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Panic Disorder
Maritza Contreras
Psychology
Period 5
Definition:
•
Panic disorder is an anxiety
disorder. when panic attacks
occur repeatedly, without
warning. These attacks can
happen many times every day or
every week. People with this
disorder might worry about
having these attacks throughout
the day. It can interfere with
work and personal life.
Second Definition:
•
5/4/11
Panic disorder is also an anxiety disorder
marked by unpredictable minutes-long
episodes of intense dread in which a person
experiences terror and accompanying chest
pain, chocking, or other frightening sensations.
Associated Featres
•
Some of the behaviors, feelings, and thoughts are the following:
•
Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
•
Sweating
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Trembling or shaking
•
Feeling or choking
•
Chest pain or discomfort
•
Nausea or abnormal distress
•
•
Feelings of dizziness, unsteadiness,
lightheadedness, faintness
Feelings of unreality (derealization)
or a sensation of being detached
from oneself (depersonalization)
•
Fear of losing control or going crazy
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Fear of dying
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Sensations of tingling or numbness
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Chills or hot flushes
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Associated Features
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DSM-IV-TR Criteria
A) Both (1) and (2)
(1) recurrent unexpected Panic Attacks
(2) at least one of the attacks has been followed by 1 month (or more) of one
(or more) of the following:
(a) persistent concern about having additional attacks
(b) worry about the implications of the attack or its consequences (e.g., losing control,
having a heart attack, "going crazy")
(c) a significant change in behavior related to the attacks
Associated Features
B) The Panic Attacks are not due to the direct physiological effects of a
substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general
medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism).
C) The Panic Attacks are not better accounted for by another mental
disorder, such as Social Phobia (e.g., occurring on exposure to
feared social situations), Specific Phobia (e.g., on exposure to a
specific phobic situation), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (e.g., on
exposure to dirt in someone with an obsession about
contamination), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (e.g., in response to
stimuli associated with a severe stressor), or Separation Anxiety
Disorder (e.g., in response to being away from home or close
relatives).
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Etiology
-Causes of Panic Disorder
•
•
People tend to have this disorder during periods of
intense fear and physical discomfort.
A person could also have panic attack depending on
the person past experiences. (for example people
remember a place where they had that certain
situation).
Etilogy
•
•
Lactate is a chemical in the blood that normally produces no
psychological problems; in fact this it’s a production
stimulated by aerobic exercise, such as running or swimming.
According to lactate theory of panic disorder, they can feel
their blood increasing without doing exercise.
Norepinephrine is a type of neurotransmitter which that’s
what happens to a person that is placed under stress or in a
dangerous situation. Just like lactate theory individuals that
have panic attack can feel this way even though there are not
put under stress and dangerous situations.
Continuation of Etiology
•
Anxiety sensitivity theory is when people with
panic disorder tend to interpret cognitive and
somatic manifestations of stress and anxiety in
a catastrophic manner. Is basically people that
have “hypersensitive” is like a part of their
brain that is very sensitive which makes the
individuals get thrown into panic state.
Prevalence
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•
•
•
•
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This disorder is really common after the first panic attack.
A fairly high percentage of Americans, as many as 15% have experienced one or
more panic attacks.
However the diagnosis of panic disorder is fairly uncommon, it estimates of
lifetime prevalence rates ranging from 1.4 % to 2.9% both in the united states and
in other countries around the world.
Even though panic attack is relatively uncommon in general population; its very
common on clinical settings.
10% of the people that are referred for mental consultation are diagnosed, but the
percentage is more dramatic in general medical settings.
Most cases of panic disorder develop in people whom are around their 20’s and in
second small group of cases arising among the mid thirties.
Although some children and adolescents experience symptoms of panic attack the
disorder is relatively rare among these age groups.
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Treatment
The following treatments for panic disorder are:
 Gamma Knife is one of the first invented treatment on
1968. This is a radio surgery, it contains 201 small
cobalt sources of gamma rays that aim radiation to a
common focal point for the treatment of various
neuropsychiatric conditions, including obsessivecompulsive disorder.
Benzodiazephines is one of the most important and the
most recommend treatment because is the most
effective for panic disorder. This medication bind to
receptor sites of GABA neurons, which then become
activated by stimulation, leading to the inhabitation of
the brain involved in panic attacks.
Continuation of Treatment
-Relaxation training is also one the treatments. This
treatment uses behavioral technique, the client learn
how to systematically alternate tensing and relaxing
muscles all over their body, it usually starts from the
forehead working downward to the feet. This helps them
to relax their body and confronting a feared situation.
-Panic control therapy (PCT) consist of cognitive
restructuring, the development of awareness of bodily
cues. This treatment shows an improvement at levels
comparable of antanxiety medication. People that take
this treatment remain panic attack symptoms free.
•
Prognosis
The probable outcome of individuals that have
panic disorder is most likely to affect you for a short
time or it may continue for many years.

People that take treatment for panic disorders
improve in less than a year.

References
DSM IV Panic Disorders Criteria. (n.d.). Dsm iv panic disorders criteria.
Retrieved from http://www.biologicalunhappiness.com/DSMpanic.htm
Dewan,N., Zieman,G. (Oct. 2010).Panic disorder. Retrieved from
http://web.ebscohost.com/src/detail?sid=78b4b1ea-6005-4be5-a6f72eb36a4d2e40%40sessionmgr115&vid=1&hid=126&bdata=JnNpdGU9c3JjL
WxpdmU%3d#db=hxh&AN=36257090
Halgin,R.P.,& Whitbourne, S.K. (2005).Abnormal psychology: clinical
perspectives on psychological disorders. New York, NY:Mc Graw Hill.
Myers,D.G.(2011).Myer's psychology for ap. New York, NY: Worth Publishers
Disscussion
If you had someone or knew someone who
had or has a panic disorder, what would you
do in order to help them?