Panic disorder is one of several anxiety disorders that involve an intense, abrupt and oftentimes debilitating period of discomfort and fear. Panic disorders affect millions of men and women of all ages, and can be triggered by several situations or circumstances, real or imagined.
There are several criteria that must be fulfilled in order to declare someone as having a panic disorder. According to the late Dr. Gerald Klerman, member of the World Psychiatric Association and author of “Panic Anxiety and Its Treatments”, the DSM-III-R (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) specifies some criteria that must be met before officially declaring someone as suffering from panic disorder. The basics of the criteria are as follows:
First, one or more of the panic attacks must have occurred when the person was exposed to a situation that doesn’t typically cause anxiety. This could be anything from going to the grocery store, watching a movie they’ve already seen, or washing the dishes. The panic attack must also not be triggered by a situation where the person was the center of attention, such as a public speaking event, a birthday party, or other situation where they were the focus of a crowd.
The next criterion is about the frequency of the attacks. Four panic attacks should have occurred within a four-week timeframe. The person should have also experienced a constant fear or symptoms of fear after an attack. Symptoms may include paranoia, restlessness and difficulty sleeping.
For the third criterion, at least four of these symptoms must be apparent during a panic attack: accelerated heart rate, choking, chest pain or discomfort, depersonalization, dizziness, fear of dying, fear of being crazy, hot flashes, nausea, numbness or tingling sensation, sweating, shortness of breath, and shaking.
Fourth, the person must have experienced at least four of the symptoms in increased intensity within 10 minutes of the beginning of the first symptom they noticed they were having during the panic attack. In many cases, this means the person was feeling very out of control, unbalanced, and even confused.
The last condition states that the panic attack should not have been caused by stimulant drugs such as caffeine and amphetamines and by other medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism. A person should undergo further tests and diagnosis if he or she is taking supplements or stimulants in order to ascertain the existence of panic disorder.
Panic disorder often interferes with the normal functioning of a person as it can severely affect the relationships and activities of a sufferer. The good news is that panic disorder can be treated.
The effectiveness of treatment options will vary on a case to case basis. Medical intervention is only needed in a few, extreme cases. Typical treatments may involve a change in lifestyle or behavior, formulating and following a nutritional plan, getting enough sleep and rest, and learning healthy ways to handle stress.
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