Anxiety attacks, also known as panic attacks, are abrupt episodes of extreme panic. Also known as panic attacks, anxiety attacks are often confused with moments of excessive worry experienced by the average student, businessperson, or concerned parent, and overcoming these anxious moments are fairly simple. The distinguishing factors between these moments and anxiety attacks include the kind of fear experienced, the presence of physical symptoms, and the duration of the episode.

A struggling student may experience an intense moment of self doubt, in which they obsess over how their classroom performance will effect their future. Rational fears would include limited career opportunities, losing a scholarship, or disapproval from their parents. These rational fears are signs of healthy, normal tension that we have developed naturally through evolution. However, if the student develops a feeling of impending death due to poor classroom performance is clearly an irrational fear, and suggests that they are having an anxiety attack.

To someone who has never suffered through anxiety attacks, this example may sound like an exaggeration. Unfortunately, an overwhelming sense of certain death is a common trait of anxiety attacks. Even though this alone is exhausting enough, there are physical symptoms that distinguish anxiety attacks from the general condition. People who have overcome anxiety attacks often compare the episode to a heart attack. The idea of having a heart attack might be the combination of their prediction of death and the common symptoms of increased heart rate and chest pain. Other common reactions include sweating, dizziness, dry mouth, chills, and shaking.

The duration of anxiety attacks are somewhat predictable. The pinnacle, or point of most intensity, begins within the first ten minutes of the episode. Anxiety attacks as a whole usually last several hours on a decline. Medical researches have determined this time frame as a result of understanding what is called our fight-or-flight response, the body’s natural reaction to live-threatening situations. When we are presented with unexpected danger, the sympathetic nervous system prepares our body for action. This action-ready body is the reason behind the anxiety attack’s physical symptoms. When we are no longer in danger, our parasympathetic nervous system slowly brings us back to a resting heart rate and relieves our bodies of this intense, state of alert.

The reason behind the fight-or-flight response activating without the presence of physical danger is still debated. One common theory is that the activating danger is fear of losing control. Because victims of anxiety attacks frequently include perfectionists, who are known for the need to maintain control, this theory hold ground. Of course, the cruel aspect of this theory is that the perfectionist’s natural response to fearing loss of control is an anxiety attack that eliminates all control over body and mind.

Overcoming anxiety attacks are possible through therapy, cognitive changes, or prescription medication. The issue with these techniques is that most people seeking help with anxiety attacks only experience them on occasion, sometimes meaning the monthly therapy sessions are more frequent than the problem itself. Taking daily medication for an irregular problem is hard to remember, has unwanted effects in other areas of personality and health, and are costly. A natural solution for overcoming anxiety attacks dodge these problems, such as the clinically proven medication Ceryn-7. This medication in particular is a great choice, as it allows you to take it only when you experience an attack or everyday for preventative measures.