Biological Causes Of Panic Disorder

The numerous physical symptoms of a panic attack are extremely intense and debilitating. They include but are not limited to: heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, chest pain, chocking sensation, nausea, and dizziness. These symptoms are accompanied by the psychological sensations of fear, detachment from ones surroundings and paranoia. These symptoms seem to appear out of nowhere and can occur anywhere, which creates extreme anxiety before during and after the attack. It is quite common for a person to have a single panic attack in a time of great stress or fear, however when an individual has repeated attacks it could indicate panic disorder. Laura Freberg, states that panic disorder occurs “when repeated panic attacks are followed by at least one month of worrying about having another attack.” There are many theories regarding the causes of panic disorder. Including genetic variations, uncontrollable breathing habits, and stressful life changes. Typically, individuals with panic disorder report their attacks to have no obvious cause. This makes studying panic
This could explain why panic disorder is linked with depression and other anxiety disorders because the individuals who suffer from these disorders are more likely to hyperventilate and sigh more frequently than the average person. Chronic irregular breathing creates more carbon dioxide in the body, which lowers pH. The individuals who exhibit irregular breathing in everyday life are more likely to show respiratory symptoms during a panic attack, which suggests that the excess carbon dioxide in the body could potentially be causing the attack. Therefore, what seems to be a sudden attack may just be a result of higher carbon dioxide in the body. This explains why learning to control breathing is frequently suggested as a part of treatment for anxiety and depressive disorders along with panic