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Anxiety induced panic attacks seem to come from out of nowhere. The attacks are defined as an immediate onset of extreme fear that escalates to a peak within a short period of time, usually just a few minutes. These attacks are usually associated with multiple symptoms such as a fear of death, nausea, feeling of danger, rapid heartbeat, chest pains, difficulty breathing, etc. Here is a list of other potential symptoms:

? Stomach upset or abdominal pain
? Tingling or numbness in the hands
? Dreamlike sensations
? A need to escape
? Fear of losing control
? Dizziness
? Hot flashes or chills
? Fear of something embarrassing

It is not unusual to get caught up into the panic cycle. First you have the trigger, which can be a thought, images, places, situations, and physical sensation this engages the perceived danger or panic attack. Once the perceived danger has engaged your body will kick in its defense mechanism, which is usually a ?fight or flight? response. This in turn will trigger the physical symptoms that will make your conscious mind believe that these are signs of a pending catastrophe. Sometimes just the fear of another panic attack can actually trigger another attack.

Anxiety can come from so many different areas of your life. It could be stress from work or a situation with family member. Even if your job is not considered stressful it can cause anxiety. Sitting at a computer all day making entries is not stressful, but the lack of movement and the ergonomics of your work area can cause a build up of anxiety.

A past tragic event can re-surface imbedded thoughts or feelings and become an unknown trigger. Perhaps a phone rang one day and the information that you received was something terrible that changed your life forever. Now every time the phone rings that event re-surfaces and over time anxiety builds up and then the next phone ring you hear triggers an event.

The trigger is the cause of your attacks. The key is to find out what your trigger or triggers are and learn how to manage or eliminate them all together. Anxiety specialists such as psychologist or psychiatrist are trained to help you determine your triggers. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common psychotherapeutic method used to determine your triggers. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a merger of behavior therapy and cognitive therapy. Fortunately CBT works for almost every situation even eating disorders, mood disorders, drug abuse and psychotic behavior.

There are some studies that show anxiety and panic attacks are genetically predisposed. However, no one is totally immune from a potential attack. If you are experiencing anxiety and it is beginning or has escalated to a panic attack you should seek out a specialist immediately. Most general practitioners are not well trained in handling these issues other than treating the symptoms. You need to go beyond the symptoms and treat the root cause. Take charge of your life and make that call today, don?t wait.

Randy Beckett is an author, speaker and consultant with over 30 years experience. For great information on panic attack symptom , visit http://solvingpanicattacks.com.