panic attack

Examples of panic attack in the following topics:

• Panic Disorder and Panic Attacks

  • A panic attack is a sudden period of intense anxiety; if these attacks occur often, they may indicate a panic disorder.
  • People with panic disorder experience recurrent (more than one) and unexpected panic attacks, along with at least one month of persistent concern about additional panic attacks, worry over the consequences of the attacks, or self-defeating changes in behavior related to the attacks (such as withdrawing from social activities out of fear of having an attack) (APA, 2013).
  • People with panic disorder may become so afraid of having panic attacks that they experience what are known as anticipatory attacks—essentially panicking about potential panic attacks and entering a cycle of living in fear of fear.
  • In order to be diagnosed with panic disorder, a person must experience unexpected, recurrent panic attacks.
  • These panic attacks must also be accompanied by at least one month of a significant and related behavior change in relation to the attacks, a persistent concern or fear of more attacks, or a worry about the attacks' consequences.

• Introduction to Anxiety Disorders

  • "Anxiety disorder" refers to any of a number of specific disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, phobia, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder.
  • Caffeine, alcohol, and benzodiazepine dependence can worsen or cause anxiety and panic attacks.

• Pharmacotherapy (Medication)

  • Antidepressants are used to treat major and bipolar depression, panic attacks, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
  • Antidepressants are used to treat depression, panic attacks, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

• Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)

  • Panic attacks can also occur under intense fear and discomfort.
  • Indeed, one study reported that 92% of a sample of adults with social anxiety disorder reported a history of severe teasing in childhood, compared to only 35% of a sample of adults with panic disorder (McCabe, Antony, Summerfeldt, Liss, & Swinson, 2003).

• Maintaining Motivation

  • Problems resulting from stress include decline in physical health or mental health, a sense of being overwhelmed, feelings of anxiety, overall irritability, insecurity, nervousness, social withdrawal, loss of appetite, depression, panic attacks, exhaustion, high or low blood pressure, skin eruptions or rashes, insomnia, lack of sexual desire (sexual dysfunction), migraine, gastrointestinal difficulties (constipation or diarrhea), heart problems, and menstrual symptoms.

• How the Body Responds to Stress

  • Problems resulting from stress include decline in physical health or mental health, a sense of being overwhelmed, feelings of anxiety, overall irritability, insecurity, nervousness, social withdrawal, loss of appetite, depression, panic attacks, exhaustion, high or low blood pressure, skin eruptions or rashes, insomnia, lack of sexual desire (sexual dysfunction), migraine, gastrointestinal difficulties (constipation or diarrhea), heart problems, and menstrual symptoms.

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

  • People with PTSD may experience flashbacks, panic attacks and anxiety, and hypervigilance (extreme attunement to stimuli that remind them of the initial incident).

• Meditation

  • Studies have shown that rumination and worry contribute to mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, and that meditation-based interventions are effective in the reduction of worry, even in such extreme cases as panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

• The Value of Social Support in Managing Stress

  • For these people, stressful situations create higher amounts of panic, phobia, and disorder than for those with high social support.

• Somatic Symptom Disorders

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