News and Editorials
| Contents | Please click on the section name to access it. | ||||
| [Complementary Therapy] | [Blog] | [Places to Eat and Stay Guide] | [Support Groups] | [Shopping Zone] | [Book Store] |
Document Actions
Panic Attacks
Panic attacks are a manifestation of anxiety. They are thought to be caused by an excess of the hormone adrenaline (also known as epinephrine) in the circulation. This hormone is produced in response to threat to enable an appropriate response to that threat to take place. This is the so-called fight or flight response.
If it occurs repeatedly in a situation where fight or flight is inappropriate (as it usually is in modern times), the hormone production becomes permanently turned up even without threat. This causes the physical symptoms of panic attacks, such as dry mouth, dizziness, palpitations, agitation and upset stomach and psychological symptoms such as irritability, insomnia and panic. If there seems to be no specific trigger then it would be called a generalised anxiety disorder or panic disorder rather than one of the more descriptive titles like agoraphobia (see Phobias)
These symptoms are occasionally caused by thyroid disease and we would advocate you visit your doctor to exclude this easily treatable problem.
Panic Attacks Treatments
Modern Western Medicine
Modern drugs such as Citalopram have a licence for anxiety/panic attacks. They need to be taken long term and like all drugs can cause side effects. Benzodiazepines such as clonazepam (rivotril) or lorazepam (ativan) are also sometimes used but are only licensed for short-term use (up to six weeks) due to their addictive and sedative nature. More recently serotonin noradrenergic reuptake inhibitors (NaSSAs) such as mirtazapine (zispin) have been used.
Complementary Therapy
Please help us to help you by letting your practitioner know about Shared Care so that they might contact us (email to:- editor(at)shared-care.com) with their evidence to add their therapy to this list.
The therapies/educational systems shown below have been noted as helpful for Panic Attacks
These are commonly available:-
Please also see Approaches Individual to the Practitioner for lists of those whose approaches don't fall into any specific category
The following practitioners have indicated that they have a special interest in Panic Attacks
Please click on the "more.." button for fuller details.
| Mrs. | Cindy | Fisher | British Columbia | Canada | |
| Mr. | Jef | Gazley | Bath and North East Somerset | Great Britain | |
| Mr. | Michael | Hadfield | Cheshire | Great Britain | |
| Mr. | K | Chopping | London | Great Britain | |
| Miss. | Karen | Hastings | Midlothian | Great Britain | |
| Ms. | Rehana | Webster | Waikato | New Zealand | |
| Dr. | Margaret | Paul | California | United States of America | |
| Ms. | Margaret | Andem | Florida | United States of America | |
Panic Attacks Blog
Add your contributions to the blog for this page. The button is at the bottom of the page or follow this link to the blog for this page. These can be absolutely anything related to the topic of this page that needs an answer from other members of the community, or a space for you to complain about or comment on anything related to that topic.
Panic Attacks Support Groups
The home country of the group is listed. Most will provide more information, advice, contacts and help wherever you live:-
| Anxiety Disorders Support and Information | Australia | National |
| Grow in Australia | Australia | National |
| Panic Anxiety Disorder Association | Australia | National |
| Sane Australia | Australia | National |
| Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada | Canada | National |
| Anxiety Care | Great Britain | National |
| Brighton Anxiety Forum | Great Britain | Brighton |
| No More Panic | Great Britain | National |
| No Panic | Great Britain | National |
| Scottish Association for Mental Health | Great Britain | Scotland |
| StressWatch Scotland | Great Britain | Scotland |
| The West of England Social Anxiety Support Group | Great Britain | West of England/Bristol |
| Grow in Ireland | Ireland | National |
| Mental Health Ireland | Ireland | National |
| Social Anxiety Support | New Zealand | Christchurch |
| Anxiety Disorders Association of America | United States of America | National |
| Anxiety Disorders Resource Centre | United States of America | National |
| Emotions Anonymous | United States of America | National |
| Grow in America | United States of America | National |
| Panic Survivor.com | United States of America | National |
| Recovery, Inc | United States of America | National |
| Support4Hope | United States of America | National |
Please email editor(at)shared-care.com with the name and URL of your suggestions for additional groups.
Places to Eat and Stay, Tourist, Town and Travel Guides
These sections are designed to provide help in finding restaurants, cafes, hotels, resorts, towns, beaches, travel companies and so on that are user friendly for our communities.
Shopping Zone
Editors Choice
Not all good things come from Amazon. The following are my choices of goodies that I have come across or in which I have had some involvement. If you want to add anything please email me (editor(at)shared-care.com) with details
| Surprisingly Gluten Free | Gluten free cookbook; lots of good recipes |
| Surprisingly Gluten Free | |
| Dr Michaels New Horizons | Self help tapes from No Panic |
| No Panic | |
| Lumie Sunlamp | Sunlamp for SAD (works for me! (ed)) |
| Lumie | |
| The FISH Plan for Migraine | Free downloadable book about treating migraine |
| The FISH Plan for Migraine | |
| The FISH Plan for Irritable Bowel Syndrome | Free downloadable book about treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome |
| The FISH Plan for IBS | |
| Your Heart Needs the Mediterranean Diet | Necessary dietary reading for everyone |
| Your Heart Needs the Mediterranean Diet | |
