A panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder. A
person suffering from panic disorder have frequent episodes of what is known as
panic attacks, episodes consisting of recurrent unexpected characterized by
extreme anxiety and fear accompanied by physical symptoms similar to those
triggered in the body in response to a danger imminent.
When in danger (imagine, for example, confronted with an armed criminal), the body begins to prepare for a reaction like "flee or fight." The heart rate speeds up and blood flows in the arms and legs causing a tremor or tingling sensation. You can start to sweat profusely and blush. Below is an increasingly intense state of fear, excitement and alertness. When people suffer a panic attack, these changes occur even if there is any sign of danger or threat. At the peak of a panic attack an individual may even feel a sense of unreality or a lag with respect to the real world. You may worry about death, fear of suffering a heart attack, losing control or, simply, to "lose his mind".
Some people with panic disorder suffer several panic attacks daily, while others may have only occasional episodes separated by several weeks or months. But once that panic attacks may occur without notice, even during sleep, people who suffer from this disorder are usually anxious and fear the occurrence of an episode at any time. They are concerned not only with the anguish, suffering psychological and physical discomfort that causes a panic attack, but also with the fact that his extreme behavior during an episode might cause them embarrassment or scare others. This unwavering fear and anticipation of the episode can make people end up attending avoid public places, especially in times or places where it would be difficult or embarrassing exit quickly and discreetly.
This fear is called agoraphobia. Individuals who suffer from agoraphobia may, for example, avoid watch shows very crowded, either open or closed; wait in line at a store, traveling by bus, train or plane, or drive on roads with bridges or tunnels.
Although the researchers did not fully understand why some people develop panic disorder, it is believed that this disorder is related to a change in brain connections processing and regulating emotions. Furthermore it is possible that individuals suffering from this disorder have inherited - due to genetic factors - a feedback mechanism such as "fight or flight" deregulated, which is more sensitive than normal or reacts in a more intense than would be expected.
Research involving close relatives of people who suffer from panic disorder demonstrate that diabetes has a genetic (hereditary). These close relatives have four to eight times as likely to develop the disorder than people without a family history of the disease. Moreover, women have twice as likely to develop panic disorder when compared to males and three times more likely to suffer from agoraphobia. On average, the symptoms are manifested for the first time around 25 years, but panic disorder and agoraphobia can affect people of all ages.
Some individuals with panic disorder are the first symptoms after a traumatic event in nature, such as a divorce, loss of job or death of a loved one. Scientists still have not figured out exactly what it takes to trigger a panic attack, but there are growing scientific evidence pointing to the fact that being exposed to situations of great stress early in life can make a person more likely to come to suffer from panic symptoms.
People suffering from panic disorder have an increased risk for the development of other types of psychiatric disorders. Indeed, it appears that, when the panic disorder is diagnosed, more than 90% of the people who suffer it also presents a picture of severe depression, an anxiety disorder otherwise, one or a Personality Disorder scenario of abuse of any substance.
Treatment
There are a variety of treatments - either psychotherapeutic or pharmacological - that you can use:
• Anti-depressants - Despite being associated with treatment of depression, these drugs have shown to be very effective in the treatment of panic disorder. Have a beneficial effect mainly by the action they exert on serotonin, one of the chemical messengers in the brain uses of responses processing anxiety. The popular selective inhibitors of serotonin reuptake (SSRI or in English SSRIs) such as fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, sertraline and paroxetine, are widely used. Both the oldest antidepressants, tricyclic - nortriptyline and imipramine as other antidepressants have also new generation remarkable therapeutic results. All antidepressants take several weeks to take effect, and as such, the doctor may prescribe the intake of fast-acting benzodiazepines to allow more immediate relief of symptoms.
• Benzodiazepines - This
group of drugs acts on another chemical messenger involved in the mechanism of
brain fear response, the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Examples of
benzodiazepines are clonazepam, lorazepam, diazepam and alprazolam. These drugs
are safe if they are used according to prescription and often provide rapid
relief of symptoms of panic.When in danger (imagine, for example, confronted with an armed criminal), the body begins to prepare for a reaction like "flee or fight." The heart rate speeds up and blood flows in the arms and legs causing a tremor or tingling sensation. You can start to sweat profusely and blush. Below is an increasingly intense state of fear, excitement and alertness. When people suffer a panic attack, these changes occur even if there is any sign of danger or threat. At the peak of a panic attack an individual may even feel a sense of unreality or a lag with respect to the real world. You may worry about death, fear of suffering a heart attack, losing control or, simply, to "lose his mind".
Some people with panic disorder suffer several panic attacks daily, while others may have only occasional episodes separated by several weeks or months. But once that panic attacks may occur without notice, even during sleep, people who suffer from this disorder are usually anxious and fear the occurrence of an episode at any time. They are concerned not only with the anguish, suffering psychological and physical discomfort that causes a panic attack, but also with the fact that his extreme behavior during an episode might cause them embarrassment or scare others. This unwavering fear and anticipation of the episode can make people end up attending avoid public places, especially in times or places where it would be difficult or embarrassing exit quickly and discreetly.
This fear is called agoraphobia. Individuals who suffer from agoraphobia may, for example, avoid watch shows very crowded, either open or closed; wait in line at a store, traveling by bus, train or plane, or drive on roads with bridges or tunnels.
Although the researchers did not fully understand why some people develop panic disorder, it is believed that this disorder is related to a change in brain connections processing and regulating emotions. Furthermore it is possible that individuals suffering from this disorder have inherited - due to genetic factors - a feedback mechanism such as "fight or flight" deregulated, which is more sensitive than normal or reacts in a more intense than would be expected.
Research involving close relatives of people who suffer from panic disorder demonstrate that diabetes has a genetic (hereditary). These close relatives have four to eight times as likely to develop the disorder than people without a family history of the disease. Moreover, women have twice as likely to develop panic disorder when compared to males and three times more likely to suffer from agoraphobia. On average, the symptoms are manifested for the first time around 25 years, but panic disorder and agoraphobia can affect people of all ages.
Some individuals with panic disorder are the first symptoms after a traumatic event in nature, such as a divorce, loss of job or death of a loved one. Scientists still have not figured out exactly what it takes to trigger a panic attack, but there are growing scientific evidence pointing to the fact that being exposed to situations of great stress early in life can make a person more likely to come to suffer from panic symptoms.
People suffering from panic disorder have an increased risk for the development of other types of psychiatric disorders. Indeed, it appears that, when the panic disorder is diagnosed, more than 90% of the people who suffer it also presents a picture of severe depression, an anxiety disorder otherwise, one or a Personality Disorder scenario of abuse of any substance.
Treatment
There are a variety of treatments - either psychotherapeutic or pharmacological - that you can use:
• Anti-depressants - Despite being associated with treatment of depression, these drugs have shown to be very effective in the treatment of panic disorder. Have a beneficial effect mainly by the action they exert on serotonin, one of the chemical messengers in the brain uses of responses processing anxiety. The popular selective inhibitors of serotonin reuptake (SSRI or in English SSRIs) such as fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, sertraline and paroxetine, are widely used. Both the oldest antidepressants, tricyclic - nortriptyline and imipramine as other antidepressants have also new generation remarkable therapeutic results. All antidepressants take several weeks to take effect, and as such, the doctor may prescribe the intake of fast-acting benzodiazepines to allow more immediate relief of symptoms.
However, this therapy should be prescribed as a rule only to be taken in a relatively short period of time, since the body becomes accustomed to the ease with some effect. On habituation, benzodiazepines may pass to provide fewer relief to the patient as time passes. On the other hand, can still give up this withdrawal reactions if medication is discontinued abruptly. The withdrawal ("weaning") of benzodiazepines should be done gradually and under medical supervision.
However, this medication has proven to be an important therapeutic tool in treating the short term, so the doctor will probably recommend it during the first weeks of treatment while waiting for the positive effects of anti-depressant medication to enter.
• Cognitive therapy - This non-therapeutic drug was designed with the aim of making the person who suffers from panic attacks understands the illogic of their fears. The therapist sometimes prepares the patient teaching her specialized techniques that help you manage your panic attacks.
• Behavioral therapies - These treatments include: the technique of in vivo exposure, a form of behavioral therapy that gradually exposes the individual to situations potentially fear-inducing, respiratory training, a technique focused on the control of breathing as a way to combat the feeling of panic, and the applied relaxation, a method that teaches the patient to control their anxiety levels by regulating muscle and the use of imagination.
For many patients, the most efficient approach involves a combination of one or more drugs in conjunction with a form of cognitive or behavioral therapy.
Prevention
There is no way to avoid panic disorder. Nevertheless, it may be possible to eliminate some episodes of panic attacks cutting the consumption of caffeine, alcohol, or other substances that can trigger manifestations of symptoms. Once diagnosed, treatment often eliminates panic attacks or at least makes them less intense.
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