What is Panic Disorder?
Panic disorder is a mental disorder and can be treated with medication and or psychotherapy. People with panic disorder experience bouts of intense mental distress called panic attacks. Panic attacks manifest themselves with palpitations, sweating, inability to breathe, feeling of suffocation, tightness in the chest, nausea, dizziness, numbness in the face, hands and feet, tremors, hypersensitivity to physical sensations, the feeling of losing one's mind and fear of death. Panic attacks develop suddenly, without any reason, and usually quickly, reaching their peak in a short time. A panic attack lasts approximately 15-20 minutes on average. However, sometimes it may last for a short moment or just a few minutes, and sometimes it may last more than a few hours. After an attack, the person develops intense concerns about the possibility of another attack or the physical symptoms that occur during the attack. Patients apply to emergency services with fears that they may have a heart attack, brain hemorrhage, or paralysis. They experience fear of being alone at home and not being able to go out alone, out of concern that they will have a panic attack. Over time, they develop phobias such as fear of planes, subways, ships and long bus rides. On the other hand, they move their residence address to a place closer to the health institution. This situation can lead to the inability to be alone and seriously restricts people's professional and social lives.
Causes of Panic Disorder?
The reason for the symptoms of a panic attack is thought to be irregularities in the release of biochemicals that enable communication in the brain. There is strong evidence that panic attack disorder may be due to familial causes. It has been observed that the first-degree relatives of people with panic disorder are 4-7 times more likely to have panic disorder than normal people. When we look at the history of people with panic disorder, it can be said that many of them have long-term psychosocial stress. Another suggestion is that these people are hypersensitive to stress. All of these are biochemical and neurophysiological reasons that cause the physical symptoms of a panic attack to occur. The reasons that trigger these and initiate the process are psychosocial factors. bun The most important of these is that the anxiety levels of parents or caregivers are high in early childhood and this situation is somehow reflected on the developing child. When the child constantly receives worry and anxiety from his environment, he develops a tense and anxious personality pattern. If this situation continues in the following years, the person becomes more sensitive to stress and troubles as an adult.
Why do symptoms occur in a Panic Attack?
Panic attack is an extreme state of the body's normal response to stress, fear and excitement. When faced with events that are seen as potential threats, the body prepares itself for danger by producing adrenaline for the "fight or flight" reflex. Thanks to the adrenaline secreted, the heartbeat accelerates, blood is drawn from some areas and pumped to the muscles, therefore the color of the skin becomes pale, the pupils dilate as the sympathetic nervous system activity increases and sweating increases. As the digestive system activity decreases, salivation decreases and dry mouth and constipation develop. With the sudden increase in metabolism, breathing accelerates, therefore a feeling of numbness develops in the hands and face, and in long-lasting attacks, involuntary twitches and contractions in the muscles may develop. What triggers all of these are unconscious, sudden and seemingly unreasonable mood changes, negative thought cycles and high levels of hormonal activities that spread throughout the body. The uncontrolled mental and physical reactions we experience due to these constitute the visible face of the panic attack.
What should be done during a Panic Attack?
Panic attack is a very serious situation. It should be known that although it may feel like it does not cause a serious health problem. Being aware that you are having a panic attack and focusing on your breathing will create a feeling of being in control of the situation and distract from anxious thoughts. Focusing on the emotions, thoughts or experiences that may have triggered the panic attack at that moment will increase insight and awareness and will be effective in the therapy of the disorder. Talking to someone in the environment, taking care of something, or simply moving around and observing the surroundings can distract your attention and help the attack pass. Overcoming panic attacks When the person succeeds several times, his/her confidence that he/she can overcome this will increase and he/she will have attacks less frequently.
Is it possible to treat Panic Disorder?
Panic Disorder is a treatable condition. It is discomfort. Medications and psychotherapy methods can be chosen separately, or both methods can be applied together. While medications reduce the level of anxiety, psychotherapy helps understand the relationship between emotions, thoughts, behavior and symptoms and overcome panic attacks. Since panic disorder is a chronic disorder, its treatment requires continuity and persistence. It is especially important to receive psychotherapy support from psychiatrists who have knowledge, experience and experience in this field, and from clinical psychologists who are experts in their fields.
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