eli5: why do we have panic attacks?

Question

I know this may be a dumb question, but i’ve always wondered what the biological reason for panic attacks was. Is it because our brains are tricked into going into fight or flight modes? If that’s the case then wouldn’t you just feel adrenaline? And I know i’m not speaking for everyone, but for myself at least- panic attacks do not feel like bursts of adrenaline. They feel like i’m having a heart attack and I can’t shake the scary feeling of impending doom :/

In: 1

Answer 1

> Is it because our brains are tricked into going into fight or flight modes?

It’s because your brains perceive a stimulus that it believes is immediately threatening to your survival. It can happen because of a physical or social threat.

> If that’s the case then wouldn’t you just feel adrenaline?

Not necessarily. Adrenaline is useless unless there are other brain functions that respond to the increase in the chemical. Adrenaline is directly responsible for contracting blood vessels to focus more on major muscle groups. This is why adrenaline is injected during anaphylactic shock when the blood vessels dilate and essentially just “spill out” into the body.

Also, nothing in the body happens without the brain. The brain triggers the release of adrenaline, so the brain has already perceived and started reacting to the threat before adrenaline is released.

> They feel like i’m having a heart attack

The heart palpitations are a product of adrenaline while the tight chest feeling is from the brain contracting chest muscles and other muscles to make them harder to protect your vital organs. Remember that this is related to adrenaline pushing more blood to your major muscle groups. Some people even get light headed because hyperventilation causes even more blood vessel contraction, leading to less oxygen to the brain.

The feeling of impending doom is entirely in the brain. During panic the amygdala is very active. The main function of this region is to keep you safe, and a feeling of impending doom is a strong motivator to get out of your current circumstance.