...Panic Disorder A panic attack is sudden and very intense feeling of fear that causes an extreme feeling of danger. It comes with symptoms of anxiety, rapid heart rate, cold sweats and hyperventilation. A person suffering from panic disorder may have several panic attacks in a month and have severe fear of having another. Panic disorder is a chronic, crippling condition that can be a major blow on a sufferer’s family, work, and life. The first attack comes without warning. A person can be running their daily errands when an attack can happen. Heart palpation, cold sweats and a feeling of immanent doom occurs. An attack can last for seconds or minutes but to a sufferer it feels like forever. Once you have your first attack you are left always waiting for the next attack to happen. One out of 63 Americans is affected each year with this debilitating disorder. The fear of panic attacks increases and a person begins to stay away from situations in which a panic attack has the possibility to happen. In extreme cases, a sufferer is afraid to leave the house for fear of an attack happening in an open public place where people can witness the panic attack, causing the feeling of embarrassment and being labeled “crazy”. This irrational fear is called agoraphobia. Researchers don’t know what exactly triggers panic attacks, but they believe part of it is genetic. They feel that people with this disorder may have increased sensitivity within the nervous system...
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...Case Study Report What diagnosis has been given to this client? Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia Background Information Please outline the major symptoms of this disorder. According to the DSM, the major symptoms of Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia are, recurrent panic attacks and enduring anxiety about experiencing another panic attack. The individual is also anxious about going places where escape might be difficult or embarrassing, or where they will be unable to receive assistance in case of emergency. The symptoms cannot be better explained by another medical or psychological effect. Briefly describe the client’s background (age, race, occupation etc). The client is named Annie, and she is a 24 year-old Caucasian woman. According to the case history she had an abusive relationship with her parents, and started experiencing mental health problems during puberty. Annie is currently unemployed, and is receiving disability payments from the federal government. Please describe any factors in the client’s background that might predispose him or her to this disorder. During the interview, Annie states that her childhood was normal. However, during the interview she occasionally alludes to some abusive experiences, but is reluctant to talk about them any further. The client also makes reference to the night terrors she experienced at the young age of four, eight and twelve. These “intense” nightmares terrified her growing up, and she attributes...
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...With no known cause, Panic Disorder (PD) is a great mystery. Affecting about 5% or 14 million people (Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, 2000); regardless of race or ethnicity, class or social standing, PD in not nearly researched enough to get the answers we need. Often showing the first symptoms in adolescence or early adulthood, PD affects women two to three times more than men. Though well documented and understood by the medical community, the average person experiencing the symptoms of Panic Disorder can expect to see at least ten doctors before their final diagnosis (helpquide, 2009). Once thought to be a “women’s” disease, it is now known that Panic Disorder affects any and every group of people. Most every person has experienced a “panic attack” in which they have an intense founded fear or dread that causes a “fight or flight” response in their body. The symptoms of fight or flight are commonly: heart palpitations or racing heart rate, shortness of breath, feeling faint or unsteady, shaking and trembling, tingling in the fingers or toes, choking sensations, hot and cold flashes, chest pain, abdominal distress, fear of going crazy, losing control or dying. Panic attacks come on suddenly, usually lasting less than 10 minutes, and peaking within five minutes. Sufferers experience a strong urge to find a safe place, or escape their situation. The difference between panic attacks and Panic Disorder is the frequency and cause of the attacks. As...
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...According to Rachman and Silva (2009), “Approximately 15 out of 1000 people will experience panic disorder at some point in their life. (p.19)” Actions all over the world have been taken to better treat individuals that suffer from anxiety disorders like panic disorder (Rachman and Silva, 2009, p.x). Although not every panic attack is associated with panic disorder, if untreated, it can become severe and possibly chronic (Rachman and Silva, 2009, p.19). Panic disorder afflicts approximately 1.5 to 3.5 percent of the entire population, specifically women (Root, 2000, p. 1). In the United States of America alone, there is an estimated three to six million individuals who suffer from this disease (Root, 2000, p. x). Panic disorder has an extensive...
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...Part I As of this date, the best evidenced-based treatment for treating panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia, appears to be a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy. There are numerous studies to support this claim, some of which will be discussed here. There have been a number of comparative studies of psychotherapy, drug treatment, and a combination of both in the treatment of panic disorder and most have indicated that a combination is superior to mono-therapy of either type (Bandelow, Lichte, Rudolf, Wiltink, & Beutel, 2014). There are other methods that are also used, but current research shows that none appear to be as effective as this combination. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses, although persons suffering from them rarely seek treatment. Specific phobias are the most common type of anxiety disorder followed closely by panic disorder/agoraphobia (PDAG). Anxiety disorders are now thought to originate from an interaction of psychosocial, genetic, and neurobiological factors (Bandelow et al., 2014). Panic disorder (PD) is associated with significant personal, social, and economic costs and ranks among the most expensive psychiatric disorders (White et al., 2013). Merriam-Webster defines panic disorder, panic attack and agoraphobia as...
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...A Critical Evaluation of Three Different Methods for Treating Panic Disorder A Critical Evaluation of Three Different Methods for Treating Panic Disorder Australia and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (2003) described panic disorder (PD) as an anxiety disorder in people that are characterised by intense fear within discrete periods, with the symptoms of ‘flight or fight’ response. Symptoms commonly associated with PD are: palpitations, accelerated heart rate, sweating, trembling and shaking, fear of losing control, abdominal distress and fear of dying. Studies across the developed world have shown that PD prevalence is between 1.4% and 2.9%, with more women being affected by PD (Australia & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 2003). PD can lead to serious consequences which can result in recurrent panic attacks, alcohol and drug abuse or risk of attempting suicide, if not treated (Bouton, Mineka, & Barlow, 2001). The three treatment methods that will be assessed are: Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) augmented by panic surfing, a combination of CBT and pharmacotherapy using serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and short term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP). It will be argued that a combination of CBT and SSRI is the best treatment for PD. CBT is a method that involves a paradigm of a fight or flight response and the role of bodily hyper-vigilance. Panic surfing is used to reduce anxiety by ‘riding out the wave of anxiety’ instead of trying to control...
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...Panic disorder is a disorder that a person experience when they have intense terror, often without warning and with no specific causes. What happens to the body? The side effect of having a panic disorder will cause the body to have extreme shortness of breath, chest pains, trembling, sweating, dizziness, and feeling of helplessness. A person with panic disorder feels that they going to have a heart attack. Panic Disorder shares the same biological characteristics with physical illnesses, such as asthma and hypertension. In the United States, women are twice as likely as men to have panic attacks; both have different biological in hormones and neurotransmitter as well when they have anxiety-provoking situations. According to the book,” Hormone...
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...by patients who suffer from panic disorders (and rightfully so) is what causes panic disorders. A panic disorder, which is different from the normal anxiety and fears that we face in our daily lives, is a sudden surge in anxiety and fear. It makes your heart pound abnormally, and is often characterized by a lack of breath. If left untreated, panic disorders can be lethal. To effectively remedy panic disorders, it is important to understand what causes the disorders in the first place. Unfortunately the causes of panic disorders is usually unknown. Studies on the disorder however allude to a combination of factors that may be responsible for the disorder. If you suspect that you might be suffering from...
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...Panic disorder is a psychiatric condition in which a patient experiences recurrent, unexpected panic attacks accompanied by concern about future attacks and/or a lifestyle change to avoid future attacks (Barlow 136.) The diagnostic criteria for panic disorder, according to the DSM-5, states that the patient must have: 1. Recurrent unexpected panic attacks 2. at least one of the attacks has been followed by one month or more of one or both of the following: (a.) persistent concern or worry about additional panic attacks or their consequences, or (b.) a significant maladaptive change in behavior related to the attacks, 3. the disturbance is not attributed to the physiological effects of a substance or another medical condition, and 4. the disturbance...
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...and sometimes people get so overwhelmed, they go into a state panic. Anxiety is actually a normal human reaction to stress. However, in severe cases, anxiety and panic can become disabling and interfere with everyday living. For an adolescent, life is already stressful enough. How does an adolescent, then, live day to day with one or both of these conditions? This paper will take an in depth look at what anxiety, specifically generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and panic disorder are, signs and symptoms that show severe anxiety and/or panic disorder is present in an adolescent, treatment methods for both GAD and panic disorder, and two websites offering advice and treatment for families with a diagnosed adolescent. While there are several types of anxiety disorders including GAD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), phobias, and panic disorder, this paper will focus on generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder in the adolescent population. Before we can discuss any aspects of GAD or panic disorder, we have to understand exactly what these two metal disorders are. Anxiety is the less severe disorder of the two. In general, anxiety is present in every human being. Feeling anxious is a normal circumstance in everyone’s life and, at times, can be beneficial in certain situations. Anxiety refers to the brain’s natural response to danger (Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders). To most people, this is referred to as our “fight or flight”...
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...What is panic disorder? Panic disorder falls under the umbrella of Anxiety Disorders. Anxiety disorders, such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post Traumatic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder are all fairly common. These disorders as a group are thought to affect up about 18% of adult in the United States and about 20% of adults worldwide. Panic Disorder is a condition that affects 2-3% of Americans, and it is twice as common in women than men. It is primarily characterized by the presence of unexpected and recurrent panic attacks. The definition of a panic attack is when “a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions, when there is no real or apparent danger”. Your body believes you are in...
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...Most human beings may already be experiencing disorders which is currently unknown to them. The two common disorders known is anxiety and panic disorder. Anxiety is a response to a situation, object, or person that the individual has come to fear through learning and experience (Doctor and Kahn, 1899). According to Hatloy (2012), anxiety is something learned in life due to the fact that probably one’s family may have had a tendency to see the world as antagonistic and unsafe and one figured out how to react in the same way. He also stated that some theories have suggested that one may inherit a tendency to be more anxious, and so it is a part of one’s personality. Panic disorder, on the other hand, is an abrupt surge of anxiety with a feeling...
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...The anxiety disorder is a comprehensive disorder which includes separation anxiety disorder, selective mutism, specific phobia, social anxiety disorder (social phobia), panic disorder, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, substance/medication-induced anxiety disorder, anxiety disorder due to another medical condition, other specified anxiety disorder,unspecified anxiety disorder on DSM-5. This case will be focused on a client who has panic disorder, so that I'm going to start with some information about it. ''The DSM-5 describes a panic attack as “an abrupt surge of intense fear or intense discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes.” Panic disorder can cause a variety of interpersonal and occupational problems. Individuals with recurrent...
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...Midbrain Volume Increase in Patients with Panic Disorder I. Statement of the Problem The study aims to investigate structural abnormalities of the midbrain using magnetic resonance imaging and to determine if there is a clinical correlation between midbrain volume and clinical measurements in patients with Panic Disorder. II. Findings Relative midbrain volume was larger in the Panic Disorder group than in the Healthy Controls group. The relative volume of the dorsal midbrain was larger in the Panic Disorder group, while the volume of the ventral midbrain was not. Results showed a significant positive correlation between relative dorsal midbrain volume and total Panic Disorder Severity Scale score, and a significant negative correlation between relative dorsal midbrain volume and Global Assessment of Functioning score in the Panic Disorder group. Thus, these findings suggest that the dorsal midbrain is associated with Panic Disorder pathophysiology. The midbrain volume increase may reflect Panic Disorder severity. III. Implications to Biological Psychology Biological Psychology is essentially concerned with the relationship between psychological processes and the underlying physiological events, in other words, the mind-body phenomenon. This study between the midbrain volume and patients with panic disorder yielded a significant result. At the onset of this study the extent to which the midbrain is associated with Panic Disorder pathophysiology is unclear, but after...
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...Exposure Therapy and Medications Anxiety medications may facilitate the process of recovering from anxiety disorders when combined with counseling and will perform a vital role in recovery. Some individuals believe that if they just take their anxiety medication symptoms will go away, nevertheless, this is not always the case. The goal of treatment is to reclaim the optimal functioning of the individual's wellbeing for instance body and mind. In some cases, medications can facilitate the process, but medication alone may not create the change the client wants. (Elliott Ingersoll, 2016) Medications can control anxiety and/or panic attacks from and individual thinking about or being exposed to an object or situation they may fear. When working with a client that needs exposure therapy, the doctor might give the client Antidepressants, Bate Blockers, or Sedatives. Treatment depends on what phobia you are experiencing. There are three types: Agoraphobia: mainly when it's accompanied with a panic disorder, agoraphobia is typically treated with exposure therapy and/or with SSRIs. Social phobia: can be treated with exposure therapy and/or with antidepressants or beta blockers. Specific phobias: are typically treated with exposure therapy. (Sucheta Connolly, 2006)...
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