Conquer Your Panic

When someone see something scary and they feel fear and get that feeling in there chest and stomach whats that called an attack freak out or what?

It’s normal to feel nervous and awkward in some social situations. Going on a first date or giving a presentation may give you that uncomfortable feeling of having butterflies in your stomach, for instance.
For some people, though, common, everyday social situations cause extreme anxiety, fear and self-consciousness, and they may become impossible to engage in. You may go to great lengths and come up with many excuses to avoid dating or giving presentations. You may not even be able to eat with acquaintances or write a check at the grocery store, let alone go to a party with lots of strangers.
With anxiety this extreme, you may have social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety disorder is a chronic mental health condition that causes an irrational anxiety or fear of activities or situations in which you believe that others are watching you or judging you. You also fear that you’ll embarrass or humiliate yourself.
If you or a loved one has social anxiety disorder, take heart. Effective treatment — often with cognitive behavior therapy, medication and positive coping skills — can improve your quality of life.
Symptoms
Social anxiety disorder can have emotional, behavioral and physical signs and symptoms.
Emotional and behavioral signs and symptoms of social anxiety disorder include:
Intense fear of being in situations in which you don’t know people
Fear of situations in which you may be judged
Worrying about embarrassing or humiliating yourself
Fear that others will notice that you look anxious
Anxiety that disrupts your daily routine, work, school or other activities
Avoiding doing things or speaking to people out of fear of embarrassment
Avoiding situations where you might be the center of attention
Physical signs and symptoms of social anxiety disorder include:
Blushing
Profuse sweating
Trembling or shaking
Nausea
Stomach upset
Difficulty talking
Shaky voice
Muscle tension
Confusion
Palpitations
Diarrhea
Cold, clammy hands
Difficulty making eye contact
Associated characteristics include:
Low self-esteem
Trouble being assertive
Negative self-talk
Hypersensitivity to criticism
Poor social skills
Worrying about having symptoms
When you have social anxiety disorder, you realize that your anxiety or fear is out of proportion to the situation. Yet you’re so worried about developing social anxiety disorder symptoms that you avoid situations that may trigger them. And indeed, just worrying about having any symptoms can cause them or make them worse.
Causes
Like many other mental health conditions, social anxiety disorder likely arises from a complex interaction of environment and genes. Researchers continue to study possible causes, including:
Genes. Researchers are seeking out specific genes that play a role in anxiety and fear. Social anxiety disorder seems to run in families. But it’s not clear whether that hereditary component is related to genetics or to anxious behavior you learn from other family members.
Biochemistry. Researchers are exploring the idea that natural chemicals in your body may play a role in social anxiety disorder. For instance, an imbalance in the brain chemical serotonin (ser-oh-TOE-nin) could be a factor. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter, helps regulate mood and emotions, among other things. People with social anxiety disorder may be extra-sensitive to the effects of serotonin.
Fear responses. Some research suggests that a structure in the brain called the amygdala (uh-MIG-duh-luh) may play a role in controlling the fear response. People who have an overactive amygdala may have a heightened fear response, causing increased anxiety in social situations.
Risk factors
Social anxiety disorder is one of the most common of all mental disorders. Up to 13 percent of people in Western countries experience social anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Social anxiety disorder usually begins in the early to midteens, although it can sometimes begin earlier in childhood or in adulthood.
A number of factors can increase the risk of developing social anxiety disorder, including:
Your sex. About twice as many women as men have social anxiety disorder.
Family history. Some research indicates that you’re more likely to develop social anxiety disorder if your biological parents or siblings have the condition.
Environment. Some experts theorize that social anxiety disorder is a learned behavior. That is, you may develop the condition after witnessing the anxious behavior of others. In addition, there may be an association between social anxiety disorder and parents who are more controlling or protective of their children.
Negative experiences. Children who experience teasing, bullying, rejection, ridicule or humiliation may be more prone to social anxiety disorder. In addition, other negative events in life, such as family conflict or sexual abuse, may be