Panic DisorderPanic Disorder – General InformationPanic Disorder is a psychiatric disorder that is characterized by repeated panic attacks, and changes in the patient’s behavior, that can last more than one month, without any improvement in the panic attacks. It also cause feelings of extreme fear and anxiety, and can occur at any time, when going to work, or just going outside the house can be very difficult. That’s why the main symptom is the panic attack, which is a sudden sensation, which is in most of the cases accompanied by an overwhelming sensation of fear and terror. These panic attacks can be even accompanied by some multiple physical attacks.Panic attacks are relatively common, but people with this disorder are in most of the cases afraid to leave the environment of their homes to prevent the occurring of any panic attacks. Most of the patients are afraid about any panic attacks, and consider them life threatening physical signs, or emotional and mental problems. That’s why patients get fears of some places, or aren’t capable to leave their homes. This type of disorder can develop even debilitating illness that last to even years. This type of disorder categorizes in two types, Panic Disorder with agoraphobia and Panic Disorder without agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is considered to be the fear of leaving the home, and to avoid any people contact, which leads to anxiety, which is the main cause of this fear. About a quarter of patients who have this medical condition also present agoraphobia. No one knows exactly the cause of this disorder, but it is considered to develop from genetic, psychological or physiological factors. Panic Disorder – SymptomsPanic Disorder is characterized by the repeated, unexpected panic attacks in combination with the anxiety about the future panic attacks and what other problems can these attacks provoke. If the panic attack isn’t present, there is no sign of Panic Disorder, that is why is necessary to know something about the symptoms that this disorder develop. It is important to know what these symptoms are, so that the doctor can’t categorize it as a different disease, prescribing other treatment. For the attack to be percept as a panic attack, it must have more than four of the symptoms below. If the patient encounters fewer symptoms, but still has the sudden and short duration that characterizes a panic attack, then he suffers of a limited symptom attack, which is rarely. The disorder can provoke symptoms like palpitations, pounding heart, or fast heart rate, sweating, trembling or shaking, shortness of breath or smothering sensations, choking feelings, nausea or abdominal distress, fear of going crazy or losing control, derealization or depersonalization, chest pain or discomfort, dizziness, unsteadiness, sightedness, faintness, fear of dying, numbness or tingling sensations, chills or hot flushes. These symptoms appear quickly and in most of the cases have a period in which the intensity varies, and it is about 10 minutes, but other people can experience attacks longer than 10 minutes. This period part is essential to talk about with the doctor, because the treatment depends on it, and the patient should seek medial attention as soon as he encounters any of the symptoms.Panic Disorder – TreatmentPanic Disorder is a disabling disease, but is curable, controlled and treated. This type of disease cause disturbing symptoms, and can be easily mistaken with a life threatening physical disease, and this kind of confusion leads to the aggravation of the disorder and provokes other future attacks. When a patient has a first panic attack, he first goes to a hospital emergency room, where he’s medical tested to determine the cause of the panic attacks, to prevent other further anxiety. Usually these tests identify the cause of the symptoms, being uncommon the cases in which the cause weren’t been underlined. Some patients suffering with Panic Disorder have preferred medications in combination with a type of psychotherapy called cognitive-behavioral therapy. psychologists, mental health counselors, and social workers. To start a medical treatment for this type of disorder, the patient should visit a medical doctor, especially a psychiatrist. Psychotherapy is in most of the cases provided by a clinical counselor, called a psychologist, and a psychiatrist is more specialized than a general practice physician in prescribing pharmacological treatment and it is considered to be the first choice. The medication treatment for Panic Disorder is applied to separate connections that take place between a phobia and the panic attacks, and in this kind of treatment takes part antidepressants and anti-anxiety drug, called benzodiazepines. Antidepressants are taken regularly, every day, and help to build a resistance to the any symptoms that can occur. Usually, this type of treatment is prescribed as antidepressants, but, in fact, they can have the properties of anti panic medications, because the symptoms of this disorder aren’t related with a depression, and by calling them antidepressants, the patient doesn’t believe that are targeted to his symptoms. A combination of these medications with psychotherapy is considered more effective in most of the cases. Anti anxiety drugs, called also benzodiazepines, are taken during a panic attack or before any other anxiety situations. Some patients take them daily only to prevent any panic attacks to appear. These drugs aren’t the first choice for the doctors, because they can form habits, and are considered to be more effective in the first stage of the medical treatment, when the organism can’t resist to antidepressants, and, gradually, are utilized less and less that the psychotherapy and antidepressants can be more effective. There is also a Panic Disorder Treatment that doesn’t involves medications, and consists in the exposure to the phobia, and after multiple exposures, there will not be any panic attacks and breaks the phobia panic pattern, improving the patient’s condition. But, there are little phobias the can appear as a result of the panic attack, and can be eliminated by a simple procedure, called cognitive behavioral therapy or, again the exposure can be applied. Other types in treating the Panic Disorder include journaling, and consists in recording the patient’s activities, day by day, to find a way to deal with their personal phobias. Diaphragmatic breathing can help the patient doing breathing exercises. |
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