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Panic Disorder is a serious
condition that around one out of every 75
people might experience. It usually appears
during the teens or early adulthood, and
while the exact causes are unclear, there
does seem to be a connection with major life
transitions that are potentially stressful:
graduating from college, getting married,
having a first child, and so on. There is
also some evidence for a genetic
predisposition; if a family member has
suffered from panic disorder, you have an
increased risk of suffering from it
yourself, especially during a time in your
life that is particularly stressful.
A panic attack is a sudden
surge of overwhelming fear that comes
without warning and without any obvious
reason. It is far more intense than the
feeling of being 'stressed out' that most
people experience. You probably recognize
this as the classic 'flight or fight'
response that human beings experience when
we are in a situation of danger. But during
a panic attack, these symptoms seem to rise
from out of nowhere. They occur in seemingly
harmless situations--they can even happen
while you are asleep.
In addition to the above
symptoms, a panic attack is marked by the
following conditions:
it occurs suddenly, without any warning
and without any way to stop it.
it occurs suddenly, without any
warning and without any way to stop
it.
the level
of fear is way out of proportion to the
actual situation; often, in fact, it's
completely unrelated.
it passes
in a few minutes; the body cannot
sustain the 'fight or flight' response
for longer than that. However, repeated
attacks can continue to recur for hours.
A panic attack is not
dangerous, but it can be terrifying, largely
because it feels 'crazy' and 'out of
control.' Panic disorder
is frightening because of the panic attacks
associated with it, and also because it
often leads to other complications such as
phobias, depression, substance abuse,
medical complications, even suicide. Its
effects can range from mild word or social
impairment to a total inability to face the
outside world.
In fact, the phobias that
people with panic disorder develop do not
come from fears of actual objects or events,
but rather from fear of having another
attack. In these cases, people will avoid
certain objects or situations because they
fear that these things will trigger another
attack.
Please remember that only a
licensed therapist can diagnose a panic
disorder. There are certain signs you may
already be aware of, though.
One study found that people
sometimes see 10 or more doctors before
being properly diagnosed, and that only one
out of four people with the disorder receive
the treatment they need. That's why it's
important to know what the symptoms are, and
to make sure you get the right help.
Many people experience
occasional panic attacks, and if you have
had one or two such attacks, there probably
isn't any reason to worry. The key symptom
of panic disorder is the persistent fear of
having future panic attacks. If you suffer
from repeated (four or more) panic attacks,
and especially if you have had a panic
attack and are in continued fear of having
another, these are signs that you should
consider finding a mental health
professional who specializes in panic or
anxiety disorders.
Body: There may be a
genetic predisposition to anxiety disorders;
some sufferers report that a family member
has or had a panic disorder or some other
emotional disorder such as depression.
Studies with twins have confirmed the
possibility of 'genetic inheritance' of the
disorder.
Panic Disorder could also be
due to a biological malfunction, although a
specific biological marker has yet to be
identified.
All ethnic groups are
vulnerable to panic disorder. For unknown
reasons, women are twice as likely to get
the disorder as men.
Mind: Stressful life
events can trigger panic disorders. One
association that has been noted is that of a
recent loss or separation. Some researchers
liken the 'life stressor' to a thermostat;
that is, when stresses lower your
resistance, the underlying physical
predisposition kicks in and triggers an
attack.
Both: Physical and
psychological causes of panic attacks work
together. Although initially attacks may
come out of the blue, eventually the
sufferer may actually help bring them on by
responding to physical symptoms of an
attack.
For example, if a person
with panic attacks experience a racing
heartbeat caused by drinking coffee,
exercising, or taking a certain medication,
they might interpret this as a symptom of an
attack and , because of their anxiety,
actually bring on the attack. On the other
hand, coffee, exercise, and certain
medications sometimes do, in fact, cause
panic attacks. One of the most frustrating
things for the panic sufferer is never
knowing how to isolate the different
triggers of an attack. That's why the right
therapy for panic disorder focuses on all
aspects -- physical, psychological, and
physiological -- of the disorder.
Can People with Panic
Disorder lead normal lives?
The answer to this is a
resounding YES
-- if they receive treatment.
Panic disorder is highly
treatable, with a variety of available
therapies. These treatments are extremely
effective, and most people who have
successfully completed treatment can
continue to experience situational avoidance
or anxiety, and further treatment might be
necessary in those cases. Once treated,
panic disorder doesn't lead to any permanent
complications.
Side
Effects of Panic Disorder
Without treatment, panic
disorder can have very serious consequences.
The immediate danger with
panic disorder is that it can often lead to
a phobia. That's because once you've
suffered a panic attack, you may start to
avoid situations like the one you were in
when the attack occurred.
Many people with panic
disorder show 'situational avoidance'
associated with their panic attacks. For
example, you might have an attack while
driving, and start to avoid driving until
you develop an actual phobia towards it. In
worst case scenarios, people with panic
disorder develop agoraphobia -- fear of
going outdoors -- because they believe that
by staying inside, they can avoid all
situations that might provoke an attack, or
where they might not be able to get help.
The fear of an attack is so debilitating,
they prefer to spend their lives locked
inside their homes.
Even if you don't develop
these extreme phobias, your quality of life
can be severely damaged by untreated panic
disorder. A recent study showed that people
who suffer from panic disorder:
are more prone to alcohol and other drug
abuse
have greater risk of attempting
suicide
spend more time in hospital
emergency rooms
spend less time on hobbies,
sports and other satisfying
activities
tend to be financially dependent on
others
are afraid
of driving more than a few miles
away from home
Panic disorders can also have economic
effects. For example, a recent study cited
the case of a woman who gave up a $40,000 a
year job that required travel for one close
to home that only paid $14,000 a year. Other
sufferers have reported losing their jobs
and having to rely on public assistance or
family members. None of this needs to
happen. Panic disorder can be treated
successfully, and sufferers can go on to
lead full and satisfying lives.
How Can Panic Disorder Be Treated?
Most
specialists agree that a combination of
cognitive and behavioral therapies are the
best treatment for
panic attacks.
Medication might also be appropriate in some
cases.
The first part of therapy is largely
informational; many people are greatly
helped by simply understanding exactly what
panic attacks
are, and how many others suffer from it.
Many people who suffer from
panic attacks
are worried that their panic attacks mean
they're 'going crazy' or that the panic
might induce a heart attack. 'Cognitive
restructuring' (changing one's way of
thinking) helps people replace those
thoughts with more realistic, positive ways
of viewing the attacks.
Cognitive therapy can help the patient
identify possible triggers for the attacks.
The trigger in an individual case could be
something like a thought, a situation, or
something as subtle as a slight change in
heartbeat. Once the patient understands that
the panic attack is separate and independent
of the trigger, that trigger begins to lose
some of its power to induce an attack.
The
behavioral components of the therapy can
consist of what one group of clinicians has
termed 'interceptive exposure.' This is
similar to the systematic desensitization
used to cure phobias, but what it focuses on
is exposure to he actual physical sensations
that someone experiences during a panic
attack.
People with
panic attacks
are more afraid of the actual attack than
they are of specific objects or events; for
instance, their 'fear of flying' is not that
the planes will crash but that they will
have a panic attack in a place, like a
plane, where they can't get to help. Others
won't drink coffee or go to an overheated
room because they're afraid that these might
trigger the physical symptoms of a panic
attack.
Interceptive exposure can help them go
through the symptoms of an attack (elevated
heart rate, hot flashes, sweating, and so
on) in a controlled setting, and teach them
that these symptoms need not develop into a
full-blown attack. Behavioral therapy is
also used to deal with the situational
avoidance associated with panic attacks. One
very effective treatment for phobias is in
vivo exposure, which is in its simplest
terms means breaking a fearful situation
down into small manageable steps and doing
them one at a time until the most difficult
level is mastered.
Relaxation techniques can further help
someone 'flow through' an attack. These
techniques include breathing retraining and
positive visualization. Some experts have
found that people with panic disorder tend
to have slightly higher than average
breathing rates, learning to slow this can
help someone deal with a panic attack and
can also prevent future attacks.
In some
cases, medications may also be needed.
Anti-anxiety medications may be prescribed,
as well as antidepressants, and sometimes
even heart medications (such as beta
blockers) that are used to control irregular
heartbeats.
Finally, a support group with others who
suffer from panic disorder can be very
helpful to some people. It can't take the
place of therapy, but it can be a useful
adjunct.
If you suffer
from panic disorder, these therapies can
help you. But you can't do them on your own;
all of these treatments must be outlined and
prescribed by a psychologist or
psychiatrist.
Much of the
success of treatment depends on your
willingness to carefully follow the outlined
treatment plan. This is often multifaceted,
and it won't work overnight, but if you
stick with it, you should start to have
noticeable improvement within about 10 to 20
weekly sessions. If you continue to follow
the program, within one year you will notice
a tremendous improvement.
If you are
suffering from panic disorder, you should be
able to find help in your area. You need to
find a licensed psychologist or other mental
health professional who specializes in panic
or anxiety disorders. There may even be a
clinic nearby that specializes in these
disorders.
When you
speak with a therapist, specify that you
think you have panic disorder, and ask about
his or her experience treating this
disorder.
Keep in mind,
though, that panic disorder, like any other
emotional disorder, isn't something you can
either diagnose or cure by yourself. An
experience clinical psychologist or
psychiatrist is the most qualified person to
make this diagnosis, just as he or she is
the most qualified to treat this disorder.
This article
is designed to answer your basic questions
about panic disorder; a qualified mental
health professional will be able to give you
more complete information.
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Feeling alone? Think people don't understand what you are
going through? If so, you should come to our message
board. There are several thousand members and I can assure
you they will be there for you when you need them the most.
They understand what you are going through and eventually you
will do the same for them when they need someone to talk to.
you can 
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