What Is Panic Disorder? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

This disorder can lead to phobias, which cause people to avoid certain situations altogether.

Anxiety disorder, a type of anxiety disorder, is a serious condition characterized by at least one month of anxiety or worry about recurrent panic attacks and future attacks, as well as changes in attack behavior. Are.

For people with anxiety disorder, panic attacks are frequent and can occur at any time, leaving them often worried that there will be more attacks.

What Can Trigger a Panic Attack? 

Panic attacks are a hallmark of panic disorder, with sudden and recurrent fears of panic attacks. These attacks, which often begin in adolescence or early adolescence, are far more severe than general feelings of anxiety or stress. They usually pass after a few minutes and usually last no longer than an hour, but can go on again in a day.

You do not need to be officially diagnosed with panic disorder to attack. Some people have only one or two panic attacks in their life and they do not have panic disorder. Panic attacks are actually more common than panic attacks. According to a survey by Harvard Medical School, approximately 23% of people experienced at least one anxiety disorder in their lifetime, while only 3% experienced anxiety disorder in their lifetime. (1)

Panic can spread to some people from certain places or situations. Panic attacks can also occur without warning.

The physical symptoms of a panic attack are those who are in danger of fighting or flying – unless there is no danger.

“The combat or flight system is difficult to manage in dangerous situations for humans, and this trigger is triggered when distressed individuals react to a fight or flight,” says Beth Celsedo, MD, of Medical. It’s not really dangerous. ” Director of the Anxiety and Related Disorders Ross Center and board president of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

“Our heartbeats, and our circulation, support our large muscle groups so we can run, and as a result we feel dizzy because the blood is flowing differently. Reading to try, “she says.

Nosey Clemens, a licensed clinical social worker and director of NYC Cognitive Therapy in New York City, says she works closely with patients to make them feel that these often frightening physical symptoms can be tolerated. , And there is no fear of it. “A primary goal of treatment is for the client to learn that feelings of anxiety are normal and uncomfortable, but not dangerous.”

What Does a Panic Attack Feel Like? 

Panic attacks usually involve at least four symptoms (2).

Heartbeat (throbbing or racing heartbeat)
Sweating
Shivering or shaking
Chest pain or discomfort
Shortness of breath
Feels like you’re suffocating
Indifference or quarreling, especially in the hands
Feeling hot or cold
Feeling dizzy, light-headed or unstable
Nausea or upset stomach
Feeling we have ‘Run out of gas’ emotionally
Looks like you’re losing control or going crazy
Fear of death

How Do You Stop a Panic Attack?

Breathing exercises can be helpful in dealing with anxiety. Accelerating your breathing lowers your heart rate and helps shut down your body’s alarm system.

Here’s an easy breathing exercise:

When you are sitting or lying down, breathe slowly into your count as you count to five.
Breathe through your mouth to count to five.
Continue breathing for three to five minutes

When Is a Panic Attack a Heart Attack? 

The symptoms of a heart attack and panic attack may be the same, but there are ways you can distinguish one from the other. If you are having a heart attack, you will have the following experience.

Severe and increasing pain and pressure in your chest area
Pain that spreads from the chest area to your limbs or your neck
Deep breathing does not reduce symptoms
Physical activity worsens the symptoms
Avoid going to the emergency room if you are not sure what your symptoms mean. If you are worried that you are having a heart attack, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

What Causes Panic Disorder? 

The exact causes of anxiety disorder are not known, but researchers believe that biological and biological effects work together, making some people more prone to anxiety disorders.

Two main stimuli can contribute to episodes.

Life-stressful events, graduating from college, getting married, having a first child, walking, and getting divorced are important life changes that can cause feelings of great anxiety and worry.

Genetics, like many other mood disorders, runs in anxious families, and having parents with anxiety disorders can put you at a much higher risk for this condition.

How Common Is Panic Disorder?

In the United States, the annual prevalence of anxiety disorder is 2.7 percent, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH). About 45% of these panic disorder cases are considered “severe.” (3)

According to the NIMH, being in men causes anxiety disorders. (3)

What Happens If You Have Panic Disorder? 

Without treatment, anxiety disorders can worsen.

In extreme cases, agrophobia can develop in people with anxiety disorders: fear of places or situations from which escape may be difficult. Because of this disorder, people can stay indoors at all times.

Anxiety disorders are also associated with:

Depression and suicide risk
Substance abuse report
Medical complications
Financial problems and dependence on other people
Difficulty at work or school

Treatment and Medication Options for Panic Disorder

To find out if you have anxiety, your doctor will examine you and give you a blood test to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms, such as thyroid problems. Will order

Your doctor will then examine you for a psychiatric examination, which may include a mental health questionnaire, or refer you to a mental health professional who will diagnose you based on your symptoms.

It is important to know and record your symptoms for an accurate diagnosis.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), some research suggests that people may see 10 or more doctors before being diagnosed with anxiety disorder.

Cognitive therapy, also called CBT for short, is a form of therapy in which individuals work with the therapist to detect patterns of negative thinking and identify ways to deal with them. According to the APA, it is very effective in treating anxiety disorders. (4)

Although therapy is the treatment of choice for anxiety disorders, medications are sometimes used, often anti-pressure and anti-anxiety medications.
Because therapy and antidepressant medications can take several weeks to improve symptoms, your doctor may discuss the use of anti-anxiety medications (benzodiazepines) in the short term if your symptoms are severe. This medication can be discontinued when other treatments are effective. Commonly prescribed medications include:

Lexapro
Silica
Atiwan
Year

What Is Panic Disorder?
What Is Panic Disorder?

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