Where does the expression “panic fear” come from? Panic fear: causes, symptoms, treatment
In order to understand the origin of the expression “panic fear”, it is necessary to turn to mythology. According to their beliefs, the god of agriculture, fertility, and cattle breeding lived on Mount Olympus. He was also considered the patron saint of all forest inhabitants. This god's name was Pan. As soon as he was born, he immediately scared his parents terribly. The fact is that the deity turned out to be a small horned man with a small goat. In addition, the baby was not even a day old, he began to run around, laugh loudly, cheerfully and make noise. Everyone who saw this was very scared.
However, in spite of everything, the gods of Olympus were glad to see him, because in any case, he was one of them - he was also a god. Moreover, Pan turned out to be a very cheerful, smart and good-natured kid. He was very talented and even played the flute beautifully, producing beautiful melodies.
But the gods knew about this. And simple shepherds, hunters and trappers, hearing in the forests or plantings an unclear strange noise or rustling, whistling or unexpected crackling. We started to experience inexplicable fear. They were sure that all these sounds were made by Pan. As a result, people were afraid of something that in fact was not scary at all.
This is where the expression “panic fear” came from. It expresses a causeless, all-encompassing, sudden and inexplicable horror.
About panic fear
This fear arises suddenly and unexpectedly, without any obvious or visible reasons. And therefore it becomes real stress, which is very difficult to cope with. A person is always afraid of everything inexplicable, and this feeling of fear remains in the memory for a long time.
Some people even experience a panic attack. In this case, the feeling of fear arises completely suddenly and has no apparent reason. It can be very difficult to cope with such an attack on your own. Under the influence of fear, the autonomic nervous system is activated. This is manifested by pallor skin, trembling, numbness of the hands, difficulty breathing, drying of the mucous membranes in the mouth, upset stomach and other unpleasant symptoms.
In order to get rid of a state of panic, you need to calm down, breathe deeply and switch your attention. For example, drink tea, take sedative, talk to a loved one. But the main thing is to try to understand that there is no threat to life and health.
Panic fear is a pathological condition that occurs suddenly. It is characterized by uncontrollability and may be associated with somatic and psychological disorders. Symptoms of panic fear are often compared with manifestations of a vegetative crisis or cardioneurosis. Any panic attacks are associated with a violation of the autonomic activity nervous system. Treatment of the disease involves the use different methods, the key of which is psychotherapy. When choosing therapeutic tactics the doctor takes into account the intensity panic attacks, frequency and reasons for their occurrence.
Why does a panic attack occur?
A panic attack has real or fictitious causes. Real ones, as a rule, are associated with experiences and mental disorders. If a person has been subjected to severe stress, he may experience panic fears. Unlike true ones, fictitious reasons may be associated with some kind of internal fear.
Sometimes panic may occur in a person who is in the subway or other place large cluster people. Attacks of this type appear spontaneously, they are characterized not only by panic, but also physiological symptoms. In any case, you need to fight panic. Untimely or illiterate treatment leads to chronic disorders. Serious illnesses arise against the background of such disorders.
Mental disorders associated with panic attacks are treated by a psychotherapist. If the treatment is successful, alarming symptoms disappear and no longer bother you. You need to overcome a panic attack on your own. You need to regain control over the activities of your own psyche. In the fight against mental disorders not only psychotherapy helps, it is effective breathing exercises, moderate physical activity. Various methods are used in treatment, the purpose of their influence is to calm the patient, to inspire him that attacks of fear are not life-threatening.
Fight panic different methods! Should be maintained healthy image life, give up all bad habits. It is important to avoid stress: they are the main predisposing factors to such disorders.
Clinical picture
Manifestations of panic are different. Symptoms of a mental disorder may resemble heart attack. It is worth noting that due to frequent fears and panic attacks, the functioning of the central nervous system is disrupted. A disorder accompanied by fear is characterized by a feeling of internal tension.
Such a state can be expressed as follows:
- Tachycardia and shortness of breath occur.
- Chills appear and the body may feel hot.
- Manifestations of the disease include tremors of the limbs.
- Due to impaired breathing function, suffocation is observed.
- Heart pain may occur.
- Attacks lead to diarrhea or constipation.
- Some patients experience abdominal pain.
- Possible urinary incontinence and frequent urination.
- A symptom of a panic attack is fainting, which occurs in severe cases.
- The condition is characterized by surges in blood pressure.
The symptoms of this disorder should not be ignored! Panic state leads to psychological disorders. A person gets lost in space and does not recognize friends or relatives.
One of the manifestations of the disease is depersonalization. This means that the patient does not want to be aware of what is happening to him. He tries to abstract himself from the attack, but his attempts are unsuccessful. Panic is accompanied by disorientation, in which the patient does not recognize his home or the houses around him. Some people experience fear of schizophrenia.
Manifestation of an attack
Panic fear is accompanied by a fear of death, the fear being so strong that a person may lose consciousness. Fear fatal outcome in most cases unfounded, i.e. There are no life-threatening factors.
Panic fear is also accompanied by anxiety-phobic disorders, which can lead to reactive depression. Feelings accompanied by fears lead to the release of adrenaline. Then panic anxiety occurs. As a result of this reaction, the adrenal glands produce even more adrenaline, eventually causing panic attacks.
The treatment of such conditions is carried out by different specialists; depending on the situation, the help of a cardiologist, psychologist, or psychiatrist may be required. The goal of treatment is also to normalize sleep. People with mental disorders usually have difficulty sleeping. Some patients have interrupted sleep. Patients who are getting rid of similar conditions, claim that therapy helps overcome nightmares.
If the effect of “panic without panic” is observed, you need to contact a neurologist and psychologist. If attacks appear emotional disorders, you should consult a psychiatrist. Such attacks last in different ways, average duration- 20 minutes. Depending on the nature of the psychological disorder, an attack can occur from 1 time a day to 2 times a month.
A panic attack often occurs in a person in a confined space. There are cases when the cause of the illness is speaking in front of an audience. Psychological disorder appears one-time or consistently. When a person experiences an attack for the first time, a feeling of anticipation is formed in the subconscious.
The subconscious can sense danger signals and trigger psychological changes that result in psycho-emotional stress. This condition, regardless of its cause, interferes with normal activities. Need to apply productive methods that would help in the fight against anxiety. If mental health Normally, a person tries to protect himself from such disorders. He does not appear in places where a seizure could occur, does not ride in the elevator, etc.
If a person can overcome panic fear, then he is able to control himself, his behavior and mental health. The ability to overcome anxiety will help you get rid of panic attacks.
Predisposing factors
Reasons panic disorders have not been fully studied. There are many predisposing factors:
- Mental disorders may be related to genetics. If a close relative had mental illness, their hereditary transmission is possible.
- Acquired reasons include improper upbringing, for example, increased demands on the child from the parents.
- The reason may be tense family relationships.
- A predisposing factor is frequent quarrels with peers.
- Overly sentimental and sensitive people are more prone to this kind of disorder. If a person dwells on specific situation and cannot abstract himself, he is more susceptible mental disorders, including panic attacks.
- An attack may occur against the backdrop of a significant event that has left a negative imprint (the loss of a close relative, a natural disaster).
- Psychological disorders occur after operations or infectious diseases.
- A possible cause of the disease is fear of neurasthenia.
- Panic attacks often occur with vegetative-vascular dystonia.
Therapeutic measures
Treatment depends on the cause and nature of the panic attack.
Panic is eliminated using hypnosuggestive psychotherapy methods, which are based on hypnosis and suggestion. The doctor’s goal is to formulate attitudes in the patient that would allow him to look at life differently. It is important to ensure that the patient responds correctly to somatic manifestations. When a person is in a hypnotic trance, the doctor provides verbal and non-verbal influence. The patient receives certain information that allows him to control his own behavior. If a person gets rid of the fear of death during an attack, it means that he has taken a step towards recovery.
Treatment involves the use of cognitive behavioral psychotherapy. What is it? This method often used in therapy panic attacks. Its goal is to correct thought patterns and behavioral habits. It is important to eliminate the factors that trigger the mechanisms of such conditions. After the session, the subconscious fixes a belief model that allows you to better tolerate a pathological attack. Thus, a person thinks that the crisis will pass and will not lead to dangerous consequences. Pathological conditions cause less fear. If you properly treat the disease and purposefully fight it, you can completely eliminate its symptoms.
Drug therapy involves the use of drugs to relieve an attack. Taking medications must be combined with psychotherapy. It is important to say that medications alone will not cope with the problem. Necessary in treatment integrated approach. What are tranquilizers? These are instant action products. If a person has taken tranquilizers, their effect lasts for 30 minutes. This is how long an attack usually lasts. These tools help reduce the severity of panic. The drugs are addictive and should not be taken regularly.
Phraseologism “Panic fear” origin:
The phraseological unit “Panic fear” comes from the name of the Greek god Pan. This is the god of cattle breeding and shepherding, fertility and wildlife. Pan is considered the son of Hermes; there are several myths about his mother.
Pan was born with goat legs, horns and long beard, and immediately upon birth began to jump and laugh. The child's mother, frightened by the unusual appearance and character of her son, fled in horror, but Hermes wrapped the baby in hare skins and took him to Olympus. Here the child amused all the Olympian gods, and especially Dionysus.
The god Pan lives in the shady forests of Arcadia. There he grazes his flocks, playing a sonorous pipe. When the hot afternoon comes, Pan, tired from his studies, falls asleep, and not a single shepherd dared to disturb his sleep by playing the pipe. Pan is quick-tempered; when he appears unexpectedly, he can frighten the traveler who disturbed him. He can also send such horror when a person rushes headlong to run, not making out the road. It happened that Pan inspired a similar fear in an entire army, and it turned into an uncontrollable flight.
This kind of fear, named after the god Pan, began to be called panic.
Phraseologism “Panic fear” meaning:
Panic fear, sudden panic. senseless, unaccountable, reckless and irresistible fear.
