| Sometimes people ask me why I spend so much | | | | panic, which we know all too well, is generated and |
| time on what generates panic attacks. My usual | | | | sustained by combining the very real terror of |
| response is, beyond my natural curiosity, I simply | | | | vulnerability with one's traditional distorted thought |
| don't see how one can manage something if one | | | | and feeling responses. Within the context of human |
| doesn't fully understand just what that something is. | | | | genetic predisposition, which from a phylogenetic |
| And, at least to me, a complete understanding has to | | | | perspective leans toward the anxious for purposes |
| include insight into genesis. I mean, if you were | | | | of survival, it naturally flows that these thought and |
| experiencing chronic chest pain, wouldn't you want to | | | | feeling responses appear to be designed to produce |
| know what was causing it? And let's no forget that | | | | the belief that out-of-control internal distress can lead |
| knowing why something happens leads to more | | | | to grave danger, even disaster. |
| efficacious management strategies and techniques. | | | | Doesn't it make sense that it's this dynamic that so |
| I have always placed emphasis on both the | | | | often generates the intense need to seek a |
| psychological and physical contributors to panic | | | | caregiver for immediate assistance? I mean, at this |
| attacks. But, in this article I'd like to stick with the | | | | point all bets on reason and logic are absolutely off |
| psychological and address two theories of treatment. | | | | as our primal instincts take over. And then all sorts of |
| Needless to say, there are many floating about; | | | | physical symptoms arrive on the scene because our |
| however, I'd like to briefly discuss the psychoanalytic | | | | mind really believes we're in imminent danger, and it's |
| and cognitive points of view with regard to the | | | | getting us ready to fight the good fight. And the |
| generation of panic attacks. | | | | snowball just rolls on down the hill from there. |
| Psychoanalytic | | | | Finally, the cognitivists would likely submit that though |
| A psychoanalyst would likely submit the generation of | | | | panic attacks are often thought of as spontaneous, |
| panic attacks goes back to infancy and childhood. | | | | some sort of event had to have tripped the trigger. |
| They would, however, acknowledge that panic | | | | Who knows, the culprit may have been a sudden |
| attacks may also occur as a result of assorted cues | | | | physiological change; say, feeling faint upon standing, |
| in the present, such as the fear of having a panic | | | | sensing a rapid or palpitating heart beat, or detecting |
| attack in a situation where one recently occurred. For | | | | a shortened breath. The thought is that events such |
| the record, an attack occurring within this context | | | | as these, in the absence of reason, are interpreted |
| could either be situationally-bound or | | | | as indicators of immediate physiological danger. And, |
| situationally-predisposed. | | | | boom, off to the races we go. |
| The psychoanalysts consider both conscious and | | | | It's my belief that, individually, both the |
| unconscious panic triggers as representations of | | | | psychoanalytic and cognitive angles hold great merit. |
| intense early life wishes and fears. So, panic attacks, | | | | But, for my money a combination of the two is truly |
| in large part, occur in response to cues associated | | | | the ticket. I mean, so okay, according to the |
| with long past psychological and biological threats to | | | | cognitivists a physiological change, such as a |
| one's existence. By the way, these cues are based in | | | | shortened breath, may trip the panic trigger. Well |
| retained themes of intensely feared eventualities | | | | that's great; however, I'd like to know what existed |
| such as castration, separation, and parental | | | | unconsciously that led to the perception that that |
| disapproval. | | | | shortened breath was a signal of coming catastrophe. |
| Cognitive | | | | Hmmm. |
| A cognitivist would likely submit that a panic attack is | | | | As always, the more we understand about our |
| a manifestation of an intense feeling of helplessness | | | | circumstances, the better we become at managing |
| in the face of intense danger. The vicious cycle of | | | | them. |