The Physiology of Panic Attacks Explained

Life Noggin narrator Pat Graziosi, aka Blocko (previously), explains the physiology of a panic attack, what happens inside the human body when a panic attack occurs and what causes a panic disorder.

Panic attacks…can make someone feel like they have lost control or that death is imminent. …Due to the intense fear they experience, some people live in constant fear of having another attack, which is the definition of panic disorder.

He also talks about the “fight, flight or freeze response”, which is caused by an excess of adrenaline pervading the bloodstream.

Adrenaline causes several physiological changes. It increases your heart rate to send more blood to your muscles, makes you breathe faster and more shallow to create more oxygen and make you more alert, and releases blood sugar and fats to give you more energy. Together, these changes prepare you to deal with a life-threatening situation…