Again talking about the flight or fight response that occurs naturally to help keep us from harm, telling us to run away or prepare to defend ourselves from a situation of danger. These feelings in the right circumstances are vital to our survival but in the case of a panic attack they appear for no reason, rising out of no where to confuse a person tremendously as to what is happening. Panic attacks can even happen when you are asleep maybe having a vivid dream of being attacked or falling off a building.

The feelings of dread with shortness of breath along with all the other symptoms tend to pass in a few minutes but can last up to an hour as the body cannot sustain the response of flight or fight for any longer. However, subsequent attacks can follow and make it seem like one long continuous panic attack. This can be detrimental to ones well being and cause problems in sleep and daily functioning. Panic attacks in themselves are not dangerous to one’s physical health, but over time upset can occur such as stomach problems, migraines and a variety of disorders.

In worst case scenarios suffers of panic attacks can feel so overwhelmed that they turn to drugs, excessive alcohol or other harmful activities to help numb the intensity of their attacks. Also people that suffer from long term, reoccurring panic attacks or panic disorder are more that twice as likely to commit suicide. So to say panic attacks have no danger is a misnomer, it is all about how and whether a sufferer treats their symptoms. But many treatments but traditional and alternative are available and many therapists can help patients handle their symptoms.

Developing phobias are also common place with panic attacks, as the attacks are so terrifying that people avoid the things or places that tend to trigger them such as crowds, driving or other people. Fear and embarrassment go along hand and hand with panic attacks as well. Many people will stay away from people to avoid feeling ashamed and uncomfortable in case they may have a panic attack in their presence. The three main phobias the develop with panic attacks are agoraphobia, a fear or leaving home and being trapped in public places; social phobia, an extreme fear of people or public and a fear of looking stupid or foolish there; and simple specific phobia, which can be of anything.