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More Information on Where
Panic Attacks Come From
Jeffrey W. Braunstein, Ph.D.
ResearchConsultation.com
Here is a partial list of the responses set up by the
autonomic nervous system and how you may recognize them from your own experience
during a Panic Attack:PRIVATE
1. Digestion slows
so blood may be directed to the muscles and the brain. It is more important to
be alert and strong in the face of danger than to digest food. Have you ever
felt this as "butterflies" in your stomach?
2. Breathing gets
faster to supply more oxygen for the needed muscles. Can you remember trying to
catch your breath after being frightened?
3. The heart speeds
up, and blood pressure soars, forcing blood to parts of the body that need it.
When was the last time you felt your heart pounding?
4. Perspiration
increases to cool the body. This allows the body to burn more energy. Do you
use extra deodorant when you know you are going to be under stress?
5. Muscles tense in
preparation for important action. Have you ever had a stiff back or neck after
a stressful day?
6. Chemicals are
released to make the blood clot more rapidly. If one is injured, this clotting
can reduce blood loss. Have you noticed how quickly some wounds stop bleeding?
7. Sugars and fats
pour into the blood to provide fuel for quick energy. Have you ever been
surprised by your strength and endurance during an emergency?
ADRENALIN:
Adrenalin is a hormone, or chemical messenger, manufactured by the
center portion of the adrenal (suprarenal) glands. Under ordinary circumstances
only small amounts are sent into the blood stream. In situations of stress,
rage, fear, or anxiety, however, a thousand-fold increase in the amount poured
into the bloodstream may occur. Profound bodily changes occur under the
influence of adrenalin, so that virtually no organ escapes the impact of this
widely acting substance. The following is only a partial list:
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Heart-rate is speeded up, and the blood pressure rises.
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A profound readjustment in the circulation occurs,
the net effect of which is to shunt blood from the abdominal organs to the
muscles.
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The rate and depth of
breathing is increased.
- The glycogen stored in the liver is broken down into simple
sugar and poured into the bloodstream so that the blood-sugar level rises.
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A stimulating effect
on the brain occurs, with increased alertness and diminution of fatigue.
These changes
occur almost instantaneously and clearly bring the body into peak condition for
stressful physical effort; adrenalin has therefore come to be regarded as the
emergency hormone that prepares the organism for fight or flight. Large amounts
of adrenalin-like substances can be demonstrated in individuals during
competitive sports, examinations, following exposure to color, or under
conditions of fright. The rapid pulse, pounding of the heart, widening of the
pupils, and dryness of the mouth that are experienced when one is frightened are
adrenalin effects.
Adrenalin is an important drug in medicine. Small amounts of it added
to a local anesthetic will prolong the effect of the anesthetic and decrease the
bleeding tendency. Some of the transient (occasionally unpleasant) effects,
such as the rapid pulse that occurs when the dentist injects his local
anesthetic, may be due to the adrenalin it contains. Adrenalin has a powerful
effect in opening up the bronchial tubes, hence its use in asthma. Exceedingly
powerful effects on the heart and blood pressure make it one of the doctor's
most important emergency medicines for shock like states, cardiac arrest, or
severe allergic reactions accompanied by collapse. Many drugs derived from
adrenalin are useful in modern medicine and are used to open up blocked nasal
passages or used by asthmatics to open up bronchial tubes.
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