o provide a correct
diagnosis or relief.
   DOCTORS OFTEN TRY TO RULE
WHAT ARE SOME               OUT EVERY OTHER POSSIBLE
SYMPTOMS OF PANIC           ALTERNATIVE BEFORE
DISORDERS?
                            DIAGNOSING PANIC DISORDER.
•SWEATING                   TO BE DIAGNOSED AS HAVING
•HOT OR COLD FLASHES        PANIC DISORDER, A PERSON
•CHOKING OR A               MUST EXPERIENCE AT LEAST
SOMOTHERING
SENSATIONS                  FOUR OF THE FOLLOWING
•RACING HEART
                            SYMPTOMS DURING A PANINC
•LABORED BREATHING          ATTACK.
TREMBLING CHEST PAINS      A PANIC ATTACK CAN LAST LESS
•FAINTNESS
                            THAN 10 MINS OR AS LONG AS 45
•NUMBNESS
                            MINS. 10 MINS IS THE AVERAGE
•NAUSEA
                            TIME FOR AN ATTACK TO LAST.
•DISORIENTATION OR A
SENSE OF UNREALITY         AFTER A PANIC ATTACK A
•FEELINGS OF DYING,         PERSON CAN FEEL ANXIOUS OR
LOSING CONTROL, OR          JITTERY FOR MANY HRS AFTER
LOSING ONE’S MIND
                            HAVING A PANIC ATTACK.
MANY PEOPLE WITH PANIC DISORDER
DEVELOPE INTENSE ANXIETY BETWEEN
EPISODES. IT IS ALSO NOT UNUSUAL FOR
A PERSON WITH PANIC DISORDER TO
DEVELPE PHOBIAS ABOUT PLACES OR
SITUATIONS WHERE PANIC ATTACKS
HAVE OCCURRED. THE MORETHE
ATTACKS HAPPEN THE MORE THE
PERSON BEGINS TO AVOID SITUATIONS
WHERE THEY FEAR ANOTHER ATTACK
MAY OCCUR OR WHERE HELP WOULD
NOT BE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE.
   NO ONE REALLY KNOWS WHAT CAUSES PANIC
    DISORDER. HOWEVER, SEVERAL IDEAS ARE
    BEING RESEARCHED TO SEE WHAT CAN CAUSE
    THIS DISORDER. PANIC DISORDER SEEMS TO
    RUN IN FAMILIES, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT IT
    HAS AT LEAST SOME GENETIC BASIS.

   BIOLOGICAL THEORIES POINT TO POSSIBLE
    PHYSICAL DEFECTS IN A PERSON’S AUTONOMIC
    NERVOUS SYSTEM. GENERAL HYPERSENSITIVITY
    IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, INCREASED AROUSAL,
    OR A SUDDEN CHEMICAL IMBALANCE CAN
    TRIGGER PANIC ATTACKS. CAFFEINE, ALCOHOL,
    AND SEVERAL OTHER AGENTS CAN ALSO
    TRIGGER THESE SYMPTOMS.
PHOBIAS ARE IRRATIONAL,
INVOLUNTARY, AND INAPPROPRIATE
FEARS OF (OR RESPONSES TO) ORDINARY
SITUATIONS OR THINGS. PEOPLE WHO
HAVE PHOBIAS CAN EXPERIENCE PANIC
ATTACKS WHEN CONFRONTED WITH THE
SITUATION OR OB JECT ABOUT WHICH
THEY FEEL PHOBIC. A CATEGORY OF
SYMPTOMS CALLED PHOBIC DISORDER
FALLS WITHING THE BROADER FIELD OF
ANXIETY DISORDERS.
1.   SPECIFIC PHOBIA- AN EXTREME OR EXCESSIVE FEAR OF AN
     OBJECT OR SITUATION THAT IS NOT HARMFUL UNDER
     GENERAL CONDITIONS. PEOPLE WITH SPECIFIC PHOBIAS KNOW
     THAT THEIR FEAR IS EXCESSIVE, BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO
     OVERCOME THE EMOTION.
2.   SOCIAL PHOBIA (also called Social Anxiety Disorder)- SIGNIFICANT
     ANXIETY AND DISCOMFORT RELATED TO FEAR OF BEING
     EMBARRASSED OR SCORNED IN SOCIAL OR PERFORMANCE
     SITUATIONS (E.G., PUBLIC SPEAKING, MEETING PEOPLE, OR
     USING PUBLIC RESTROOMS). MOST PEOPLE EXPERIEINCING
     SOCIAL PHOBIA TRY TO AVOID SITUATIONS THAT PROVOKE
     THE DREAD, OR ENDURE THEM WITH MUCH DISTRESS.
3.   AGORAPHOBIA- THEFEAR OF EXPERIENCING A PANIC ATTACK
     IN SITUATIONS FROM WHICH ESCAPE MAY BE DIFFICULT OR
     EMBARRASSING. THE ANXIETY OF AGORAPHOBIA IS SO SEVERE
     THAT INDIVIDUALS TYPICALLY SEEK TO AVOID THE
     SITUATIONS ALTOGETHER. UNTREATED, AGORAPHOBIA CAN
     BECOM SO DEBILITATING THAT A PERSON MAY REFUSE TO
     LEAVE THE HOUSE.
Many people with phobias or panic disorder
"fear the fear," or worry about when the next
attack is coming. The fear of more panic attacks
can lead to a very limited life. People who have
panic attacks often begin to avoid the things
they think triggered the panic attack and then
stop doing the things they used to do or the
places they used to go.
   2 TYPES OF TREATMENT ARE AVAILABLE FOR
    PANIC DISORDER

    1.   MEDICATION- THIS DISORDER IS TREATED WITH
         BENZODIAZEPINES (XANAX, KLONOPIN, VALIUM
         ETC.)

   2. COGNITIVE THERAPY- IS USED TO HELP
    PEOPLE THINK AND BEHAVE APPROPRIATLEY.
    PATIENTS LEARN TO MAKE THE FEARED OBJECT OR
    SITUATION LESS THREATENING AS THEY ARE
    EXPOSED TO AND SLOWLY GET USE TO, WHATEVER IS
    SO FREIGHTENING TO THEM.
Panic disorders

Panic disorders

  • 2.
    o provide acorrect diagnosis or relief.
  • 3.
    DOCTORS OFTEN TRY TO RULE WHAT ARE SOME OUT EVERY OTHER POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS OF PANIC ALTERNATIVE BEFORE DISORDERS? DIAGNOSING PANIC DISORDER. •SWEATING TO BE DIAGNOSED AS HAVING •HOT OR COLD FLASHES PANIC DISORDER, A PERSON •CHOKING OR A MUST EXPERIENCE AT LEAST SOMOTHERING SENSATIONS FOUR OF THE FOLLOWING •RACING HEART SYMPTOMS DURING A PANINC •LABORED BREATHING ATTACK. TREMBLING CHEST PAINS  A PANIC ATTACK CAN LAST LESS •FAINTNESS THAN 10 MINS OR AS LONG AS 45 •NUMBNESS MINS. 10 MINS IS THE AVERAGE •NAUSEA TIME FOR AN ATTACK TO LAST. •DISORIENTATION OR A SENSE OF UNREALITY  AFTER A PANIC ATTACK A •FEELINGS OF DYING, PERSON CAN FEEL ANXIOUS OR LOSING CONTROL, OR JITTERY FOR MANY HRS AFTER LOSING ONE’S MIND HAVING A PANIC ATTACK.
  • 4.
    MANY PEOPLE WITHPANIC DISORDER DEVELOPE INTENSE ANXIETY BETWEEN EPISODES. IT IS ALSO NOT UNUSUAL FOR A PERSON WITH PANIC DISORDER TO DEVELPE PHOBIAS ABOUT PLACES OR SITUATIONS WHERE PANIC ATTACKS HAVE OCCURRED. THE MORETHE ATTACKS HAPPEN THE MORE THE PERSON BEGINS TO AVOID SITUATIONS WHERE THEY FEAR ANOTHER ATTACK MAY OCCUR OR WHERE HELP WOULD NOT BE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE.
  • 5.
    NO ONE REALLY KNOWS WHAT CAUSES PANIC DISORDER. HOWEVER, SEVERAL IDEAS ARE BEING RESEARCHED TO SEE WHAT CAN CAUSE THIS DISORDER. PANIC DISORDER SEEMS TO RUN IN FAMILIES, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT IT HAS AT LEAST SOME GENETIC BASIS.  BIOLOGICAL THEORIES POINT TO POSSIBLE PHYSICAL DEFECTS IN A PERSON’S AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM. GENERAL HYPERSENSITIVITY IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, INCREASED AROUSAL, OR A SUDDEN CHEMICAL IMBALANCE CAN TRIGGER PANIC ATTACKS. CAFFEINE, ALCOHOL, AND SEVERAL OTHER AGENTS CAN ALSO TRIGGER THESE SYMPTOMS.
  • 6.
    PHOBIAS ARE IRRATIONAL, INVOLUNTARY,AND INAPPROPRIATE FEARS OF (OR RESPONSES TO) ORDINARY SITUATIONS OR THINGS. PEOPLE WHO HAVE PHOBIAS CAN EXPERIENCE PANIC ATTACKS WHEN CONFRONTED WITH THE SITUATION OR OB JECT ABOUT WHICH THEY FEEL PHOBIC. A CATEGORY OF SYMPTOMS CALLED PHOBIC DISORDER FALLS WITHING THE BROADER FIELD OF ANXIETY DISORDERS.
  • 7.
    1. SPECIFIC PHOBIA- AN EXTREME OR EXCESSIVE FEAR OF AN OBJECT OR SITUATION THAT IS NOT HARMFUL UNDER GENERAL CONDITIONS. PEOPLE WITH SPECIFIC PHOBIAS KNOW THAT THEIR FEAR IS EXCESSIVE, BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO OVERCOME THE EMOTION. 2. SOCIAL PHOBIA (also called Social Anxiety Disorder)- SIGNIFICANT ANXIETY AND DISCOMFORT RELATED TO FEAR OF BEING EMBARRASSED OR SCORNED IN SOCIAL OR PERFORMANCE SITUATIONS (E.G., PUBLIC SPEAKING, MEETING PEOPLE, OR USING PUBLIC RESTROOMS). MOST PEOPLE EXPERIEINCING SOCIAL PHOBIA TRY TO AVOID SITUATIONS THAT PROVOKE THE DREAD, OR ENDURE THEM WITH MUCH DISTRESS. 3. AGORAPHOBIA- THEFEAR OF EXPERIENCING A PANIC ATTACK IN SITUATIONS FROM WHICH ESCAPE MAY BE DIFFICULT OR EMBARRASSING. THE ANXIETY OF AGORAPHOBIA IS SO SEVERE THAT INDIVIDUALS TYPICALLY SEEK TO AVOID THE SITUATIONS ALTOGETHER. UNTREATED, AGORAPHOBIA CAN BECOM SO DEBILITATING THAT A PERSON MAY REFUSE TO LEAVE THE HOUSE.
  • 8.
    Many people withphobias or panic disorder "fear the fear," or worry about when the next attack is coming. The fear of more panic attacks can lead to a very limited life. People who have panic attacks often begin to avoid the things they think triggered the panic attack and then stop doing the things they used to do or the places they used to go.
  • 9.
    2 TYPES OF TREATMENT ARE AVAILABLE FOR PANIC DISORDER 1. MEDICATION- THIS DISORDER IS TREATED WITH BENZODIAZEPINES (XANAX, KLONOPIN, VALIUM ETC.)  2. COGNITIVE THERAPY- IS USED TO HELP PEOPLE THINK AND BEHAVE APPROPRIATLEY. PATIENTS LEARN TO MAKE THE FEARED OBJECT OR SITUATION LESS THREATENING AS THEY ARE EXPOSED TO AND SLOWLY GET USE TO, WHATEVER IS SO FREIGHTENING TO THEM.