CHECK-UP:Panic attacks, the body's fight or flight mechanism, are a leftover from our primitive pasts
I HAVE HAD a couple of episodes when my heart beats very fast, I sweat profusely and have a feeling that something bad is going to happen. I went to my GP thinking I had a heart problem, but was diagnosed with panic attacks. My doctor made reference to the "fight or flight reaction" which I didn't really understand. What did she mean by this?
The term "fight or flight reaction" refers to how the body automatically reacts in a threatening situation. Back in the time of our caveman ancestors this rapid response often made the difference between life and death in the face of a marauding tiger or dinosaur.
Although these days we are rarely exposed to the same sort of threats, when we feel physically or psychologically threatened the same impulses are automatically triggered. This results in the secretion of chemical hormones from the adrenal glands, which lie just above the kidneys.
These chemical messengers, released into the bloodstream, prepare the body to either fight the threat or flee from it.
Is that why I experience physical symptoms during a panic attack?
Yes. Chemicals produced by the adrenal glands act on other parts of the body, increase breathing and heart rates and raise blood pressure and pulse. Blood supply is diverted from non-essential organs such as the skin, intestines and kidneys and re-routed to the heart, brain and muscles.
Cavemen reacted physically to threats by either fighting or running away, but once out of danger their bodies quickly reverted to normal. Now, when we feel under threat we experience the very same reactions as the caveman, but cannot always respond in a physical way. Our bodies are flooded with the "fight or flight" chemicals but with no physical outlet we must wait for the reaction to subside.
I'm not keen on taking medication, so are there other ways of coping with the problem?
Medication may help in the short term, and relaxation techniques are useful in combating the anxiety response, while cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has proven successful in the management of anxiety and panic. Talk to your doctor about these options as she may be trained in this technique. If not, ask for a referral to a psychologist specialising in this approach.