What Is Panic Disorder And What Are The Complications Of Panic Disorder?

: Admin : 2021-12-15

When do you feel panic?

The human brain is formed of four lobes responsible for different physiological functions and life processes in the body. Each lobe is a centre to perceive sensations, carry impulses to different parts of the body in response to different stimulation, thereby coordinating and controlling voluntary and involuntary actions of the body. The brain is normally programmed to respond and interpret to an external stimulus that senses pain while some impulses control emotions like anger, grief and fear.

A normal response felt by every normal human being to any frightful, scary situation is panic or anxiety. A state of panic, fear, nervousness creeps in every individual who experiences dreadful, unpleasant, shocking circumstances. The unexpected fearful state makes the person indecisive, frightened and petrified. A normal response from a situation that creates a sense of panic in him is to escape from a series of fearful events or turn hostile to emerge victorious from the inimical incident.

What is a panic disorder?

A panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder. It causes an attack of panic, nervousness, fear when there is no real danger. The strong feeling of apprehension, nervous tension and distress makes the patient lose control of himself. He is unable to understand, comprehend the situation during a panic attack. He becomes desperate, indecisive to analyze the unfavourable mishaps or events. The attention deficit, judgement, focus to perceive the consequences and ability to form rational decisions are obscured during a panic disorder. Recurrent episodes of a panic attack that affect your life is termed as panic disorder.

The entire world was threatened by Covid 19, the anxiety that it will hit again post-vaccination is still within the minds of people. The world was in a state of panic disorder when covid 19 destroyed people's lives and those who recovered post covid suffered from its complications.  A natural disaster that caused the death of near and dear ones of millions of people globally has created a void or vacuum in the lives of people. People still panic if the diagnostic test for covid shows positive results. Family members and friends become anxious about health of patient who is hospitalized due to covid. Panic from similar natural catastrophe should be dealt with support from all resources, medical, government organizations globally as done during the times of covid pandemic. Covid pandemic has made each one realise that sudden, havoc, complicated times can distrub minds to cause a panic disorder. World should be prepared unitedly to fight against unknown forces of nature that cause panic within minds of people.

A patient may also have physical signs and symptoms like fast heartbeat, chest pain radiating to back, stomach pain, difficulty while breathing, weakness, dizziness, sweating, sensation of chill down the spine, nausea, shivering numb hands and body.

What are the causes of panic disorder?

An overwhelming terror-struck, sudden catastrophe registers in the brain. Patients having a genetic predisposition of getting nervous, fear, worry, being irrational and irresolute develop panic disorder. Every individual encounters challenge in his life. As a child, he faces difficult moments where mind and brain modify to balance obstacles in life. During adolescence he or she witness several odds, hurdles and stress while under  puberty competing tough times to succeed in study and work. Once he has secured job satisfaction, he is expected to follow the traditional custom of marriage. Marriage is an institution that bonds two individuals who give birth to offsprings of their own kind or children to continue life on earth.

Once she bears children, parents are responsible for their up bringing, adding more challenges to life. Ultimately parents turn old after fulfilling duties towards children and elders. During each transition from child to old age, an individual may go through unpleasant and troublesome events that cause panic disorder. A person may loose his family member, his loved ones,  that may trigger a panic attack. A major accident at times causes panic disorder. History of sexual abuse or a victim of sexual assault can be affected with panic disorder. Smoking, heavy alcohol intake can cause panic attack.  A prolong period of stress from any traumatic experience triggers panic disorder. An imbalance in chemical messengers or neurotransmitters in brain can cause panic disorder.

Panic attack last from 5 – 20 minutes. Some people experience it twice in a month or as frequently as twice or thrice in a week.

What are the types of panic attacks?

UNEXPECTED PANIC ATTACK occur suddenly even when the patient is relaxed without any particular reason to feel panic.

EXPECTED PANIC ATTACKS occur when the patient is exposed to a fearful situation, for example during take-off or landing from a plane or roller coaster rides.

What is the treatment for panic disorder?

A nervous sensation, fear, anxiety and panic during sudden terror creates lack of confidence, a feeling of shock. A patient who suffers from recurrent episodes of panic attack should consult a physician. A doctor notes symptoms from family members. He checks his vital signs and conduct a physical examination. Patients should not feel embarrassed to talk about emotions, feelings and personal life traumatic experiences with the consulting physician. A doctor will advise different treatment methods that aims to reduce number of panic attacks and ease symptoms.

A patient is prescribed medication that are anti-psychotic in nature. Anti-depressant, anti- epilepsy medicine as advised by the physician can help reduce symptoms of panic disorder. A clinical psychologist can guide patients to therapies and exercises.

PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES is a treatment based on cognitive behavioral therapy. A psychotherapy teaches different ways of thinking, behaving and reacting to feelings that develop during panic attack. Breathing exercises help you relax and stay calm. Physical activity, sports, help to decrease stress. Adequate sound sleep keeps you alert, lively and focused at work. A patient having a habit of consuming alcoholic beverages, caffeine, smoking and intoxicated drugs suffer from panic disorder. They should be completely  avoided by patients. A healthy social environment rich in cultural, moral values encourages patient to take right steps, towards rational thinking, mature productive decisions and form a correct judgment of any unexpected incident.

COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY help people to think rationally, new was to respond to situations that provoke anxiety. The negative spectrum of thoughts gets converted to more realistic and mindful ways of thinking.

EXPOSURE THERAPY involves people to repeatedly exposing patients to situations that trigger panic attacks. The patient gradually overcomes fear later by practising relaxation techniques.

PANIC FOCUSED PSYHODYNAMIC PSYCHOTHERAPY – It helps people to recover from recurrent panic attacks.

Patients who suffer from anxiety causing a panic disorder should not be left alone in times of difficult crucial moments. A strong support from family members and friends inspire him to overcome obstacles and conquer tough challenges in life. Counselling sessions should be held to explain patients of complications of panic disorder. He should be guided that fear is only an emotion, it should be defeated through wisdom, strength and will power to face all odds of life.

Awareness camps, programs that boost courage, determination, endurance and cognitive skills should be held in different health care institutions, youth clubs and organizations. Every individual should participate in activities that remove negative emotions, thoughts and prejudice towards life and people. A healthy life style with routine interaction in society, within community, family and friends contribute in comprehensive development of every individual.

What are the complications of panic disorder?

A patient who isolated, is left untreated from recurrent panic attacks can develop different phobias. He would have fear of driving, leaving his house and socialise in public. He would be apprehensive about future and continue to dwell on past unpleasant traumatic experience. He would face problems at school, work and profession. Subconsciously he broods, cries, disassociate from society with a risk to commit suicide. He may indulge into alcoholic consumption or become an addict to narcotics or similar drug misuse. Depression, anxiety neurosis and similar psychiatric disorders victimise him and he gets engulfed in a vicious circle of neurological disorders.

How does panic disorder affect children?

Panic disorder is common in teenagers than children. Panic disorders observed in children and adolescents need urgent medical attention. It retards development and thinking abilities in children and young adults. A doctor will prescribe definate treatment plan to children affected from panic disorder.

How can you prevent a panic attack?

A patient should be made aware of his psychological state. He should be preached and trained not to escape from critical situation or do not fight a panic attack. He should stay calm, balanced and remind himself that the attack will soon pass. One should focus on positive thinking, stay peaceful and relaxed. Yoga, meditation, regular exercise and mindful balanced healthy diet help to reduce stress, worry and tension. Panic disorder can be cured by following life style modification by conquering mind through peaceful routine activities.