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1. Talking About Panic Attacks
Panic attacks are real! Panic attacks is a phenomenon which affects millions of people. About 6 million American adults suffer from this disorder and they are twice as common in women than in men. It could hit anyone, anytime, without warning, and for no apparent reason. A panic attack is characterized by a pounding heart, sweatiness, faintness, or dizziness. Also, when a person is experiencing a panic attack, he/she usually will experience a sense of unreality, fear of impending doom, or a fear of losing control.
Panic attacks, continuously occurring in a person’s life, are usually diagnosed as a panic disorder. Panic attacks, when it becomes so severe in a person’s life, can develop into a phobia called agoraphobia-a fear of leaving the house. Agoraphobia literally means a fear of the marketplace (Lee, 1997). Yet, people with agoraphobia fear more than just public or open locations; they have a fear of grocery stores, malls, other people’s houses, church, concert halls, school, and sports arenas-just about everyplace except the safety of their own house (Lee, 1997).
Getting treated early for agoraphobia can often prevent the phobia from taking a stronghold of the person’s life. However, a lot people with a panic disorder may suffer for years without being properly diagnosed . They just go on with their lives trying to deal with this problem other their own. However, there is help for people suffering from panic attacks. For example, conventional treatments include medications or doing certain kinds of cognitive psychotherapy.
Lee, J. (1997). Coping with Anxiety and Panic Attacks (5th ed.).
The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.-New York: NY
2. The Word “Panic”
Not a lot of people know where the word “panic” came from; its origins. It reference to panic attacks it is only appropriate to learn about the origination of this word, panic. The term ‘panic’ comes from the name of the Greek god Pan (Rachman & De Silva, 2004). In the Greek mythology, Pan was a cloven-footed and dwarfish god who lonely and moody (Rachman & De Selva, 2004). He had a very mischievous sense of humor and loved to harass human beings (Rachman & De Silva, 2004).
The story goes, as a practical joke, Pan would jump out in front of a wanderer who happened to be passing by the cave where he was hiding with a shrill and terrifying scream (Rachman & De Silva, 2004). The sharp terror or fear felt by the wanderers who experience this treatment would be called ‘Panic’ (Rachman & De Silva, 2004).
Thus, it is after this Greek mythology god that we today uses the word panic to describe this sudden onset of intense fear.
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3. The Anatomy of Panic Disorder
In is very important to get a detailed and comprehensive understanding as to symptoms necessary for a person to be classified as having a panic disorder. It is very easy to label a person having panic attack(s) as having a panic disorder. However, there are requirements for which panic attacks or general anxiety occurrences can qualify as being due to panic disorder.
The American Psychiatric Association comprehensive classification of psychological disorders is widely used to define the features/anatomy of panic disorder. Here are they are:
1. The person experience repeatedly unexpected episodes of panic.
2. At least one of the many episodes is followed by persistent worries (lasting a month
or more) of having another panic attack or by a significant change in the lifestyle or
behavior related to the panic attacks.
3. At least four of the following sensations/feelings were experience during an episode:
shortness of breath, dizziness or faintness, increased heart rate or pounding heart,
trembling or shaking, feeling of choking, sweating, stomach distress or nausea, feeling
that one’s surroundings or oneself are not quite real, feelings of numbness or tingling
sensations, hot flushes, or chills, chest pain, or discomfort, a fear of dying, and a fear
losing control or of going crazy.
4. The attacks are not directly caused by a drug or a general medical condition.
Episodes relating to panic disorder may occur frequently on a daily basis or several times a week (Rachman & De Silva, 2004). Eventually, as the panic episodes persist, the person begin to anticipate and fear the occurrence of more episodes in various settings and at unpredictable times (Rachman & De Silva, 2004).
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4. Understanding Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety disorder is synonymous with panic disorder (Rachman & De Silva, 2004). Anxiety disorder is a broad term used to refer to a variety of psychological disorders with anxiety being the core factor (Rachman & De Silva, 2004). Social phobias is one of a typical of anxiety disorders, where an individual experiences persistent anxiety in social situations (Rachman & De Silva, 2004). Another type of anxiety disorder is “Post-traumatic Stress Disorder” (PTSD). Post-traumatic stress disorder is classified as a person having intense fears that arise and persist after an unusually distressing experience such as a natural disaster, an accident or a violent attack (Rachman & De Silva, 2004).
In addition, the fears experienced from this disorder have heightened levels of arousal, an involuntary tendency to recall or re-experience the event during dreams or at other times, and by strong tendencies to avoid people or places that are associated with original stress (Rachman & De Silva, 2004). Children who have PTSD may suffer from delayed development in areas such as toilet training, motor skills, and language (www.webmd.com).
Furthermore, “Generalized Anxiety Disorder” (GAS) is another form of anxiety disorder. A person with GAS is characterized as having persistent, excessive, unrealistic anxiety about possible misfortunes such as serious financial losses, ill-health, the welfare of one’s children or combinations of these misfortunes (Rachman & De Silva, 2004).
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5. What Causes Panic Attacks
If you ever wonder what causes panic attacks then you will this article very informative. First, it is important to note that the cause of panic attacks is not due to just one factor. Like any other behavioral illnesses, the causes of panic attacks are many. However, there is evidence that panic attacks may be generational problem. Nevertheless, evidence point to the fact that panic attacks may be a learned response and that the attacks can be initiated in otherwise healthy people simply given the right situations (www.emedicinehealth.com).
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV(DSM-IV) from the American Psychiatric Association, defines panic attacks as discrete periods of intense fear of discomfort, where 4 (or more) of the following symptoms develop abruptly and reach a peak in about 10 minutes:
· Palpitations, pounding heart, or fast heart rate
· Sweating
· Trembling and shaking
· Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
· Feelings of chocking
· Chest pain or discomfort
· Nausea or abdominal distress
· Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint
· Derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)
· Fear of losing control or going crazy
· Fear of dying
· Paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations)
· Chills or hot flashes
Finally, it is important to note that the attacks can render an individual so incapable of functioning, a normal task such as articulating to others of what is happening to them (www.emedicinehealth.com).
Sources:
eMedicineHealth-Practical Guide To Health
http://www.emdicinehealth.com
