During a panic, most people want only one thing: to flee. Occasionally, panic can literally infect other people, and mass panic can be the result. In addition, panic can also become a disease, for instance, in the context of a panic disorder. This article will share everything you need to know about panic disorder, its symptoms, cause, how to treat it, and much more. Stay tuned.
Table of Contents
What is panic?
Panic is an extreme stress reaction to a perceived or real threat. Biologically, the only thing that matters now is naked survival: During a panic, one’s instinct for self-preservation takes center stage; in contrast, any higher human behaviors are relegated to the background. A panic occurs suddenly and is associated with a very strong feeling of fear.
Fear is, first of all, a completely normal and biologically sensible reaction to a situation that appears threatening. In case of danger, anxiety causes us to flee, for example, when encountering a wild animal. Respiration and pulse quicken, and the body is prepared to run away. Fear, in this case, protects us from risky situations.
If fear increases to panic, the person loses control and can no longer think and act rationally. Someone who experiences acute panic is often scared to death. They fear losing control, for instance, over their own life or mind.
The result of panic can be “mindless,” uncontrollable behavior: The person affected screams, for example, wails or lashes out. Others, however, fall into a kind of rigidity and immobility. Instead, they are incapable of acting.
How does a panic attack feel? 15 typical symptoms of a panic attack
Panic attacks are intense anxiety attacks that may indicate a panic disorder or may occur as an isolated incident. The focus is on bodily reactions that often do not initially suggest a psychological cause. Affected persons experience panic attacks as very frightening; in some cases, they fear fainting or dying. The symptoms you can recognize in a panic attack are shown in the picture gallery.
Heart palpitations: a typical symptom of panic attacks
A common body reaction during panic attacks is palpitations (tachycardia). Those affected feel their pulse increasing and the heart beating “up to the neck”. There may also be heart palpitations (extrasystoles) and an irregular heartbeat.
Chest tightness is a sign of a panic attack
Panic attack sufferers often experience a feeling of tightness, stabbing or burning in the chest. This is because the strong inner tension causes the chest muscles to contract. Some people fear a heart attack since the unpleasant feeling of pressure is comparable to this.
Breathlessness is a symptom of a panic attack
If a feeling of tightness in the chest occurs, there is often difficulty breathing (dyspnea) simultaneously. Those affected are short of breath and have the feeling that they can no longer breathe and are suffocating. Also, hyperventilation may occur due to particularly rapid and deep breathing. As a fast measure, it may help to let the affected person breathe into a paper bag.
A frequent symptom of panic: Sweating
Profuse sweating can be indicative of a panic attack. Often, sweating is accompanied by hot flashes. But sometimes, a cold sweat may also break out, coupled with chills, shivers, and even tremors all over the body.
Stomach ache and diarrhea are possible signs of a panic attack
Abrupt gastrointestinal complaints for which no organic causes can be found may indicate a panic attack. Affected persons suffer from not only abdominal pain and nausea but also typical flatulence and diarrhoea.
A dry mouth is a typical symptom of panic.
Excitement causes a reduced flow of saliva. Additionally, during a panic attack, people increasingly breathe through their mouths, causing dry air to enter the mouth and throat. This results in a dry mouth and difficulty swallowing. Tip: a glass of water with lemon can help.
Vertigo may indicate a panic disorder
A frequent symptom of anxiety disorders is dizziness, typically occurring very suddenly. Affected people sometimes fear fainting. This is scary, and as a result, avoidance behavior often occurs in individuals who suffer from panic attacks regularly withdraw and avoid certain places, like public transportation.
The urge to urinate is a symptom of a panic attack
Within the framework of a panic disorder, people often experience an increased urge to urinate, usually with a very sudden onset. Again, This symptom can lead to avoidance behavior: Out of fear of being unable to control their bladder, those affected may no longer leave the house.
Headache: Typical of severe anxiety
Anyone who suffers a panic attack often feels a strong pressure in the head, expressed as a headache. Others describe a feeling of absorbent cotton or fog as a “squishy” feeling in the head.
Prickling and numbness: Symptoms of panic
A panic attack can also affect the skin: Those affected report an unpleasant tingling sensation on the skin. Sometimes numbness (hypesthesia) or itching occurs. Especially often, scalp skin is affected.
Twitching of muscles is a symptom of a panic attack
Extreme anxiety can affect the muscular system and lead to tension throughout the body. Consequently, severe back pain or muscle twitching that cannot be controlled may occur, for instance.
Difficulty speaking: Symptoms of panic
During a panic attack, speech problems (aphasia) can occur in some sufferers, for example, stammering or word-finding problems – often triggered by a lack of concentration. Language difficulties are often associated with shame, so some people blush visibly.
Ringing in the ears can be a symptom of panic
A panic attack can directly affect the hearing organ: Those affected report, for instance, a ringing or buzzing sound or even strong pressure on the ears. Tinnitus can sometimes occur.
Strong anxiety is a sign of a panic attack
Besides physical anxiety symptoms, specific thoughts and feelings can also occur: Affected persons feel a strong sense of dread during a panic attack. Frequently, this sense of fear relates to bodily reactions mistaken for serious signs of illness. For instance, the symptoms may be mistaken for a heart attack or stroke. Thoughts of escape are also typical during panic attacks.
Strong exhaustion after a panic attack
As a rule, a panic attack lasts no longer than 30 minutes. However, for those affected, a half-hour can feel like an eternity. Once the intense anxiety subsides, many feel suddenly tired, worn out and exhausted – as after an enormous physical effort. Panic can occur in just one person or in groups – the latter is called mass panic.
What causes mass panic?
Mass panic is a rather rare phenomenon that can be observed time and again: An example is the Loveparade 2010 in Duisburg, Germany, in which more than 20 people lost their lives due to mass panic. Several hundred people were injured.
A mass panic or mass hysteria occurs in larger crowds, such as:
- At soccer matches,
- At concerts,
- Natural disasters,
- Terrorist attacks or
- In the context of pilgrimages.
Extreme fear and confusion suddenly and unexpectedly spread through the group of people. People start pushing, entrance and exits are blocked, and people get trapped and pulled to the ground by the tremendous pressure. Often, people overlook other exits or escape routes in their panic. The mass panic can be a (potentially) life-threatening stimulus – for instance, a smell of burning or an explosion.
Individuals who have not noticed the original trigger of the panic can also become panicky – because the people around them reacting uncontrollably are an indication of a threat to them.
A harmless stimulus – for example, an innocuous crowd at the exit of a hall – can also result in a mass panic if several people are infected by the panic of one individual.
But how does a mass panic occur?
In most hazardous situations that occur in a group, no panic occurs. The panic often occurs only when one or more people feel that escaping the situation is impossible. This may happen, for instance, if it is unclear exactly what has happened or if one’s own life is threatened in a very immediate way.
Collective panic runs according to the principle of “psychological contagion.” When a person reacts in a panic because they feel threatened, they can literally infect other people through their behavior, who then react in a panic as well. Mass panic ensues. This is because nerve cells (neurons) are activated in the observer’s brain, triggering the same stimuli as if he was performing the panic action. Those cells are also called mirror neurons.
One example illustrates the phenomenon of mass panic
A loud gunshot suddenly sounds in a theater during a performance. The people are frightened, but all remain seated. After a brief intermission, the show resumes. The situation would probably be different if a few people rose up in a panic and fled screaming: More people would likely follow this behavior – possibly causing a mass panic.
This type of “herd instinct” that comes to light during a mass panic makes perfect sense from a biological point of view – or at least if you relate it to herd animals: Within a herd, an individual animal trusts the crowd. If an animal takes flight, others follow it to be protected from threats. A similar principle is used to create mass panic among humans.
Pathological panic
In contrast to panic that arises due to a (supposedly) threatening event, panic can also be pathological – as a main symptom of the so-called panic disorder.
However, Panic attacks often also occur as an accompanying symptom of other mental illnesses, such as in the case of:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder,
- Phobias, such as agoraphobia (often coupled with panic disorder),
- Generalized anxiety disorder,
- Depression,
- Psychoses such as schizophrenia
- Hypochondria or
- Certain physical illnesses, such as hyperthyroidism.
Even after taking drugs, panic attacks can occur (so-called horror trips). Similarly, panic can be an undesirable side effect after taking some medications.
Panic disorder
In a panic disorder, an individual suffers recurrent panic attacks that occur “out of the blue” for seemingly no reason. The fear rises to a peak in a short period and then slowly subsides again.
An individual panic attack can last from a few minutes to a few hours. However, 10 to 30 minutes usually pass before the attack is over.
During the panic attack, sufferers feel deathly fear, although there is no objective reason for this. Some people call the emergency doctor because they fear they will die. Often, they get afraid of having another panic attack and withdraw more and more.
The earlier people with an anxiety disorder like panic disorder get appropriate therapy, the better the chance of recovery. Usually, it is possible to treat panic disorder well. Cognitive-behavioural therapy, amongst others, is especially suitable for therapy. Medication is often used in addition. Methods of relaxation, like progressive muscle relaxation, may also be helpful.
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Often, panic disorder occurs together with agoraphobia: Individuals with agoraphobia are afraid to be in places where escape would be difficult or would be embarrassing in the event of an emergency. For instance, those affected avoid crowds, mass transit, or long distances from their homes.
If you are suffering from panic attacks, don’t be afraid to consult a doctor or psychologist! Together with you, he can find out the reasons for the panic and work on a solution!
