PANIC DISORDER/PANIC ATTACKSPanic disorder is where you have recurring and regular panic attacks, often for no obvious reason.
Most of us will experiences feelings of anxiety and panic at certain times during our lifetime. It is a perfectly natural response, particularly when we feel we are in danger of facing a stressful situation. However, for people with panic disorder, feelings of anxiety, stress, and panic occur regularly and at any time.
A panic attack occurs when your body experiences a rush of intense psychological (mental) and physical symptoms.
You may feel an overwhelming sense of fear, apprehension, and anxiety. As well as these feelings, you may also experience physical symptoms such as:
•nausea
•sweating
•trembling
•a sensation that your heart is beating irregularly (palpitations)
Panic attacks can be very frightening and intense, but they are not dangerous. A panic attack will not cause you any physical harm and it is unlikely that you will be admitted to hospital if you have had a panic attack.
How common is panic disorder?
At least one in 10 people experience occasional panic attacks, which are usually triggered by a stressful event or situation.
The number of panic attacks that you have will depend on the severity of your condition. Some people may have one or two attacks each month, while others may have several attacks a week.
In the UK, approximately one person in 100 has been affected by a panic disorder. The majority of 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.
ANXIETY Anxiety is a feeling of unease. The feeling of unease can range from mild to severe, and can also include feelings of worry and fear.
There are several different conditions which can cause severe anxiety. They include:
•phobias - an extreme or irrational fear of an flying, objects, places, or situation
•generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) - a long-term condition that causes excessive anxiety and worry relating to a variety of situations
•post-traumatic stress disorder - a condition that has psychological and physical symptoms and is caused by very frightening or distressing events such as accidents, being involved in a fire etc.
STRESS Stress can affect different people in different ways, and people have a different method of dealing with it.
The chemicals that are released by your body as a result of stress can build up over time and cause various mental and physical symptoms. These are listed below.
Mental symptoms•anger,
•depression,
•anxiety,
•food cravings,
•lack of appetite,
•frequent crying,
•difficulty sleeping (mental),
•changes in behaviour,
•feeling tired, and
•difficulty focussing on anything
Physical symptoms•chest pains,
••dizziness,
•fainting spells,
•nail biting,
•nervous twitches,
•difficulty sleeping (physical).
constipation or diarrhoea,
•cramps or muscle spasms,
••feeling restless,
•a tendency to sweat,
•sexual difficulties such as erectile dysfunction or a loss of sexual desire,
•breathlessness,
•muscular aches,
Experiencing even one or two of these symptoms can make you feel anxious. This can be a vicious circle - for example, you want to avoid stress but symptoms such as frequent crying or nervous twitching can make you feel annoyed with yourself and even more stressed.
Counselling and/or CBT again can be very effective in looking at patterns of thinking and also looking at coping strategies to alleviate symptoms of stress and find ways of reducing and hopefully eliminating anxiety and panic attacks.
