Clinic). A physical exam, similar to a regular check-up, along with blood tests, or psychological tests, like meeting with a psychiatrist may be in order to figure out if your panic attack(s) will return or are severe.
Reoccurring panic attacks that go untreated can lead to the development of phobias, problems at school or work, depression, substance abuse, avoidance of social situations, or thoughts of suicide (Mayo Clinic).
With finals approaching and several students graduating and looking for careers, it is vital that you keep yourself as healthy as possible and not let your stress catch up to you. If you cannot immediately seek help, look for ways to help yourself until that time like becoming physically active, getting enough sleep, avoiding substance use, or joining a support group.
Panic attacks can be triggered by a number of different things- family problems, break-ups, deaths, exams, and abuse are just a few possible causes. But the scary thing about them is most of them come on suddenly and for no reason at all. While experiencing a panic attack, you may feel so intense that you think you are having a heart attack or are experiencing a fate worse then death. The sudden attack can occur only once in your life, but if you have frequent attacks, you could be one of many who have a chronic anxiety disorder (Mayo Clinic). Symptoms include hot flashes, chills, trouble swallowing, sweating, rapid heart rate, nausea, or dizziness, and these symptoms can last anywhere from ten minutes to a half hour, or longer in intense conditions (Mayo Clinic).
Doctors have yet to come up with a diagnosis for what causes these sudden attacks but the three main areas which affect your body and could help to contribute to this anxiety are stress, genetics, and changes in the way parts of your brain function (Mayo Clinic). Obviously, college students experience tremendous change in their bodies and brain functioning due to alcohol, lack of sleep, change in diet or exercise, drugs, and hormones. That is why panic attacks are most common during the time period between late adolescence and the early thirties (Mayo Clinic).
There is no time for embarrassment or shame if you are someone who experiences a panic attack, because it can turn into a serious disorder if it is reoccurring and goes untreated. When consulting a doctor or someone you trust like a parent or a minister, explain your conditions to determine if you may need further help. Doctors can run multiple tests to see if it is an actual panic disorder or some other disorder triggering anxiety like a heart or a thyroid problem (Mayo Clinic). A physical exam, similar to a regular check-up, along with blood tests, or psychological tests, like meeting with a psychiatrist may be in order to figure out if your panic attack(s) will return or are severe.
Reoccurring panic attacks that go untreated can lead to the development of phobias, problems at school or work, depression, substance abuse, avoidance of social situations, or thoughts of suicide (Mayo Clinic).
With finals approaching and several students graduating and looking for careers, it is vital that you keep yourself as healthy as possible and not let your stress catch up to you. If you cannot immediately seek help, look for ways to help yourself until that time like becoming physically active, getting enough sleep, avoiding substance use, or joining a support group.
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