Today's health information is 'Treatment of the causes and symptoms of panic disorder'.
What is panic disorder? It is a type of anxiety disorder in which you suddenly feel extreme fear and anxiety. Patients experience severe anxiety, agitation, and fear of death, and experience various physical symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain or tightness in the chest, dizziness, numbness in the hands and feet, and a feeling of heat.
Once panic disorder is diagnosed and appropriate treatment is started, symptoms tend to be relatively well controlled. Therefore, in order to overcome panic disorder, it is important to know exactly the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of this disorder.
Causes of panic disorder.
Until now, the exact cause of panic disorder is not known, but the theory that it is caused by a cause is the most widely accepted. In some panic attack patients, irregularly secreted 'norepinephrine' has been identified, which has made it known that panic disorder is associated with abnormalities in the neurotransmitter system.
Recently, various theories support this biological cause, suggesting that the brain circuits (amygdala, gray matter, hypothalamus, and locus nuclei) in patients with panic disorder show an inappropriate mechanism of action. In addition, he interprets panic disorder from a psychoanalytic perspective and a cognitive behavioral perspective.
Panic Disorder Symptoms/Initial Symptoms.
Panic disorder is a disorder in which unexpected panic attacks occur repeatedly, and when there are no symptoms, there is a fear in advance that the symptoms will appear, which adversely affects daily life. A panic attack is a symptom in which a person feels severe anxiety and fear along with various physical symptoms such as palpitations and dizziness despite the absence of any external threat.
A panic attack is essentially a normal reaction to an external threat. In patients with panic disorder, it is presumed that seizures occur due to inappropriate responses to situations in which there is no threat. Panic attacks are usually short-lived and peak symptoms within 10 minutes.
Symptoms usually resolve within 20 to 30 minutes and rarely exceed an hour. However, seizures do not end in one episode, but tend to appear repeatedly, days or months later.
- palpitations, a feeling of pounding heart or a rapid pulse
- Shaking hands or feet
- feeling like suffocating
- Nausea or stomach discomfort
- A sense of unreality or alienation (a strange feeling as if the world has changed or a feeling of being different)
fear of death
- Chills or a burning sensation
- sweaty
- Feeling short of breath or choking
- pain or discomfort in the chest area
- Feeling dizzy, staggering, or about to faint
- Fear of losing control or about to go crazy
- Unusual sensations (like tingling or numbness in the limbs)
Panic disorder can be defined when 4 or more of the above 13 symptoms occur along with severe fear or discomfort.
Panic Disorder Diagnosis.
In the case of panic disorder, a psychiatrist evaluates panic disorder through medical history and mental status examination. It is also important to identify the psychiatric disorders that coexist with panic disorder, and psychological testing can be done if necessary. Tests may be done to check for a physical condition that may be the cause.
Physical diseases with symptoms similar to panic attacks include coronary artery disease, thyroid dysfunction, parathyroid dysfunction, epilepsy, pheochromoma, hypoglycemia, and supraventricular tachycardia. Other tests include brain tests, blood tests, electrocardiograms, and urine tests.
panic disorder treatment.
Panic disorder starts with intermittent panic attacks at first, and then begins without much difficulty in life.
As these situations recur, we avoid places or situations where there is a possibility of panic attacks, and after that, we become afraid of all daily social activities. will have.
When this happens, patients feel no hope, fall into depression, depend on alcohol or tranquilizers, or even attempt suicide.
drug treatment.
For panic disorder, 'selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor', a type of antidepressant, is recommended first.
Although 'selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor' is a safe and effective drug, it usually takes 2-3 weeks or more to treat panic attacks, so anti-anxiety drugs such as 'benzodiazepines' are often combined in the initial stage of treatment.
There are many people who misunderstand that psychiatric drugs are drugs that are addictive and damage the brain, but 'selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor' is a non-addictive drug and not a drug that damages the brain.
The most important part of drug treatment must be performed according to the prescription and instructions of a psychiatrist. If the patient arbitrarily takes or stops taking the drug, the treatment may not work properly and the anxiety symptoms may get worse.
cognitive behavioral therapy.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is known to be effective in the treatment of panic disorder, and it is even more effective when combined with drug therapy.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a treatment that focuses on correcting distorted thoughts and avoiding behaviors by uncovering the close relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. By correcting distorted thoughts and movements, anxiety, fear, and panic attacks are reduced.
Cognitive therapy to explain panic disorder in detail to patients and to eliminate various misunderstandings or misbeliefs of the patient, and behavioral therapy to help patients access fear-free places and situations without anxiety.
It is important to observe one's symptoms or reactions objectively. For this purpose, it is important to prepare a panic record table and a mood record table, and to practice controlling the physical symptoms that occur during a panic attack by training on breathing control and muscle relaxation.
Above, we learned about 'the causes, symptoms, and treatment of panic disorder'.
Active treatment is important, but it also requires effort in daily life. Avoid excessive consumption of caffeine-containing foods, such as coffee, tea, and energy drinks, as high concentrations of caffeine can aggravate panic disorder. Therefore, it is recommended to stay away from it as much as possible.
I hope today's health information is of little help..!! ^^
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This information is a reference material to help you understand health information.
In order to accurately determine the patient's symptoms and disease, it is necessary to see a doctor.
