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Panic Disorder is an anxiety disorder where you regularly have sudden attacks of panic or fear (NHS, 2023).
Panic Disorder is an anxiety disorder where you regularly have sudden attacks of panic or fear (NHS, 2023).
Important Vocabulary
(APA, 2017; Merriam-Webster, n.d.; Vocabulary, n.d.; Healthdirect, n.d.)
Panic is unreasoning and excessive fear causing hysterical behavior.
Psychological means affecting the mind emotionally or mentally as opposed to physically.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of psychological issue that has been shown to be beneficial to severe mental illnesses.
Comorbid is having two or more disorders in the same person at the same time.
Cortisol is a hormone that is produced by your adrenal glands and when you get stressed, there is an increase of cortisol in your bloodstream. This affects your stress level.
Facts about Panic Disorder
(NIH, n.d.; NIMH, n.d.)
The lifetime prevalence rate of Panic Disorder has an estimated effect on 4.7% of adults in America at some point in their lives.
Panic Disorder is twice as common in women as in men.
There is not always a trigger for panic attacks.
A lot of people may experience one or two panic attacks in their lifetime. But when you experience multiple spontaneous panic attacks and live in constant fear of having another panic attack, that is a panic disorder.
This video discusses what Panic Disorder is, the symptoms, and ways to reduce your symptoms.
DSM-5 Symptoms List for Panic Disorder (Verywell Mind, 2022)
Chills or hot flashes
Fear of going crazy or losing control
Heart palpitations
Chest pain
Fear of dying
Trembling or shaking
Numbness or paresthesias
Sweating
Dizziness or faint
Shortness of breath
Feelings of derealization or depersonalization
Nausea
Feeling of choking
DSM-5 Diagnosis Criteria for Panic Disorder (Verywell Mind, 2022)
A Panic Disorder is indicated by having four or more of the symptoms listed above, according to the DSM-5. To be categorized as having a Panic Disorder, you need to have at least one month or more of continuous symptoms. In order for it to be considered a Panic Disorder, it is important that you rule out other possible causes for the panic attack. There must be no other mental disorder that would better explain the attacks. These could include any phobias or disorders. A general medical condition or the direct physiological consequences of a substance such as medicine or drug use cannot be the cause of the attacks.
Diagnosing Panic Disorder
(Mayo Clinic, n.d.)
Although there is no official test of Panic Disorder, your healthcare physician can determine if you have panic disorder with symptoms that mimic panic attacks. You can also get a blood test to check for any thyroid issues, as well as heart tests like electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). You can also complete a physical exam, check family history, or have a psychological evaluation about your symptoms.
Scholarly Study
Scholarly Study
Study finds that Low Intensity Exercise during Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Reduces Stress in Patients with Panic Disorder.
Study finds that Low Intensity Exercise during Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Reduces Stress in Patients with Panic Disorder.
Winterman and his colleagues (2022) investigated the effect of Low Intensity Exercise (LIE) as a technique for patients with Panic Disorder (PD) and how it affects their cortisol response during Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). They had twenty patients with PD and twenty healthy patients participate in a ten minute LIE session during CBT where the heart rate, level of anxiety, and salivary control were monitored before and after for over a five week period. The results indicate that LIE led to a significant heart rate increase in both groups, while cortisol decreased over time, particularly in the male patients. This study suggests that LIE can help reduce stress levels for patients with PD.
Comorbidities with Panic Disorder (Medscape, n.d.; NHS, 2022; NIMH, 2023; NIMH, 2022)
Agoraphobia: is a fear of your leaving your home or being in circumstances where escape is difficult.
Schizophrenia: is a mental illness that affects the way a person feels, thinks, and behave.
Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD): a disorder in which a person has repeated or uncontrollable thoughts or performs repetitive activities.
Treatments for Panic Disorder (Mayo Clinic, n.d.)
The treatment for Panic Disorder typically yields good results. Treatments may include psychotherapy, medications, or lifestyle remedies.
Psychotherapy can help you develop coping mechanisms and gain understanding of panic attacks. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy. CBT can help you discover through your own personal experience that panic symptoms are not harmful or dangerous.
Medication can help you reduce and manage your symptoms of Panic Disorder. Medications can include Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) which is a low risk antidepressent to treat panic attacks, Selective and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitos (SNRIs) which is also a type of antidepressent, and Benzodiazepines which is a type of sedative that are central nervous system depressants which can include Xanax.
Lifestyle remedies are things you can do at home to help manage your symptoms. You can join a support group, engage in physical activites, get enough rest, avoid caffeine, and practice relaxation and stress management techniques.
The best Treatment for Panic Disorder is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) because it teaches you many different ways of behaving, thinking, and reacting to the feelings that can happen before or during a panic attack.
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