Heart rate quickens, hands shake, and breathing becomes more difficult If a person is overcome with a feeling of fear, his body’s response may Panic attackSuch a seizure comes with violence, and some who experience it may feel as if they are dying.
In Germany alone, around 30% of people on average suffer from a panic attack in their lifetime, according to the head of the unit Anxiety treatment At the Charité Hospital in Berlin, Andreas Strohl.
And by the way World Mental Health Day Thursday, October 10, a look at the numbers of German health insurance companies shows that cases of personal injury and related diseases are on the rise.
High percentage of psychiatric patients
According to the German health insurance company DAK-Gesundheit, the number of days lost from work due to mental illnesses, such as depression or anxiety disorders, rose significantly in the first half of 2024.
The health insurance company (IKK) believes that the percentage of those suffering from an anxiety disorder among the insured has increased to more than 37% within 10 years , as the company announced last year.
Doctor Charité Strohl describes panic attacks as the body’s own warning system “You can think of it as an alarm going off with an alarm system,” Strohl says again.
On the other hand, he said, the course of panic attacks is not the same, and they are not always the result of mental illness.
Activation of areas of the brain
What happens in the body and the brain? Struhl says that during a panic attack, certain areas of the brain are activated “The brainstem and the physiological centers in the brain that regulate blood circulation and breathing are responsible for the those physical reactions,” he said.
He explained that these ancient centers of evolution are partly responsible for reactions such as racing pulse, shortness of breath or sweating.
When these processes are launched, a large alarm response occurs in the body.
According to Strohl, this means that “the body prepares itself for great danger, fight-or-flight reactions are easier, and the muscles are better supplied with blood,” the explain that this allows the body to respond as well as possible to its potential danger.
Different symptoms
The expert explains that if the attack runs its course, the symptoms change, and he said: “Shortness of breath, hyperventilation, or rapid breathing are classic signs of a panic attack, but it is not inevitable may they happen.”
Sometimes those affected also suffer from sweating, agitation, or an increased desire to urinate.
A panic attack is not the same as panic disorder, but why do these panic attacks happen? Strohl identifies – among other things – mental and physical illnesses, life events and drugs such as alcohol or tranquilizers as causes.
Certain risk factors also increase the likelihood of panic attacks, such as increased coffee consumption, lack of sleep, stress, or certain medications.
Situational reasons
The expert pointed out that there are also seizures that occur for situational reasons, such as if a person suffers from a pathological fear of snakes, and is in conflict with this animal, there may be an attack he panicked.
“In terms of symptoms, it can be similar to panic disorder, but it is triggered by certain situations, or sometimes by thinking about them,” Strohl says.
He explained that it is important to distinguish between a panic attack and a panic disorder, noting that a panic attack can also occur in healthy people in life-threatening situations, or if strong risk, for example.
“When I – as a healthy person – encounter a snake, I know that it is completely normal for me to react in this way,” said Strohl.
Avoid situations and activities
“This encourages those affected to avoid certain situations and activities, withdraw socially or develop more fear,” the expert says, adding that what happens next can be defined as “a hypersensitive warning system. “
However, it is not yet clear how common panic disorder is in Germany.
The German Society for Psychiatry, Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Neuroscience (DGPPN) explains that the most recent data collected about the frequency of this diagnosis in Germany goes back several years.
A study carried out in 2014 showed that around 2% of the population suffered from this disease at that time.
Based on his experience in the anxiety treatment unit in Charité, Strohl says that this disease can be easily treated, explaining that one can visit here for psychological treatment, especially behavioral therapy, and during the here he can use antidepressants or be satisfied with them alone, stressing that the chances of success regarding such treatment are limited.
2024-10-09 19:10:00
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