Panic Disorder
Panic attack
Symptoms of a panic attack
It occurs suddenly, without any warning and without any way to stop it.
The level of fear is unrelated or greatly disproportionate to the objective reality.
- It is completely independent of any external objective threat. A panic attack can occur even during sleep.
- It subsides on its own within a few minutes. However, recurring attacks can continue for hours.
- Essentially, a Panic Attack is not dangerous! A panic attack is not truly life-threatening, but it can be frightening, largely because it is out of control and irrational (hence the fear of the sufferer that they are going crazy).
However, Panic Disorder is long-term harmful to health, as it often leads to other complications such as anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse, and even suicide.
Causes
- Personality Traits: Research shows that our biology contributes 40% to experiencing panic attacks, while psychological factors contribute 60%. This balance varies from individual to individual.
- Early experiences
- Sudden stressors - Children who have been exposed to traumatic events at a young age have an increased risk of developing panic attacks as they grow older.
- The number of repeated events that lead to increasingly intense panic attacks.
People who suffer from panic disorder and do not seek treatment are highly likely to face very unpleasant consequences, such as fears, various psychosomatic symptoms, and depression.
How certain are we that what we are experiencing is a panic attack?
The symptoms of a panic attack
A. PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS (4 OR MORE SYMPTOMS NEED TO BE PRESENT SIMULTANEOUSLY)
- Heart palpitations
- Sweat
- Shivering or Trembling
- Breathing difficulties or feeling of suffocation
- Sensation of choking
- Chest pain
- Nausea or abdominal discomfort
- Dizziness, instability or faintness
- Sensation of coldness or flushing
- Hallucinations (numbness or tingling)
- Depersonalization - The feeling of being outside of one's own body.
- Fear of losing control or going insane
- Fear of dying
B. At least 1 of the following symptoms must occur for at least 1 month
- Persistent worry about future panic attacks or their consequences (e.g., loss of control, heart attack, or fear of going crazy).
- A significant maladaptive behavior change related to panic attacks (avoidance behavior to prevent the recurrence of panic attacks, such as avoiding unfamiliar situations).
C. The disorder is not associated with physical symptoms caused by substances or medications.
D. The disorder is not better explained by another disorder.
IMPORTANT!
- We cannot induce a panic attack on our own! Panic attacks occur suddenly and unexpectedly, usually when we are unsuspecting, even when we are relaxed.
- When an event has caused physical symptoms and I worry about them, we are talking more about an anxiety attack or health anxiety.