Event Triggers
A specific life event can trigger an anxiety attack in a person. Because anxiety is often associated with a focus on possible negative outcomes in a given situation, the event does not have to be one of great magnitude. For example, an anxiety attack could be triggered in a person stuck in traffic on the way to picking up a child from school. That person could focus on worries about how late he would be, the child's reactions upon being picked up, the safety of the child, a disaster causing even more of a traffic delay, the inability to contact anyone else ... all of this from a routine traffic stop.
Compulsion
One type of anxiety disorder is obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD. It is characterized by a person's continuous, seemingly unstoppable thoughts of having to repeat certain actions. If these actions aren't performed, that person could begin to worry and exhibit physical signs of anxiety such as a rapid heartbeat, profuse sweating and intense fear. Therefore, a person with OCD could have an anxiety attack if he does not resolve the desire to complete the repeated action. One example would be for someone with OCD who feels the need to wash his hands at least 6 times before leaving a restroom. If on the fourth wash something interrupts him, such as a stranger's conversation or an emergency evacuation, he could possibly have an anxiety attack.
Phobias
Phobias are also triggers for anxiety attacks. A phobia is classified as an intense fear over a situation or object that may or may not pose a real threat to the person. Agoraphobia would be the fear of having a panic attack in a public place with no means to escape; agoraphobics tend not to leave familiar settings such as the home. If an agoraphobic was forced to leave because of an emergency, a panic attack about having a panic attack could likely happen.
Traumatic Reminder
Patients who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as war veterans, could be subject to anxiety attacks long after a traumatic event takes place. PTSD is characterized by seemingly reliving a traumatic situation where a person was unable to help someone who suffered loss of life or gross harm. War veterans who hear sounds or encounter places that remind them of similar situations could have an anxiety attack.
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