Panic Attacks Like Hysterical Syndrome

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

Panic attack is a type of hysteria, a state of unexpected fear, which is accompanied by strong bodily symptoms: difficulty breathing, heart rate increases (sometimes painful sensations in the heart area are observed), sweating increases, there may be a feeling of dizziness and even loss of consciousness.

Already during Z. Freud, hysteria was treated in various ways. Most often, this condition manifested itself in the form of fainting in girls. In fact, many of the symptoms of panic attacks look like this - “Oops! I feel bad, I will now lose consciousness! . However, this is a hysterical symptom only if the panic attack occurs in the presence of someone. The state of a real panic attack manifests itself in a person when he is alone.

As a rule, it is typical for individuals with obsessive-compulsive and anxiety disorder or for those who are characterized by internal experiences and the direction of aggression towards themselves.

Much is currently known about panic attacks. In some situations, when a person knows the symptoms of this condition, it can manifest itself in him in a hysterical manner. What does this mean? A person can indeed experience physically the symptoms of the disorder - he is dizzy, there may be tunnel vision, tinnitus, and a feeling of loss of consciousness.

What is the difference between any conversion hysterical disorder (including this) from psychosomatics? Psychosomatics studies the influence of psychological factors on the occurrence and course of somatic diseases. Within the framework of this direction, the relationship between personality characteristics and a particular somatic disease is investigated (for example, a certain psychological cause underlies the diagnosed pain in the leg). As for hysterical symptoms, there are no diagnostic methods, no medical reports are given, and no diagnoses are made.

What are hysterical symptoms for? What is their basis?

First of all, this is an appeal of our subconscious, a kind of cry for help: “Pay attention to me! At least through the body - understand by the symptoms what I want so badly that I do not allow myself to do. " It is also a desperate and emphatic appeal to those to whom the symptoms are generally concerned: “Look at me! I am afraid to go out on the street alone. Come on, you will lead me by the hand. " In the context of the problem, there is a lack of proper attention or love, that is, a deep inner need is not satisfied. The only difference is that the person is not aware of it.

What is the difference in function of real panic symptom, panic attack and hysterical symptom? As a rule, at the heart of a real panic attack, deep in the psyche, there is a quite palpable fear, an ineffable horror of death. In some cases, people are even aware of this fear of death. Often in the history of such individuals there were cases when their life was at risk (for example, they drowned in the sea in childhood, underwent a serious operation, the mother had an unwanted pregnancy - throughout the entire period of bearing the baby, she thought about whether to get rid of the child). All such details unconsciously affect the person in the future, and he experiences real panic attacks.

The functions of the hysterical symptom are primary (protection from internal conflict) and secondary (what a person receives by defending himself in this way) benefit. As an example, consider the following situation - a middle-aged woman has severe pain in her legs, she cannot walk, and her husband is trying to help her in everything and satisfies all her desires. Thus, on the one hand, she protects herself from the awareness of an internal conflict (she wants and does not want to be with her spouse) and at the same time receives attention from a loved one who is not there if the disease recedes. In theory, this is analogous to panic attacks - “I'm in a panic and afraid to go outside! Take my hand!". As a result, a woman gets a complete "possession" of a loved one. In addition, the spouse feels guilty in front of her - because of her illness, he is obliged to do something, to make certain efforts, otherwise you can hear the remark: "You know that I am sick!"

Such behavior can be regarded as hysterical control of a person. However, in the context of the problem, this means that the person is bad, and he cannot understand what is wrong with him, he needs help. As a rule, outwardly such a hysterical symptom is quite difficult to extinguish - no matter how much you satisfy a person, he does not understand his true need, it is difficult for him. The internal mechanism can be compared to a black hole - everything falls inside, without settling anywhere, so a person does not get real pleasure. In addition, there is no clear awareness - I get what I want. Why is this happening? On the one hand, I want it, and on the other hand, I want something else. So, this other is not fully realized and does not give pleasure due to the fact that in the conflict this need is closed.

Accordingly, if your loved one is experiencing this, it is rather difficult to satisfy his needs in a partnership. One way is to talk to your partner and bring him to the level of awareness of his desire (“It seems to me that now you want this”). However, for this it is necessary to conduct a deep analysis of the life and childhood of a loved one, to understand what he did not receive. It is difficult to do this on your own; it is better to seek help from professionals.