A panic attack has been described as an episode of intense fear or apprehension that has a sudden onset, as a discrete period of intense fear or discomfort in which symptoms develop abruptly and reach a peak within 10 minutes, or distinct periods of intense apprehension, fearfulness, or terror, often associated with feelings of impending doom that occur suddenly. These feelings are often associated with physical symptoms such as shortness of breath, accelerated heart rate, chest pain or discomfort or fear of going crazy. Panic attacks information is available upon request from your family doctor.

Everyone experiences different symptoms when it comes to panic attacks and the severity of the attacks is also unique to the individual. The biggest fear that people have when having a panic attack is: when am I going to have to go through this again? Sufferers generally do not seek help for panic attacks. By obtaining panic attacks information you will be able to see what options are available to you and get the ball rolling for treatment. In most cases, the options for treatment are simple. You can seek treatments regarding medications, therapy, behavioral therapy or learn about relaxation techniques. The use of behavioral therapy will put the person in a situation that will bring on the fear but it will all be controlled, so that the sufferer will know that there is nothing to fear. They will learn that, even going through the motions of the symptoms, it won't lead to a full blown panic attack. This is what is feared the most, the attack, not going through it in its entirety.

There are many ways to use relaxation techniques that even though they won't cure you, will wind you down just enough so that you can feel at ease. These techniques can be done is a variety of ways. The first thing that you should do is to relax your shoulders when you feel the onset to a panic attack coming on. Then get your breathing under control; breathe in through the nose and slowly out the mouth and keep repeating until you begin relaxing. The most important thing that you can do for yourself is to keep in the back of your mind that you are not going crazy and are not going to die when you suffer a panic attack. They are just fears and you need to somehow find a way to channel them into positive thoughts.

Anxiety is the root to a panic attack and can also lead to panic disorders. There are many ways in which people show their symptoms of anxiety through a panic disorder. When a person experiences an event so awful they exhibit it with a condition called post traumatic stress disorder. Whether it is from a loved one's death, a bad car accident or witnessing a crime, the after effects create a big strain on the brain. There is another form of anxiety, known as OCD, or obsessive compulsive disorder that the individual cannot control. This has a tendency to control ones thoughts and the way that one does things. The person repeats certain motions over and over and even though everything may be perfect they tend to still find flaws and the urge to continue fixing it until it is right to them in their mind.  By doing this, they seem to feel more relaxed and be less upset due to the panicking.