Panic disorder is a psychological state in which the patient encounters frequent panic attacks along with changing behavior that persists about one month or longer. The patient develops internal phobic sensations, which instigate the person's aversion to certain external things. While panic disorders treatment takes into account genetic & neurological factors, doctors also argue that phobias can be the result of misinterpretation of thoughts which mislead emotions.
We can take the example of a woman who feels scared in a lonely house in the absence of other family members can get panicked with a thought of being left alone. This may lead to palpitation, short breath, perspiration, increased thinking over the fear which in all adds to the anxiety. Another implication may be that the otherwise benevolent normal body behavior or sensation into panic attack, which is termed as a behavioral model. For instance, in anger when a person has accelerating heart rate, he may imagine that anxiety to feel it like a chest pain caused in cardiac arrest. These two instances exhibit a panicked patient's phobia of sensations.
Panic Disorder Treatment Options
Panic disorders treatments vary depending on the patient's present condition. The best treatment is decided after a mutual discussion between the doctor and patient. Panic disorders are emotionally destructive and can disrupt a patient's thought process, making it difficult to get a good self-assessment of the extent of the panic disorder symptoms. Also, it's often difficult to diagnose the root cause for these disorders as the symptoms that the patient complains about may be linked to other health issues. But with a correct diagnosis and a holistic treatment program, the patient can usually regain a healthy state of mind and a normal, functional life.
For some sufferers, panic attacks are chronic in nature and have unexpected occurrences which usually persist for 10 minutes or more. Their occurrence can be unpredictable and happen several times in a single week, or even a single day. The symptoms can also "mimic" real physical illnesses at times. For example, around 25% of patients who consult a doctor or visit an emergency room for chest pain, are actually suffering from a panic disorder which requires treatment.
Since phobias are normally the result of one's psychological state, medical treatment for panic disorder is sometimes controversial. However, medications are routinely prescribed along with psychological counseling, especially when the patient's situation is acute. Medication treatment for panic attacks can typically include anti-depressants (which aid to obstruct the symptoms), anti-anxiety pills (which help to control anxiety), however the patient might resort to these drugs out of fear of panic attacks and there is always the chance of developing a dependency, as well as experiencing side effects from medical treatments.
One popular type of medical panic disorder treatment, benzodiazepines (a drug usually associated with anti depressants), has proved to be a good option for many sufferers due to its high efficiency, immediate onset of effects, robustness and minimal side effects. However, it is rarely recommended as a long-term treatment because of dependency issues and extinction of the calming affect with continued use.
Of patients diagnosed with panic disorder in the US, approximately 26% suffer from agoraphobia, and 33% suffer from social phobia (or social anxiety). These panic disorder types hamper the patient's social interaction and activities. In extreme cases, panic attacks can actually lead the patient to commit suicide. Hence panic disorder treatment has to be holistic, and an understanding, human approach can best help the sufferer to recover. Frequent counseling with a doctor or therapist is required when anti-anxiety drugs are used, as these treatments need to be carefully monitored.
Altogether, panic disorder treatment options should be assessed by the patient's doctor or therapist, and it is important that the sufferer is treated as any other normal human being, as more than the medication itself, the approach and tone used by the practitioner also matters a great deal in recovery.
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