Panic Disorder?
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Panic disorder is a real illness that can be successfully treated. It is characterized by sudden attacks of terror, usually accompanied by a pounding heart, sweatiness, weakness, faintness, or dizziness. During these attacks, people with panic disorder may flush or feel chilled; their hands may tingle or feel numb; and they may experience nausea, chest pain, or smothering sensations. Panic attacks usually produce a sense of unreality, a fear of impending doom, or a fear of losing control.
A fear of one's own unexplained physical symptoms is also a symptom of panic disorder. People having panic attacks sometimes believe they are having heart attacks, losing their minds, or on the verge of death. They can't predict when or where an attack will occur, and between episodes many worry intensely and dread the next attack.
Panic attacks can occur at any time, even during sleep. An attack usually peaks within 10 minutes, but some symptoms may last much longer. Panic disorder affects about 6 million American adults and is twice as common in women as men. Panic attacks often begin in late adolescence or early adulthood, but not everyone who experiences panic attacks will develop panic disorder. Many people have just one attack and never have another. The tendency to develop panic attacks appears to be inherited.
People who have full-blown, repeated panic attacks can become very disabled by their condition and should seek treatment before they start to avoid places or situations where panic attacks have occurred. For example, if a panic attack happened in an elevator, someone with panic disorder may develop a fear of elevators that could affect the choice of a job or an apartment, and restrict where that person can seek medical attention or enjoy entertainment.
Some people's lives become so restricted that they avoid normal activities, such as grocery shopping or driving. About one-third become housebound or are able to confront a feared situation only when accompanied by a spouse or other trusted person. 2 When the condition progresses this far, it is called agoraphobia, or fear of open spaces.
Early treatment can often prevent agoraphobia, but people with panic disorder may sometimes go from doctor to doctor for years and visit the emergency room repeatedly before someone correctly diagnoses their condition. This is unfortunate, because panic disorder is one of the most treatable of all the anxiety disorders, responding in most cases to certain kinds of medication or certain kinds of cognitive psychotherapy, which help change thinking patterns that lead to fear and anxiety.
Panic disorder is often accompanied by other serious problems, such as depression, drug abuse, or alcoholism.4,5 These conditions need to be treated separately. Symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness or hopelessness, changes in appetite or sleep patterns, low energy, and difficulty concentrating. Most people with depression can be effectively treated with antidepressant medications, certain types of psychotherapy, or a combination of the two.
Panic disorder is generally where people are paranoid and need psychiatric help to calm their emotions of fear.
Lisa
If you've been diagnosed with panic disorder, you may be wondering how your treatment provider came to that conclusion. Or maybe you haven't talked to a health professional yet, but you're sure you've been having panic attacks and you'd like to find out exactly what a panic attack is. Or maybe you know someone with panic disorder, and you'd like to understand.
The Anxiety Disorders
Panic disorder is one of several anxiety disorders. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), anxiety disorders are the most common of all psychiatric disorders. In the United States alone, 23 million people suffer from anxiety disorders. The anxiety disorders include agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, specific phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Panic Attacks
Panic disorder is marked by recurrent, spontaneous panic attacks
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A panic attack is an intense period of fear or discomfort. During the attack, a person may experience the following symptoms:
Noticeably quick or pounding heartrate
Pain or other discomfort in the chest
Sweating
Shaking
Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath
Dizziness
Tingling sensations
Fear of going crazy or losing control
Fear of dying
Derealization or depersonalization
Choking sensation
Nausea
Cold or hot flashes
To be diagnosed as a panic attack, four or more symptoms should be present. Otherwise, the attack is described as "limited symptom attack." Those who experience panic attacks usually describe them as occurring "out of the blue."
Panic Disorder
One panic attack does not result in a diagnosis of panic disorder. In fact, many people experience a panic attack at some time in their lives, and, while the experience may be a bit disconcerting, it doesn't result in panic disorder.
To become panic disorder, the initial panic attack will be followed by one month (or more) of one (or more) of the following:
Constant worry about having another panic attack
Constant worry about the cause of the attack (i.e., heart attack)
Major behavioral change related to the panic attack
In addition, it should be determined that the panic attacks are not the result of other conditions:
A substance (drug abuse, medication)
A physiological condition (i.e., hyperthyroidism)
Another psychiatric disorder (particularly other anxiety disorders)
In other words, it's important to have a complete physical to rule out all possible causes, and it's important to find a mental health provider who specializes in anxiety disorders to rule out other possible diagnoses.
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