Mental Disorder

Introduction To Panic Disorder

Panic disorder involves sudden and regular occurrences of panic or fear by an individual. People experience these feelings during difficult and stressful times as a way of coping with the situations. However, for people with panic disorder, these feelings are experienced for no particular reason at any time. Therefore, as a medical disorder, one must be aware of the signs and symptoms associated with the disorder. This will enable the person affected and those around them to know how to manage the situation when it occurs and prevent another occurrence. Moreover, treatment options can be sought to enhance the affected person's health.

Category of Mental Disorder

Panic disorder falls under the anxiety disorders category of mental disorders. Anxiety disorders are among the most recurrent mental disorders affecting adults at certain points in their life (Muskin, 2021). Anxiety or fear is considered a natural emotional response towards an imminent or current threat associated with a fight or flee reaction. Anxiety disorders make people avoid scenarios that can evoke or worsen the signs and symptoms (Muskin, 2021). The affected person’s performance in their routine activities can be significantly affected. These may include work activities, education, or social relations with other people. Thus, for a diagnosis of anxiety disorder to be made, the person's fear should be uncontrollable, out of proportion with the situation, and prevent normal work and social performance. The significant distinguishing factor for panic disorders as an anxiety illness is the recurrent episodes of panic attacks accompanied by physical and mental anguish. Therefore, panic disorders can be perceived to originate from a combination of aspects that alter an individual’s mental instability

. Characteristics of Panic Disorder

The signs and symptoms of panic disorder are vast and may vary from one person to another in terms of their presentation combination. The intensity may also differ from severe to mild. The main characteristic of this mental disorder is anxiety, where the affected person may feel uneasy ("Panic disorder," 2020). As a result, the affected people may try to avoid a certain situation for the fear that it might evoke anxiety attacks. This fear can eventually establish a cycle of “fear of fear," which can contribute to the causes of the attacks, thus deteriorating the situation ("Panic disorder," 2020). The worst form of anxiety is panic; hence, an individual's anxiety can worsen over time, resulting in panic attacks. The panic attacks include enormous psychological and biological symptoms. They occur rapidly and for no particular reason ("Panic disorder," 2020). The symptoms may include; an elevated heart rate, faintness, sweating, chest aches, difficulty breathing, hot flushes, choking agitation, ringing of the ears, and shaky limbs. Moreover, the affected person may fear dying ("Panic disorder," 2020). The symptoms may last from a few minutes to over an hour. The number of attacks may vary depending on the severity of the condition. Panic attacks are frightening; however, they are not physically hazardous to an individual. Thus, one may not be hospitalized in the event panic attacks occur. The symptoms of this disorder may, however, overlap with those of other illnesses. Therefore, people must learn to distinguish the main symptoms and seek medical advice.

Treatment Options

The first step in administering treatment for panic disorders is conducting a physical exam to ensure that no underlying biological issues are causing the symptoms. Secondly, the patient's mental status is assessed by a psychiatrist ("Panic Disorder: When Fear Overwhelms," 2022). These steps enable the medical practitioners to develop a diagnosis that aids in administering treatment. One of the treatment methods for panic disorders is psychotherapy, specifically the cognitive behavioral theory (CBT) ("Panic Disorder: When Fear Overwhelms," 2022). This treatment procedure aims at enabling the patient to learn about the various ways of responding to a panic attack before or during its occurrence by changing one’s thoughts, behavior, and reaction. The other method of treatment is through medication such as anti-anxiety drugs. These enable the reduction of severity of the panic disorder symptoms. Both treatment methods take time to respond to; hence, the patient should work closely with the medical practitioner to ensure that the strategies employed are working.

Coping Strategies

Several approaches can be established to ensure that a person with panic disorder can cope with the situation. According to the article "Panic disorder" (2020), in the event of an imminent panic attack, the person should; avoid fighting the feeling, maintain their position where possible, breathe slowly and deeply, remind themselves that the attack is there to pass, and remember that it is not life-threatening. Moreover, the patients should try to concentrate on positive thoughts and ideas to establish a calming effect on their anxiety. Most people feel that they may be experiencing a heart attack during the panic attack periods. Therefore, such people should accept their disorder and remember that it does not physically harm anyone; instead, they should learn to embrace the coping mechanisms for their disorder to ensure more peaceful experiences.

Conclusion

Understanding a mental disorder's signs and symptoms, the treatment procedures, and coping mechanisms are imperative in managing it. Moreover, the treatment can be easily sought, ensuring good health for the patient. Panic disorders can be worrying; however, people should know they are biologically harmless. This can be the first step in reducing the severity of the condition by breaking the cycle of "fear of fear ."This enables the patients to calmly deal with the occurrence of the panic attack without making it worse. As a form of treatment, altering one's mindset towards the positive reaction and response to the disorder can promote the patient's mental wellness.

References

Muskin, P. (2021). What are anxiety disorders? psychiatry.org. https://psychiatry.org/patients-families/anxiety-disorders/what-are-anxiety-disorders.

Panic disorder. NHS.UK. (2020). https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/panic-disorder/.

Panic disorder: when fear overwhelms. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2022). https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms#:~:text=Panic%20disorder%20is%20generally%20treated,the%20best%20treatment%20for%20you.