Author Topic: Psychopathology Review: Panic disorder (Read 599 times)

Lorenzo · « **on:** February 09, 2011, 06:48:54 AM »

Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder in which someone has repeated attacks of intense fear that something bad will occur when not expected. The person lives in fear that another attack will occur.

Etiology and Epidemiology

The exact cause of panic disorders is unknown. Genetics may play a role. Studies suggest that if one identical twin has panic disorder, the other twin will also develop the condition 40% of the time. However, panic disorder often occurs when there is no family history.

Panic disorder is twice as common in women as in men. Symptoms usually begin before age 25, but may occur in the mid 30s. Although panic disorder may occur in children, it is often not diagnosed until they are older.

Before a diagnosis of panic disorder is made, people with this condition often have had visits to emergency rooms and health care providers for symptoms related to possible heart attack or other physical symptoms.

Clinical Signs and Symptoms:

With panic disorder, at least four of the following symptoms occur during an attack:

Chest pain or discomfort

Dizziness or faintness

Fear of dying

Fear of losing control or impending doom

Feeling of choking

Feelings of detachment

Feelings of unreality

Nausea or upset stomach

Numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, or face

Palpitations, fast heart rate, or pounding heart

Sensation of shortness of breath or smothering

Sweating, chills, or hot flashes

Trembling or shaking

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=37568.0

Lorenzo · « **Reply #1 on:** February 09, 2011, 06:50:03 AM »

Treatment and Management : (Psychotherapy, Lifestyle Change, Psychopharmacology)

Medications that may be used include:

*

Antidepressants called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are the most commonly used medications for panic disorder. They include fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), fluvoxamine (Luvox), citalopram (Celexa), and escitalopram (Lexapro).
*

Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and other antidepressants.
*

If SSRIs or SNRIs do not help, benzodiazepines may be used. They include alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), and lorazepam (Ativan). However, people can become dependant on or addicted to drugs in this class of medications. Ideally, these drugs should be used only on a temporary basis.
*

Other antidepressants and some anti-seizure drugs may be used for severe cases.
*

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as phenelzine (Nardil), tranylcypramine (Parnate), and isocarboxazid (Marplan), are only used when the other drugs do not work. Although they can be very helpful for treating panic disorders, MAOIs have serious side effects and can interact with other drugs and foods.

Cognitive-behavioral therapies should be used together with drug therapy. Ten to 20 visits with a mental health professional should take place over a number of weeks. Common parts of this therapy include:

*

Gaining understanding of and control over distorted views of life stressors, such as other people's behavior or life events.
*

Learning to recognize and replace panic-causing thoughts to decrease the sense of helplessness.
*

Learning stress management and relaxation techniques to help when symptoms occur.
*

Practicing systematic desensitization and exposure therapy, in which you are asked to relax, then imagine the things that cause the anxiety, working from the least fearful to the most fearful. Gradual exposure to the real-life situation also has been used with success to help people overcome their fears.

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=37568.0

MikeLigalig.com

Author Topic: Psychopathology Review: Panic disorder (Read 599 times)

Lorenzo

Psychopathology Review: Panic disorder

Lorenzo

Re: Psychopathology Review: Panic disorder