Are Panic Attacks Dangerous?

Anyone who has panic attacks knows that it's impossible to exaggerate the feelings of terror that they trigger. When you're in the grip of an attack, the anxiety is so great that it can feel like a desperate, even deadly, situation is at hand. Fears of death or serious harm may seem only logical. Yet, the truth about panic attacks is that they are not dangerous. They cannot cause a heart attack, stroke, suffocation, sudden death, or any other physical calamity. They cannot cause you to "go crazy" or "lose it." These fears arise because, despite the absence of any true threat, your body sends clear danger signals to your mind. Your mind then conjures up danger to match your bodily symptoms. The following symptoms and fearful thoughts tend to go hand in hand.

* Symptom Fearful Thought

* Heart palpitations I'm going to have a heart attack or I'm going to die.

* Choking sensation I'm going to stop breathing and suffocate.

* Dizzy sensation I'm going to pass out.

* Feeling disoriented or "not all I'm going crazy.

The moment you tell yourself that danger is at hand, you multiply the intensity of your fear, which in turn makes your bodily symptoms worse, which creates still more fear, and you get caught in an upward spiral of mounting panic. This upward spiral can be avoided if you fully accept that what your body is going through is not dangerous. All of the above dangers are illusory, a product of your imagination when you're undergoing the intense reactions that constitute panic. There is simply no basis for any of these fears in reality, and reminding yourself of this is the first step in overcoming panic. Let's examine each fear one by one.

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Hi! I’m Janna and I’m from Scotland, I’ve had OCD and hyperventilation attacks every since I can remember. I’ve been on antidepressants for most of my life. They did a great job hiding those really awfulpanic attacks, but still kept me housebound

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