The Lasting Effects of Panic Attacks

Panic attacks can last anywhere between two and six minutes and, although they are generally thought to be over once the attack concludes, there can be several long-term effects that linger on much later.  One of the main long-term effects involves flashbacks, where an individual goes back to the time when the panic attack first took place, experiencing with this a return to the negative feelings he or she felt at the time of the attack.  Aside from this, a second long-term effect that may arise concerns the use of drugs that were first used to curtail the panic attacks when they first occurred.  Weaning an individual off of any prescription drug may cause bodily reactions that were unexpected, or may even lead to further complications that were not originally considered.

Flashbacks, or returning to a previous point while once again encountering the emotions associated with this previous point, are one of the most common long-term effects of a flashback.  Often times, a person who has experienced a flashback, describes sensations similar to what took place at the time of the original attack.  Perhaps the worst part about flashbacks is that they do not just occur once, but can occur any number of times. 

Moreover, there is no forewarning, so an individual never knows when he or she is about to experience one.  Despite this, many doctors agree that there are certain events that may trigger a flashback.  Going back to the spot where a previous attack occurred, or engaging in recreational drugs, may trigger flashbacks, although there is even some dissent concerning whether this is true or not.  Still, there is no real way to avoid a flashback. 

Reports have indicated, furthermore, that time does not ensure that one will not have a flashback, as some people have stated that they have had flashbacks five, even ten years after the original panic attack first took place.  In a word, flashbacks tend to throw an otherwise perfectly healthy individual into a high state of confusion, can be quite scary, and are virtually unavoidable.

A second long-term consequence of panic attacks relates to the drugs that an individual may take in order to prevent them from occurring in the first place.  Because of the potency of many prescription drugs, and because one's body tends to grow reliant upon them, there can be many serious long-term side effects when these drugs are no longer needed.  Aside from acne and weight-gain, which are relatively minor, no longer taking a certain drug can lead to drastic mood swings, feelings of depression, seizures, and even suicidal tendencies.

These drugs alter the mind and when they are no longer needed, the mind may not know how to adjust, therefore causing these several, unexpected problems to arise.  Many doctors, because of this, suggest that when a patient taking drugs to stop panic attacks no longer needs them, that the drugs be removed gradually and over time in order to prevent a patient from having serious long-term side effects that they may carry on for the rest of their lives. 

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