Panic Disorder
Panic Disorder
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by regular and sudden panic attacks. It is normal to feel anxious and panic in response to stressful or dangerous stimuli and situations, but for people with panic disorder, the panic attacks occur regularly and at any time, often without any obvious trigger.
Prevalence
It is possible to have panic attacks but never develop panic disorder. Panic disorder is diagnosed less frequently in males compared to females, and it frequently starts in late adolescence or early adulthood.
People who have a family history of panic disorder are at increased risk of developing this condition. Environmental factors such as stress from an abusive relationship can also contribute to the development of panic disorder.
Symptoms of Panic Disorder?
People can suffer both physical and psychological symptoms while experiencing a panic attack, and these can last anywhere from a few seconds up to an average of ten minutes, or as long as thirty minutes in extreme cases. Examples of panic disorder symptoms include:
Physical symptoms
Psychological symptoms
Treatment for Panic Disorder:
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of talking therapy, is the first-line of treatment for panic disorder. CBT teaches people who suffer from this condition to adopt different ways of thinking, behaving, and reacting to the feelings and sensations they can develop during a panic attack.
In addition to talk therapies, there are some medications that can be prescribed, however psychotherapy is the first-line of attack in most cases. Used as part of a successful treatment for panic disorder, an individual will learn how to think differently which will eventually translate to changes in behavior and reactions to stimuli that had triggered attacks in the past.
Medications for Panic Disorder can include:
Panic Disorder complications:
Because the condition can create circumstances where typical everyday activities like work, shopping, driving, going to school, etc. become challenging or impossible, those with the disorder can feel ashamed or discouraged.
Symptoms of Panic Disorder:
People can suffer both physical and psychological symptoms while experiencing a panic attack, and these can last anywhere from a few seconds up to an average of ten minutes, or as long as thirty minutes in extreme cases. Examples of panic disorder symptoms include:
Physical symptoms
Psychological symptoms
Treatment for Panic Disorder:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of talking therapy, is the first-line treatment for panic disorder. CBT teaches people who suffer from this condition to adopt different ways of thinking, behaving, and reacting to the feelings and sensations they can develop during a panic attack.