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Jun 17, 2006
Panic attacks and anxiety
by SirGan
 Panic disorder is one specific anxiety disorder which is characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms that may include chest pain, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath, dizziness, or abdominal distress. What's so special about this syndrome? Well, the disorder is significantly different from other types of anxiety disorders because the panic attacks are very sudden, appear to be unprovoked, and are often disabling. Several researches done in the past have proven that panic attacks are often experienced by people who suffer from some other types of anxiety disorders such as agoraphobia, and other psychological conditions involving anxiety, though panic attacks are not always indicative of a mental disorder. People with certain phobias will also experience panic attacks as a direct result of exposure to their trigger but these panic attacks are usually short-lived and rapidly relieved once the trigger is escaped. On the other hand-Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It helps one deal with a tense situation! However, it could be a part of one bigger disorder called anxiety disorder! Five major types of anxiety disorders are:
Incidence of the conditionAlthough most people don’t know anything about it- this panic attacks represent a serious health problem in the United States. It is estimated that 1.7 percent of the adult American population has panic disorder. About 5% of the population will experience panic attacks during their lifetimes. Women are twice as likely as men to develop panic disorder. If left untreated, it may worsen to the point where the person's life is seriously affected by panic attacks and by attempts to avoid or conceal them. Good thing about all this is that for people who seek active treatment early in development, the majority of symptoms can disappear within a few weeks.
Symptoms of panic attacksSome of the most common symptoms of a classic panic attack are:
Possible causes of panic attacksThe real truth is that experts don’t know what causes panic attacks. Several researches done in the past have shown that heredity, stress and certain biochemical factors may play a role. Many experts from this field your body's natural fight-or-flight response to danger is involved. Many of the same reactions occur in a panic attack although no obvious stressor is present.
Some researches done recently have shown that low blood sugar may also cause panic attacks. In this condition the receptors for insulin do not respond properly to insulin, interfering with the transport of glucose across the membranes of cells. Adrenalin should raise blood sugar levels by converting glycogen into glucose, thus preventing brain starvation, but it is also a panic hormone that is responsible for attacks of fear.
Pathophysiological mechanism of panic attackSeveral studies have proven that a classical panic attack typically lasts from 2 to 8 minutes.
There is almost a same path of symptoms with every person that suffer from this disorder!
Important thing is that, while the symptoms and the seriousness of panic disorder are very real, the feelings of panic or dying that accompany many attacks are significantly exaggerated.
Generalized anxiety disorderGeneralized anxiety disorder is one specific chronic disorder that affects twice as many women as men and can lead to considerable impairment. It is characterized by long-lasting anxiety that is not focused on any particular object or situation. People with this disorder feel afraid of something but are unable to name the specific fear. They fret constantly and have a hard time controlling their worries. This constant fear may lead to developing of headaches, heart palpitations, dizziness, and insomnia.
What exactly is a phobia?This is a specific mental disorder characterized with a strong, irrational fear and avoidance of an object or situation. Important thing to know is that phobic disorders differ from generalized anxiety disorders and panic disorders because there is a specific stimulus or situation that elicits a strong fear response.
Most common phobias are fears of knives, rats or spiders, closed space, dark etc… There is also one another category of phobias known as social phobias. Individuals with this disorder experience intense fear of being negatively characterized by others or of being publicly embarrassed because of impulsive acts. People with social phobias become so anxious that performance is out of the question.
Diagnosis of panic attacks
Doctor should ask a patient to describe signs and symptoms, how often they occur and in what situations they occur.
Patient will probably undergo a complete physical exam so that doctor can determine whether health conditions other than panic attacks are the cause of symptoms. This underlying disease must be detected! These other health conditions might include:
Complications if left untreatedUnfortunately – sad fact is that panic disorder can become debilitating and destructive if left untreated. Reasonable- fear of recurrent attacks can lead to adopt avoidance behavior characterized by avoiding what most people consider to be normal situations. In children, panic attacks can interfere with normal development, disrupting your child's social life and schoolwork. Not only that- it is proven that having panic disorder also increases person’s risk of depression, suicide, and abuse of alcohol and other drugs.
Treatment of panic attacksBecause of the disturbing symptoms that accompany panic disorder, it may be mistaken for heart disease or some other life-threatening medical illness. That’s why differential diagnosis could be very important! Treatment for panic attacks and panic disorder is very effective and it may involve:
Most commonly used medications in the treatment of panic attacks are antidepressant medication, such as sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil) or fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem).
Sessions with mental health provider could be extremely important! During these sessions with psychiatrist, person should learn to better understand your panic attacks and how to deal with them. In the cognitive part of the therapy, person should learn to recognize things that trigger your panic attacks or make them worse
As with many disorders, having a support structure of family and friends who understand the condition can significantly increase the success of recovery. The fact is that during an attack, it is not uncommon for the patient to develop irrational fear, which can often be dispelled by a supporter who is familiar with the condition.
Other, very interesting forms of treatment include journalling, in which a patient records their day-to-day activities and emotions in a log to find and deal with their personal stresses, and breathing exercises, such as diaphragmatic breathing. Some researches have proven that stress-relieving activities such as tai-chi, yoga, and physical exercise can also help relieving the causes of panic disorder.
Stress-relieving tips
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