What Causes Panic Attacks?
There are many identifiable causes for panic attacks, some of which may be treated permanently or at the very least, brought to a lower degree of frequency in occurrence. Before the cause of panic attacks can be addressed, it is prudent that any and all causes of these attacks are checked first.
There are types of panic attacks that are due to an external factor, and here are several examples for these:
1. Medication – There are certain prescription medications that can cause the onset of an anxiety attack. These drugs can range from antibiotics to anti-depressants. In reverse, a panic attack may be triggered because the use of medication is stopped.
2. Substance abuse – Alcohol abuse, tobacco, and narcotic drugs are contributors to panic attacks. These substances affect the nervous system by either depressing it or stimulating it. In some cases the intake of these substances is of such frequency and alternation that the nervous system sends out warning signals. A panic episode can also be triggered during the withdrawal period from these substances, especially if an addiction to the substance is already entrenched.
3. Traumatic experiences – Whether psychological or physical, trauma can bring down the body’s defenses in terms of triggering a panic attack. That means that if such an experience has taken place before, what would normally be an acceptable situation can trigger an attack.
4. Existing medical condition – There are many systemic disorders that can predispose a person to panic attacks such as cardiac problems, a problem with the nervous system, abnormal sugar levels, Vitamin B deficiency, Wilson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and many others.
There are, however, causes of panic attacks that are attributed to the intrinsic make-up of the person’s psyche such as:
1. Passive personality – People who are non-confrontational are often more prone to these panic attacks.
2. Genetic predisposition – There are studies that show that people within a shared gene pool (like twins or siblings) can have the "panic" gene.
3. Psychological – Some panic attacks may be conditioned responses to a recurring situation that a person is exposed to, like for example people who are frequently abused physically or emotionally. This also applies to people who have phobias and are exposed to the object of their unreasonable fear.
Although these causes may be clearly delineated and identified, they are not mutually exclusive. That means that any cause may be compounded with another to cause an episode.
