Panic Disorder
What are panic attacks?
Panic attacks are brief periods of overwhelming fear or anxiety. The intensity of a panic attack goes well beyond normal anxiety, and can include a number of physical symptoms. Those symptoms may include:
Pounding or racing hear rate.
Sweating.
Difficulty in breathing.
Trembling or shaking.
Sense of terror, impending doom or death.
Chest pain or discomfort.
Nausea.
Fear of dying.
Fear of “going crazy”.
Feeling of detachment from reality.
During panic attacks, people often fear that they are having a heart attack, they cannot breathe, or they are dying. Many of the symptoms are similar to what you might experience if you were in a truly dangerous situation.
What are the characteristics of panic attacks?
It peaks quickly – between 1 to 10 minutes.
The apex of the panic attack lasts for approximately 5 to 10 minutes (unless constantly rekindled).
The initial attack is usually described as “coming out of the blue” and not consistently associated with a specific situation, although with time panics can become associated with specific situations.
The attack is not linked to marked physical exertion.
The attacks are recurrent over time.
During an attack the person experiences a strong urge to escape to safety.
Many people believe that they may faint whilst having a panic attack. This is highly unlikely because the physiological system producing a panic attack is the opposite of the one that produces fainting.
Panic attacks in, and of themselves, are not a psychiatric condition. However, panic attacks constitute the key ingredient of Panic Disorder if the person experiences at least 4 symptoms of the list previously described, the attacks peak within about 10 minutes and the person has a persistent fear of having another attack.
What is Panic Disorder?
Someone with panic disorder has a persistent fear of having another attack or worries about the consequences of the attack. Many people change their behavior to try to prevent panic attacks. Some people are affected so much that they try to avoid any place where it might be difficult to get help or to escape from. When this avoidance is severe it is called Agoraphobia.
Panic Disorder is more common than you think. A recent study reported that 22.7% of people have reported experience with panic attacks in their lifetime. 3.7% have experienced Panic Disorder and 1.1% have experienced Panic Disorder plus Agoraphobia.
These numbers equate to millions of people worldwide. If left untreated, Panic Disorder may become accompanied by depression, other anxiety disorders, dependence on alcohol or drugs and may also lead to significant social and occupational impairment.
How can you deal with a panic attack?
Focus on breathing slowly, slow deep breaths can help you relax and reduce the symptoms of breathlessness and elevated heart rate as well.
Shift your focus to what is around you. Make sure you are in a relatively safe environment and try to connect with it using your senses
Think about things you can see, hear, smell and feel around you
Remind yourself that although panic attacks feel terrible, they don’t cause anything bad to happen.
If you can, it’s important to stay in the situation you are in. This shows you that you don’t have to escape for the panic to stop.
What can we do at Mind Clinic to help you deal with panic attacks and/or Panic Disorder?
Every case of Panic Disorder has its own characteristics, and a comprehensive approach to treatment should be tailored to every person struggling because of it. That’s why we start with clinical assessment and identification of the main complaints. Then a treatment plan would be set in place. Treatment options might include:
– Medical treatment:
O Ranges from short term medications for severe cases to relieve the symptoms to treating associated disorders that may be present like depression and/or other anxiety disorders.
– Psychotherapy:
O Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
O Relaxation techniques.
O Exposure Therapy.
Citations:
Aid, T. (2016, April 29). Panic attack info sheet. Therapist Aid. https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheet/panic-info-sheet (accessed: 8th July, 2024).
What is panic? (n.d.). Centre for Clinical Intervention. Retrieved July 8, 2024, from https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/-/media/CCI/Mental-Health-Professionals/Panic/Panic—Information-Sheets/Panic-Information-Sheet—01—What-is-Panic.pdf
How to deal with panic attacks. NHS inform. (2024, June 13). https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/mental-wellbeing/anxiety-and-panic/how-to-deal-with-panic-and-anxiety/ (accessed: 10th July, 2024).