Living with Panic Disorder

Living with Panic Disorder

People diagnosed with panic disorder may live a very scary life – having completely random panic attacks and being terrified of their return. Panic attacks are unexpected and may not have any reasoning behind them. They may occur during the day, night and even whenever someone wakes up from sleep. Although typically diagnosed after age 20, panic disorder can affect children, causing them to have panic-like symptoms or, fearful spells (Panic Attacks, 2017).

As reported by the U.S. Department of Health (2016), around 2-3% of Americans are diagnosed with panic disorder each year with twice as many women affected than men. The ailment can cause people to miss work, struggle with everyday life, and completely avoid normal situations that they believe may lead to an attack, such as driving. Often, people are fearful of leaving their homes, developing a disorder known as agoraphobia.

Symptoms

A panic attack is an intense wave of fear that reaches a peak within a few minutes. At least four of the following symptoms are typically present (Symptoms, 2017):

Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate

Sweating

Trembling or shaking

Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering

Feelings of choking

Chest pain or discomfort

Nausea or abdominal distress

Feeling dizzy, unsteady, light-headed, or faint

Chills or heat sensations

Paresthesia (numbness or tingling sensations)

Derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself) Listen to this podcast.

Fear of losing control or going crazy

Fear of dying

Treatment

People with panic disorder often fail to realize that their condition is real and quite receptive to treatment. A victim of the ailment may feel afraid to express their symptoms or embarrassed to admit their feelings to their family, friends, and health professionals for fear of being labeled as insane. Therefore, patients suffer on their own, distancing themselves from help and support. Cognitive behavioral therapy is considered the most helpful treatment for panic disorder, agoraphobia, and panic attacks. Specialists aim to guide a patients thinking patterns and attitudes about the disorder. A common goal of therapy is to see the fear of a panic attack in a realistic point of view. An example of this may be to think of what would realistically happen if a person had a panic attack behind the wheel. The person may be afraid, but should be able to pull over and breathe, giving themselves enough time to regain calmness before continuing their drive (Stefan, 2016).

Another common cognitive therapy used to dampen the effects of a panic attack is called exposure therapy. During this treatment, the patient is asked to simulate the experience of a panic attack in a controlled setting. For instance, they may be asked to breathe quickly, shake their head, or not breathe at all, in an attempt to cause feelings comparable to an attack. The procedure is then repeated to diminish the intensity felt internally while panic ensures. Patients who experience exposure therapy find that it helps them control their panic attacks.

Many medical practitioners recognize that while medication will not treat or cure panic disorder, it may be used to reduce the intensity of symptoms and allow patients to temporarily control their condition. Therefore, medication is saved for severe cases of the disorder and is most effective when combined with cognitive therapy or other treatments that address the causes of panic disorder.

Self-Help Tips for Panic Attacks

While professional assistance and cognitive therapy can be beneficial in treating panic disorder, there are several ways you can help manage your symptoms:

Education. Learning about panic disorder, symptoms, and treatment is a great first step to relieving stress caused by the illness.

Avoid smoking, alcohol, and caffeine. Substance use of many kinds can aggravate the conditions of people who struggle with panic disorder. They have been known to cause panic attacks, feelings of helplessness, and raise fear.

Learn how to control your breathing. During a panic attack, it is common to hyperventilate which can cause the body to feel lightheaded or tightness in the chest area. If you can focus on breathing properly, you can relieve these feelings. Learning to control breathing is also beneficial as a calming technique.

Take the time to relax. Activities such as meditation and yoga can be very helpful when controlling stress and anxiety, leading causes of panic attacks.

Spend time with people who matter to you. Stress and anxiety can be extremely powerful when someone feels alone. Therefore, it is beneficial to reach out to loved ones often and build supportive relationships with people.

Exercise regularly to relieve stress and anxiety.

Get enough restful sleep as not to aggravate emotions during the day.

When Someone Is Having a Panic Attack

Below are tips for you or your loved one to consider during a panic attack:

A panic attack cannot last forever. It comes to a peak and then anxiety has to decrease. It is physiologically impossible to peak forever. Once youve gone to the highest point of your anxiety, the only place to go from there is down. A panic attack is uncomfortable, but please remember that it will fade away.

Emotions are like a wave, they will come and go.

These feelings have happened before, and you have survived each time. Take a deep breath, you can do this.

Avoiding treatment or the cause of anxiety is detrimental. Avoidance now will mean sustained anxiety in the future.

Read More Here:

Panic Attacks. (2017). Retrieved January 07, 2018, from https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/panic-attacks/

Stefan G. Hofmann, Ph.D. Consulting Editor, Hay, P. A., & Barthel, B. A. (2017, December 13). Panic Attacks And Anxiety Attacks: Panic Disorder Treatment. Retrieved January 07, 2018, from https://www.anxiety.org/panic-disorder-panic-attacks

Symptoms. (2017). Retrieved January 07, 2018, from https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/panic-disorder-agoraphobia/symptoms

U.S. Department of Health. (2016). Panic Disorder: When Fear Overwhelms. Retrieved January 07, 2018, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms/index.shtml

Thank you for learning about panic disorder. Now that weve covered the basics, lets have a discussion on this topic.

Have you ever experienced the symptoms of panic disorder? If so, please share your experience with us.

If yes, what was your support system like at that time? How did they help you handle your symptoms?

Have you ever witnessed a loved one going through the symptoms of Panic Disorder? If yes, how did you support them?

Since we have learned about the disorder, how will you help yourself or someone you love if you/they are having symptoms in the future?