Oh no! “I'm having a heart attack... I'm short of breath, I feel like I'm going to faint, I feel a heaviness in my chest, I feel like my heart is going to come out of my mouth, I think I'm going to lose my mind.” We have usually experienced such complaints at some point in our lives or heard them from someone close to us. A psychological problem that we often encounter in our age, which is more common in men between the ages of 20-35, is panic attack or panic disorder. So, do we really know the name of the problem we are experiencing and what it is? The most distinctive feature of panic attacks is that they occur suddenly, without any reason, and are sometimes recurrent, exasperating and frustrating seizures in which moments of intense fear and distress are experienced. We call the attacks of fear and distress, which almost all sufferers express as "I must be having a crisis", as panic attacks. In addition to appearing suddenly, it gradually increases in intensity and lasts for an average of 10 to 30 minutes (sometimes up to 1 hour) before gradually disappearing. So what happens with Panic Disorder? It can also be expressed as a panic attack, but it is the person's anxiety of expectation that he may have another attack after having a panic attack. In other words, it is the constant anxiety of a person, believing that he/she may have a panic attack and encounter negative consequences such as "having a heart attack, dying, losing control, or becoming paralyzed." In addition, dysfunction is observed in people with panic disorder compared to the person with panic attacks. Due to the fear and distress of having a panic attack, the person may behave in behaviors such as "hesitating to work, exercising, doing housework, sleeping, and always carrying medicine or water with him." It should not be forgotten that panic attack is a symptom and panic disorder is a diagnosis. While not everyone who experiences panic attacks will be diagnosed with panic disorder, it is possible that panic attacks may manifest themselves due to different mental problems. However, the person with panic disorder has recurrent panic attacks that drag the person into terror and fear. I would like to talk about panic attacks and panic disorder with an example case.
Client K. is 38 years old, married and the father of one child. he is a man. Although he was successful in his profession, K. had been struggling with difficult situations caused by panic attacks for 2 years in his life. Client K. experienced his first panic attack 2 years ago on an intercity bus trip. The moments he remembered were as follows: "I remember hearing constant crying coming from the front while trying to lean my seat back to sleep during the journey, and then experiencing those moments of terror." He believed that he would die without understanding what his situation was. He said that he turned around to recline the seat and suddenly experienced dizziness, felt like he was having a heart attack, had difficulty breathing, broke out in a cold sweat, experienced moments of terror, and tended to stop the bus and get out. He was admitted to the hospital due to several panic attacks he had recently. In addition, throughout the time he was having panic attacks, he was experiencing a panic attack at any time and could not get rid of the thought of whether he would experience the horrors and fears he first experienced, and experienced intense anxiety. At the same time, Client K. tended to avoid situations that he had to fulfill in daily life because he was afraid of experiencing a panic attack and was anxious.
It is possible that we may have experienced the panic attack that Client K experienced, or that we may have heard a similar situation from someone who did. So, it would be useful to consider the following steps in order to understand how panic attacks occur and at what stage panic disorder occurs. Starting of the first attack; It is a moment that terrifies the person with sudden onset of shortness of breath for no known reason, the feeling of having a heart attack, pain in the chest, difficulty breathing, shaking, chills, nausea, dizziness and the feeling of dying. A person goes to the hospital with the thought that his/her relatives are having a heart attack or the person himself/herself thinks that he/she is having a heart attack. At that moment, the person experiences thoughts such as "having a heart attack, dying, being paralyzed." Recurrence of attacks: The person experiences relief for a short time after the attack passes. But then the horrors and fears he experienced again manifest themselves. The urge to go to the hospital and be examined again every time. The thought that there is a problem in your heart or brain arises inside you. Do not enter with anxiety of expectation; Since my person experiences attacks, he starts to wait for the panic attack to come, as if he were waiting for a guest to come to the house. The fact that panic attacks occur in unexpected situations and times causes the anxiety of expectation to increase further. Changing behaviors; The person begins to take some precautions in order to prevent the attacks from occurring and the disasters that may occur during the attacks. These may show the behavior of eliminating sharp, breakable or pointed objects in order not to hurt myself if I lose control. In addition, if I have an attack while walking on the street or on the bus, the person becomes unconscious and starts not to take personal belongings with him in order to prevent someone from stealing my belongings. In fact, attacks cause so much terror and fear that the person may change his home or job, wanting the house he lives in to be close to the hospital or the workplace to be close to the pharmacy or hospital.
Is there a treatment for panic attacks? Yes, panic attack/disorder can be treated. Treatment is possible with medical treatment and cognitive behavioral therapy. Depending on the level of the attack, this process can be eliminated with medication, medication and therapy, or therapy alone. As it is known, drug treatment is the evaluation of the person's condition by psychiatrists and the administration of drugs at the appropriate dose. Therapy, on the other hand, is provided by expert psychologists, who do not require medication, to help correct negative automatic thoughts, correct false information and beliefs about the attack, and help people cope. The main information that should not be forgotten in panic attack/disorder: Panic attack is definitely not a problem that can lead to death or paralysis. Do not take medications that you have heard about or researched about, unless under a doctor's supervision, and do not use them because you think they will be good for you. Do not use different methods (alcohol, drugs, etc.) to suppress attacks. Consult your doctor or psychologist without wasting time thinking that it will go away on its own.
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