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.
Gerald Klerman of the World Psychiatric Association and author of the book, "Panic Anxiety and Its Treatments" points out that there are several DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria that must be fulfilled in order to classify someone as having panic disorder.
The first criterion is that one or more incident of panic attack should have occurred in a situation that is not considered to normally cause anxiety. This involves, but is not limited to, situations like relaxing at home, eating dinner, or cleaning a room. In addition, the person cannot be the center of attention when the panic attack occurred.
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.
During a panic attack, the suffer must also experience at least four of the symptoms above in rising intensity within ten minutes after experiencing the first symptom. At this point, suffers may feel confused and out of control.
The last criterion seeks to clarify the underlying cause of the panic attacks. If the attack was triggered by caffeine, amphetamines or hyper-thyroidism, the attack cannot be classified as the effect of panic disorder. Panic attacks can also be caused by stimulant-drugs or other unattended medical condition, and not necessarily by panic disorder.
Panic disorder is more than likely to be disruptive to a person's social life, work and relationships. No one has to deal with panic disorders for a long time as there are several options available for treating panic disorders.
Medicines and medical procedures are only done in extreme cases. A combination of lifestyle and behavioral change, eating a nutritious diet, getting enough rest, and learning how to manage stress in everyday life are sometimes enough to treat a person with panic disorder.
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