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Panic Disorder: Understanding, Coping, and Recovery from Panic Attacks and Disorder

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  • Panic Disorder: Understanding, Coping, and Recovery from Panic Attacks and Disorder

There is a lot of stress in our day-to-day life, from work to relationships, from financial concerns to family problems and hence, stress and worry are inevitable. But when it becomes extremely overwhelming to handle with a lot of repressed emotions, and normally without an apparent reason a panic attack characterized by a quick panic episode can cause intense terror, tightness in the chest, palpitations, and a feeling of helplessness can occur. Frequent panic attacks can disrupt your everyday life and emotional health, even though they are not physically damaging. Persistent attacks can lead to the diagnosis of a panic disorder, causing more worry and thus, it is important to seek timely and appropriate help. 

Even when there is no real threat, a panic attack is a sudden, powerful outburst of dread that results in extreme physical reactions. You can have feelings of suffocation, a heart attack, or a loss of reality. Usually peaking within ten minutes, these episodes are quick to occur and usually last for short time intervals.  

Panic attacks may occur on their own or as part of another mental health condition such as: 

Although panic attacks are not life-threatening, they can be incredibly distressing and can limit a person’s quality of life if not addressed. But a lot of times these can be confused with anxiety attacks though these two are not the same. Anxiety attacks usually start with recognizable stimuli and develop progressively while panic attacks are more severe yet fleeting, and they frequently occur unexpectedly with no apparent cause. 

While not everyone who suffers a panic attack has panic disorder, a diagnosis may be taken into consideration if the attacks occur frequently and are followed by ongoing anxiety or behavioral abnormalities. 

Signs and Symptoms of a Panic Attack

As per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the persistent and unexpected occurrence of panic attacks for at least a month without an obvious trigger can lead to diagnosis of a panic disorder, or an attack followed by at least a month of worry of future attacks and maladaptive behavioural changes. As per the diagnostic criteria at least 4 or more of these symptoms need to be fulfilled for the diagnosis of a panic disorder. 

Common physical symptoms include: 

  • Chest pain or tightness 
  • Rapid heartbeat or palpitations 
  • Difficulty breathing or hyperventilation 
  • Sweating and chills 
  • Trembling or shaking
  • Nausea or dizziness 
  • Numbness or tingling sensations 

Emotional or cognitive symptoms may include: 

  • Fear of losing control or “going crazy” 
  • A sense of detachment from self or reality (depersonalization/derealization) 
  • Intense fear of death or disaster 
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Causes and Diagnosis of a Panic Attack

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There can be many underlying causes of a panic attack or panic disorder. 

 

  • Genetics: Your risk is increased if there is a family history of anxiety or panic disorder. 
  • Neurotransmitters: The brain’s chemistry may be affected by imbalances in neurotransmitters such as GABA, cortisol, or serotonin due to usage of drugs, medical conditions and genetic predispositions.  
  • Traumatic Experiences: Vulnerability may be heightened by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) or past trauma. 
  • Mental Health Concerns: People suffering from past trauma, anxiety, social phobia, and depression can be at a higher risk of experiencing panic disorders.  

To diagnose the cause of the symptoms and make an appropriate plan of treatment, a structured step is followed: 

  • Examination of medical history and symptoms 
  • Elimination of any physical reasons, such as thyroid or heart issues. 
  • If symptoms are persistent and inexplicable, use of DSM-5 criteria to assess for panic disorders. 

 

Interventions Based on Therapy

With the diagnosis of a panic disorder, a structured treatment plan needs to be followed by mental health professionals. At Veda Rehabilitation and Wellness, licensed mental health professionals and mindfulness experts follow a personalized treatment plan for each client as per their needs and intensity of the concern. A number of these therapies are employed to help them regulate and manage their attacks, regaining control over their lives. 

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): Assists in recognizing illogical patterns and beliefs that contribute to panic and substituting them with more sensible viewpoints. 
  • Exposure therapy: This method helps people become less sensitive and more resilient by exposing them gradually to frightening circumstances in a safe environment. This can be used as a onetime exposure, or gradual exposure with mindfulness exercises as in systematic desensitization. 
  • Drug Administration: To stabilize mood and lessen the frequency of panic attacks, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are frequently the first line of treatment. Benzodiazepines and others are administered but only with proper professional consultation and regular follow-ups to manage any side effects and regulate the progress. 
  • Lifestyle Changes: With yoga and outdoor and indoor games, the clients at Veda are encouraged to develop a healthy lifestyle, enhancing general emotional health and helping control stress hormones. Along with this, our nutritionists take care of a healthy diet and the serene environment contributes to establishing regular sleep schedules, reducing anxiety and boosting resilience. 
  • Grounding and Relaxation: During an attack, deep breathing can help reduce the heartbeat and regulate hyperventilation. Progressive muscle relaxation, or PMR, eases physical tension and tells the body to relax. These are practiced with our mindfulness experts along with grounding techniques like drawing attention to your physical senses, such as naming objects nearby or touching a textured object which helps you stay in the present.  
  • Education and Self-Awareness: Fear and shame might be lessened by knowing the facts about panic disorder. Recording panic attacks in a notebook can assist in determining causes and tracking advancement. Thus, proper psychoeducation sessions for the client and family members are provided at Veda. 

Although panic disorder can seem overwhelming, recovery is achievable with the appropriate assistance. Daily functioning and emotional well-being can be significantly enhanced by early diagnosis, suitable medication, effective therapy, and lifestyle modifications. The first step to taking back control is to ask for help and every human being deserves the right help and care.