Morenko Svetlana
The
Institute of Corrective Pedagogy and Psychology, student
Pet’ko Lyudmila
Ph.D., Associate Professor,
Dragomanov
National Pedagogical University (Ukraine,
Kyiv)
PANIC DISORDER
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by
recurring severe panic attacks. It may also
include significant behavioral changes lasting at least a month and of ongoing
worry about the implications or concern about having other attacks. The latter
are called anticipatory attacks (DSM-IVR). Panic disorder is not the
same as agoraphobia (fear of public
places), although many afflicted with panic disorder also suffer from
agoraphobia [6]. Panic disorder is different from the normal fear and anxiety
reactions to stressful events in our lives. Panic disorder is a serious
condition that strikes without reason or warning [5].
In the UK, approximately one person in 100 has panic disorder. Most
people first develop the disorder when they are in their twenties. The
condition is approximately twice as common in women as it is in men. At least
one person in 10 experiences occasional panic attacks, which are usually
triggered by a stressful event. For people with panic disorder, feelings of
anxiety, stress and panic occur regularly and at any time. The main aim of
treatment for panic disorder is to reduce the number of panic attacks that you
have and to help ease the severity of your symptoms. The two main types of
treatment for panic disorder are psychological
therapy and medication.
A panic attack occurs when your
body experiences a rush of intense psychological (mental) and physical symptoms
[4].
The symptoms of a panic attack usually peak within 10 minutes, with most
attacks lasting for between 5 and 20 minutes. Some panic attacks have
been reported to have lasted up to an hour. The
symptoms of a panic attack can be very frightening and distressing. Symptoms
tend to occur very suddenly, without warning and often for no apparent reason.
As well as
overwhelming feelings of anxiety, a panic attack can also cause the following
symptoms: a sensation that your heart is beating irregularly (palpitations),
sweating, trembling, hot flushes, chills, shortness of breath, a choking
sensation, chest pain, nausea, dizziness, feeling faint, numbness, or pins and
needles, dry mouth, a need to go to the
toilet, ringing in your ears, a feeling of dread, or a fear of dying, a
churning stomach, a tingling sensation in fingers, shivering, shaking. Some
people have panic attacks once or twice a month, while others have attacks
several times a week [10].
Panic attacks can occur in children, as well as adults. Panic in young
people may be particularly distressing because children tend to have less
insight about what is happening, and parents are also likely to experience
distress when attacks occur [6].
A clinical
psychologist Paul Salkovskis describes the symptoms of panic disorder, the
treatments available, and what to do if someone you know has a panic attack
[4].
According in psychological way there is no single cause for panic
disorder, however, panic disorder has been found to run in families, and
suggests that inheritance
plays a strong role in determining who will get it [7]. It has also been found
to exist as a co-morbid
condition with many hereditary disorders, such as bipolar disorder, and a genetic predisposition to alcoholism.
Psychological factors, stressful life events, life transitions,
environment, and thinking in a way that exaggerates relatively normal bodily
reactions are also believed to play a role in the onset of panic disorder.
Often the first attacks are triggered by physical illnesses, major stress, or
certain medications. People who tend
to take on excessive responsibilities may develop a tendency to suffer panic
attacks. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients also show a much higher rate of
panic disorder than the general population [7].
Anxiety is a feeling of
unease. The feeling of unease can range from mild to severe, and can include
feelings of worry and fear. There are several different conditions that can
cause severe anxiety. They include: 1) phobias (an extreme or irrational fear
of an animal, object, place or situation), 2) generalised anxiety disorder (GAD): a long-term
condition that causes excessive anxiety and worry relating to a variety of
situations [11],
3) post-traumatic stress disorder (a condition that has
psychological and physical symptoms and is caused by very frightening or
distressing events).
Phobias are actually quite common, affecting more than 10% of the U.S.
population. Phobias are the most common mental disorder in the United States,
but far more women than men are affected by phobias. According to the American Psychiatric Association, a phobia is an irrational and excessive
fear of an object or situation. In most cases, the phobia involves a sense of
endangerment or a fear of harm. For example, those suffering from agoraphobia fear being trapped
in an inescapable place or situation. Phobic symptoms can occur through
exposure to the fear object or situation, or sometimes simply thinking about
the feared object can lead to a response. Common symptoms associated with
phobias include: dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, a sense of unreality, fear
of dying.
There are three
types of phobias: 1) Social phobias – fear of social
situations, 2) Agoraphobia – fear of being trapped
in an inescapable place or situation, 3) Specific
phobias – fear of a specific object (such as snakes).
There are four
major types of specific phobias: 1) The
natural environment – fear of lightening, water, storms, etc., 2) Animal – fear of snakes, rodents,
spiders, etc., 3) Medical – fear of
seeing blood, receiving injections, visiting a doctor, etc., 4) Situational – fear of bridges, leaving
the home, driving, etc. [1; 2; 12].
Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized
by persistent, excessive, and unrealistic worry about everyday things. People
with the disorder, which is also referred to as GAD, experience exaggerated
worry and tension, often expecting the worst, even when there is no apparent
reason for concern. They anticipate disaster and are overly concerned about
money, health, family, work, or other issues. GAD is diagnosed when a person
worries excessively about a variety of everyday problems for at least 6 months.
GAD affects 6.8 million adults, or 3.1% of the U.S. population, in any given
year. Women are twice as likely to be affected.
The disorder comes on gradually and can begin across the life cycle,
though the risk is highest between childhood and middle age. Although the exact
cause of GAD is unknown, there is evidence that biological factors, family
background, and life experiences, particularly stressful ones, play a role [3].
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop following a traumatic event that threatens your
safety or makes you feel helpless. PTSD can affect those who personally
experience the catastrophe, those who witness it, and those who pick up the
pieces afterwards, including emergency workers and law enforcement officers. It
can even occur in the friends or family members of those who went through the
actual trauma. Traumatic events that can lead to PTSD include: war, natural
disasters, car or plane crashes, terrorist attacks, sudden death of a loved
one, rape, kidnapping, assault, sexual or physical abuse, childhood neglect [8;
9].
Bibliography
1. Cherry Kendra. Phobia
– What is a Phobia? [Web
site]. – Access mode: http://psychology.about.com/od/phobias/f/dis_phobiadef.htm
2. Fendelman Jane. What Are the Most Common Phobias? (Video)
http://video.about.com/psychology/What-Are-the-Most-Common-Phobias-.htm
3. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) [Web site]. – Access
mode: http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad
4. Panic Disorder (Video) [Web
site]. – Access mode: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Panic-disorder/Pages/Introduction.aspx
5. Panic Disorder [Web site]. – Access mode: http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/mental-health-panic-disorder
6. Panic
Disorder [Web site]. – Access mode: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_disorder
7. Panic Disorder and
Pharmacological Treatment Options / "Retrieved,
2012. – 05 – 12.
9. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(Video) [Web site]. – Access
mode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGWSSUNXn4A
10. Symptoms of panic disorder [Web site]. – Access mode:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Panic-disorder/Pages/Symptoms.aspx
12. Woman Freaks Out Over Birds (Video)
[Web site]. – Access
mode: http://animal.discovery.com/tv-shows/my-extreme-animal-phobia/videos/woman-freaks-out-over-birds.htm