Anxiety panic attacks are a distinguishing characteristic of the condition known as panic disorder. People afflicted with this disorder tend to live under a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. They worry a great deal about having more anxiety panic attacks, and the worry tends to trigger these attacks. A person might have a single attack lasting only a few minutes, but there can be worse incidents in which short attacks follow each other in quick succession over several hours.
Panic Disorder and Relationships
If possible, and if your attacks are very frequent and unpredictable, you might think about warning your date partner about them. If an attack occurs, your date might then be able to take some action or call for appropriate help. Anxiety panic attacks can be very serious, and you should not be embarrassed about asking another person to help you stay safe. You might think that the fact that you have these attacks will be a turn-off to some potential date partners, and this might be the case sometimes. Then again, you might not want to date that kind of person anyway.
If you are on the other end of the equation, and are dating a person who has anxiety panic attacks symptoms, do remain calm yourself if an attack occurs. Treat the situation seriously, and ask if there are any basic measures you can take in case of an attack.
Panic Disorder and Other Conditions
Anxiety panic attacks are often mistaken for heart attacks, given that the symptoms are very much alike. As a result, many people run to the emergency room, thinking that they are going into cardiac arrest, when they have actually had a panic attack instead. The panic attack is not always correctly diagnosed. The patient may go home not knowing what happened, which might make him or her even more anxious, and thus triggering another attack in the near future. Being aware of and understanding your condition are important in terms of helping you to relax and have a plan in place in case an attack does occur.
