Page 6
The Behrend Beacon
Don't panic: There's a reason
behind what you're feeling
by Joanna M. Carman
"I don't know what's wrong with me," a friend said
over dinner a few weeks ago. "I just feel so strange."
"Wh4l¢ matter?" I asked.
.
She cleric her fists tight and took a deep breath.
She played with her fork, tore her napkin to pieces and
kept shifting in her chair.
"I feel almost nervous," she said."My heart is going
a hundred miles an hour, my stomach is tingling and it
feels like I can't take a deep enough breath."
It gave her some peace of mind to know that I expe
rienced the same thing about a month earlier, and sought
out the answer of what was happening to me.
It is a feeling that comes on suddenly. It can go away
and come back again just as quick. It is called a panic
attack. College is exactly the stressful time of life that
can bring about panic attacks and/or disorders.
Medical professionals agree that major life events,
such as college graduation or even finals, can bring
about panic attacks in students. These attacks may oc
cur when the student is sleeping, walking to class or
watching a football game. In addition to a racing heart,
symptoms of panic attacks can include chest pains, dif
ficulty breathing, lightheadedness, dizziness, nausea or
stomach problems, flushes or chills, trembling, sweat
ing, shaking, tingling in fingers or toes (pins and
needles), terror and fear of being out of control or crazy.
The Anxiety Panic Internet Resource (TAPIR) states
that people can't predict an attack and may fear the
onset of another. In fact, panic attacks come on sud
denly, and there may not appear to be a reason in sight.
The American Psychological Association says panic
attacks also pass in a few minutes because the body
cannot sustain the "fight or flight" response to which
the organization compares the attack. TAPIR states
attacks may last up to 10 minutes, and in rare cases,
they can last an hour or more.
However, even though they last only a short time,
panic attacks can recur for hours. TAPIR states that
1.6 percent of the population is affected by a panic dis
order. A disorder is different from an attack in that it
causes the person constant fear of having another at
tack. Not everyone who has an attack will develop a
disorder.
Panic attacks are not dangerous, but a disorder can com
pletely alter a person's life. A potentially debilitating con
dition, panic disorder may lead to more serious condi
tions, such as agoraphobia, fear of the outdoors. APA says
a panic disorder may also lead to other phobia. People
who suffer from a disorder may find themselves avoiding
situations that may trigger an attack, causing a new pho
bia.
For example, someone who suffers a panic attack in a
restaurant may avoid eating out, for fear of triggering an
other one. TAPIR says one-third of sufferers will have
their lives restricted in such a way by the disorder.
ROAD TRIP RECIPE:
Pringles, Italian bread,
and Matchbox Twenty
It's been a Mad Season here in Erie this winter.
So, my friends and I decided to head for the South
during Spring Break. Okay, so it wasn't Cancun or
Florida. It was Pittsburgh, PA. But hey, a wise
person once told me, "Ainslie, it's not where you
are that matters; it's who you are with."
For our road trip, we went to see Matchbox Twenty
in concert with Everclear and Lifehouse. Our group
of four left sunny Erie (yes- it actually was sunny
that day) in two cars. We stopped at the local UniMart
for some snacks, as all of us had just come from a
long hard, day of work and were starving. But of
course, the Uni Mart did not have much to choose
from. Deanna, decided to make a loaf of Italian bread
and some Pringles her dinner. After this we began
our little voyage. Rob Thomas, here we come!
Upon our arrival at the Mellon, our group played
childish games along the highway, including calling
each other's cell phones and saying, "Tag! You're
it!" By the way, did I mention we are all above the
age of 10?
Soon we arrived at the Mellon. We ran to find our
seats, but made a pit stop for some beer and the ever
so-popular restrooms. I could hear the only song I
know, "Hanging by a Moment" by Lifehouse
playing as I waited in the long bathroom line. By
the way, why is it that girls have to wait in such long
lines for the restroom?
Anyway, we managed to find our seats just as
Everclear approached the stage. Although I have
never been an Everclear fan, I was very impressed
with their performance. They pulled people onto
the stage to dance with them, including a guy from
Turkey who claimed to be the band's #1 fan.
Matchbox Twenty rocked the stage with songs
from both their hit albums. For those of you who
have not heard the new CD, I suggest you run right
out and get it! Rob Thomas stole our hearts with
"Rest Stop, " a song about being dumped by the
staff writer
: , 7PANIC ATTACK QUICK FACTS
1. Attacks can occur at any time
2. Attacks average a couple of
minutes, but in rare cases can
last for hours.
3. They are not dangerous, but can
feel "crazy" or "out of control".
4. Attacks usually appear during
the teen and young adult years.
5. Major life.events may trigger
attacks.
6. There is evidence that attacks
are genetic
7. Attacks occur in all ethnic
groups
8. Women are twice as likely to
suffer from a disorder than
men.
9. Coffee, exercise and some
medications cause panic atacks
10. Treatment includes education,
breathing exercises and/or medications
According to APA, people who suffer from the disorder
are also more likely to use drugs and alcohol. They also
tend to be more likely to attempt suicide and to spend more
time in hospital emergency rooms.
Only one in four people with the disorder get the treat
ment they need, APA says.
Treatment can include cognitive and behavioral thera
pies, which can teach a person breathing techniques and
how to overcome any phobia related to the attacks. Medi
cations are also available to decrease the symptoms of an
attack. TAPIR says 70 to 90 percent of people with a panic
disorder have been helped to overcome their anxiety with
treatment.
shopping cart,
woman you love at a rest stop in the middle of
nowhere
'1 would never do that to you Rob!" I wanted to
yell. And while we are on the subject: Ladies, Rob
Thomas is extremely hot in person! I must admit that
this concert was possibly the best I have ever seen.
After the concert, our rambunctious group decided
to hit the bars of Pittsburgh. Of course, none of us
knew where they were or how to get there, so we had
to make a few pit stops to talk to the locals. They
were rather helpful I must ad. We paid a total of $5 to
park for a bar we "talked about going into" and never
did. Hey, that's ok. I didn't need that $5 any way. After
all, we were not going to starve. Deanna's bread was
there for dinner and for breakfast the next morning.
Thanks D.
Finally, we arrived at a place appropriately called
"Bar Pittsburgh." I think everyone, Pittsburgh native
or not, has heard of this place. As we approached the
door, my eyes widened. Honestly, I felt like I was in a
scene from Coyote Ugly. A guy's dream, a girl's
nightmare. Beautiful girls were on the bar dancing. I
practically had to pick my guy-friend's jaw up off of
the floor. We managed to be entertained though and
had a great time.
As we made the long trek back to the car, one of my
friends found an abandoned shopping cart and offered
free rides to all of us who wore those shoes that "are
so cute with this outfit, but kill my feet." At 2 a.m.,
this was hysterical to our tired little group.
We arrived safely to our sleep station for the night
at about "3 a.m. " Unfortunately for me, I had to wake
up only three hours later to drive back to Erie for my
job. It was a "Long Day" jam packed with lots of fun
and friends. The concert was awesome and I had a
good time. What more is there to life besides Rob
Thomas, Italian bread, and your best friends?
-Ainslie Ulmer
EATURES
Friday, August 24, 2001
Hot Spots in Erie
Eat N' Park has two locations, one on Peach Street and one on West 12th
by Karl Benacci
features editor
Many college students often
wonder what has become of
the members of their high
school graduating class.
Well, for those of you that
are Erie-ites, you can enjoy a
late night class reunion at Eat
N' Park, the place for smiles.
Eat N' Park has two Erie
locations, West 12th Street and
Crossword
ACROSS
1 Sack material
7 Wish undone
10 Drop heavily
14 Anxious
15 Shuttle
destination: abbr.
16 Vex
17 Believe in
18 Recovers from
20 Little nipper
21 Muhammad Ali
23 Mata Hari or 007,
e.g.
24 Triumph
25 Enemy
26 Lowest place on
Earth
29 Extend across
33 Low points
36 Scathing review
37 Sound quality
38 Crop up
39 Comic
40 Carried along
41 Color shade
42 Squeal to the
screws
43 Flitted
44 Fragrance
45 "_ in Gaza"
47 Alphabet start
49 Night before
50 Dunderhead
53 Estimate based
on probabilities
58 Allow to
59 Slightly over the
top
60 Wobble
62 Blackthorn fruit
63 Personal pronoun
64 Will contents
65 Watch over
66 Large shoe width
67 Third-party
contract
DOWN
1 Smackers
2 Open roughly
3 Thin-voiced
4 Young man
5 Ina manner of
speaking
6 Damon's friend
7 "The Avengers"
`Eat N' Park'
Peach Street
What seemingly would be a
quick stop for some burgers or
some late night pancakes can
easily turn into a two hour stroll
down memory lane with your
high school pals.
Believe it or not, running into
a member of your graduating
class is almost inevitable when
visiting an Eat N' Park location
on a Friday or Saturday night.
Eat N' Park is also a good
All rights monied
star Diana
8 End-product
purchaser
9 Singer Gloria
10 Demonstration
group
11 In-person
12 Corrida calls
13 Saucy and
spirited
19 Paulo, Brazil
22 Bring to closure
26 Having one's
attention diverted
27 Malicious ill will
28 Devour
30 Left at sea
31 Comic Meara
32 Craving
33 W. alliance
34 Dry
35 Pebbles' pet
39 Means
40 Inferior state
42 Hermit
43 Loyal fan
46 Hawaiian garland
Karl Benacci, Features Editor
Solutions
48 Kind of rap?
50 Place for sacrifice
51 Take care of
52 Scatter
53 Supporting
players
54 Competent
behrcolls@aol.com
place to meet new people in
cluding college students from
Gannon, Mercyhurst, and even
Edinboro.
But even if you aren't an
Erie-ite, you can enjoy good
food at great prices at Eat N'
Park.
Combining good food and
high school reunions is always
a great match, making Eat N'
Park a definite Hot Spot in
Erie.
55 Member of the
pride
56 Suffer
heartbreak
57 Quaker pronoun
61 And so forth and
so on