...Panic Disorder A panic attack is sudden and very intense feeling of fear that causes an extreme feeling of danger. It comes with symptoms of anxiety, rapid heart rate, cold sweats and hyperventilation. A person suffering from panic disorder may have several panic attacks in a month and have severe fear of having another. Panic disorder is a chronic, crippling condition that can be a major blow on a sufferer’s family, work, and life. The first attack comes without warning. A person can be running their daily errands when an attack can happen. Heart palpation, cold sweats and a feeling of immanent doom occurs. An attack can last for seconds or minutes but to a sufferer it feels like forever. Once you have your first attack you are left always waiting for the next attack to happen. One out of 63 Americans is affected each year with this debilitating disorder. The fear of panic attacks increases and a person begins to stay away from situations in which a panic attack has the possibility to happen. In extreme cases, a sufferer is afraid to leave the house for fear of an attack happening in an open public place where people can witness the panic attack, causing the feeling of embarrassment and being labeled “crazy”. This irrational fear is called agoraphobia. Researchers don’t know what exactly triggers panic attacks, but they believe part of it is genetic. They feel that people with this disorder may have increased sensitivity within the nervous system...
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...ago, when I was still a little boy, my aunt Tina was diagnosed with panic disorder. I heard that word very often during my family gatherings, when my family members were talking about my aunt's condition and everyone was worried about her. At that time, I was still too young to understand what was really wrong, or what all those big words meant. But, I often heard the word therapy and medication in reference to my aunt. Everybody looked very worried when her condition was discussed. Now that I am ten years older and taking a psychology course, I often think back and wonder what experience means in the professional world. In the frame of this current writing assignment I want to take the time out to find out what actually happened to my aunt and what she really experienced at this time. In order to fulfil this assignment, I will present findings from literature on panic disorder, and some of the experiences that my aunt shared with me in a recent conversation, in order to make make comparisons between literature and the actual experience that my aunt had. In Summery, it appears that panic disorder is characterized by an experience of unable terror that can impair peoples life on many levels and can also cause additional problems such as other anxiety problems and even depression. During the conversations with my aunt, I asked her how she experienced her condition. She said "It started out as one panic attack and then it increased.". When I asked her how those attacks felt...
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...and Fall Out Boy all set the stage for Panic! At the Disco to release their first album, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out on September 27, 2005. The lyrics on the album were composed by the band’s lead guitarist, Ryan Ross. Other main members of the band include lead singer, Brendon Urie, and drummer, Spencer Smith. Even though Panic! At the Disco has continued to release several albums, none of them have ever come close to having the same effect their first album had on the music community. This particular album has a different but catchy sound to it, story-like lyrics, and unique vocalization. To begin,...
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...With no known cause, Panic Disorder (PD) is a great mystery. Affecting about 5% or 14 million people (Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, 2000); regardless of race or ethnicity, class or social standing, PD in not nearly researched enough to get the answers we need. Often showing the first symptoms in adolescence or early adulthood, PD affects women two to three times more than men. Though well documented and understood by the medical community, the average person experiencing the symptoms of Panic Disorder can expect to see at least ten doctors before their final diagnosis (helpquide, 2009). Once thought to be a “women’s” disease, it is now known that Panic Disorder affects any and every group of people. Most every person has experienced a “panic attack” in which they have an intense founded fear or dread that causes a “fight or flight” response in their body. The symptoms of fight or flight are commonly: heart palpitations or racing heart rate, shortness of breath, feeling faint or unsteady, shaking and trembling, tingling in the fingers or toes, choking sensations, hot and cold flashes, chest pain, abdominal distress, fear of going crazy, losing control or dying. Panic attacks come on suddenly, usually lasting less than 10 minutes, and peaking within five minutes. Sufferers experience a strong urge to find a safe place, or escape their situation. The difference between panic attacks and Panic Disorder is the frequency and cause of the attacks. As...
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...Almost everyone has an irrational fear or two—of mice, for example, or your annual dental checkup. For most people, these fears are minor. But, when fears become so severe that they cause tremendous anxiety and interfere with your normal life, they’re called phobias. ------------------------------------------------- What is a phobia? (SLIDE 1) @ A phobia is an intense fear of something that, in reality, poses little or no actual danger. -Common phobias and fears include closed-in places, heights, highway driving, flying insects, snakes, and needles. -However, we can develop phobias of virtually anything. @ Phobia develop in childhood and adulthood. Most phobias develop in childhood, but they can also develop in adults. @ Phobia can affect relationship, school, work or daily life activities. -If you have a phobia, you probably realize that your fear is unreasonable, yet you still can’t control your feelings. Just thinking about the feared object or situation may make you anxious. And when you’re actually exposed to the thing you fear, the terror is automatic and overwhelming. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXAMPLE:(SLIDE 2) Barbara’s fear of flying Barbara is terrified of flying. Unfortunately, she has to travel a lot for work, and this traveling takes a terrible toll. For weeks before every trip, she has a knot in her stomach and a feeling of anxiety that won’t go away. On the day of the flight, she wakes...
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...Deborah Milliones SPH 101 Informative Speech Panic/Anxiety Attacks General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: To inform my audience of the impact an Anxiety Disorder is very serious. Central Idea: I will tell my audience more in depth about anxiety disorders, the 6 main types of anxiety disorders and their symptoms and my personal experience with an anxiety disorder. Attention Getter: We’ve all had nervous breakdown or feel self-conscious on some occasions, like me now while giving this speech. Let me share my story, two years ago, on January 7th, 2014. I had come home from a tiring day so I went upstairs to lie down. Well unfortunately I never got my rest for the day. I sat on the bed and my heart begin to beat rapidly which scared me half to death. I didn’t know what was going on. I thought it could have been pounding because my doctor had recently adjusted my blood pressure medication. The rapid, pounding, and racing continued for two weeks I became frantic by this time. To make a long story short, after finally receiving the medical attention and meeting with my doctor I was informed that I was experiencing a panic attack or anxiety attack. I. Main Point One: What are anxiety disorders? A. Anxiety is basically our body’s natural response to danger. It is an automatic alarm that go off when you feel threatened an it usually occurs suddenly and without any warning. It can happen to you anywhere, anytime, and any day. ...
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...6/8/12 What are moral panics? What are 'moral panics'? Hayley Burns If we do not take steps to preserve the purity of blood, the Jew will destroy civilisation by poisoning us all. (Hitler, 1938) Surely if the human race is under threat, it is entirely reasonable to segregate AIDS victims, otherwise the whole of mankind could be engulfed. (The Daily Star, 2 December 1988) Although an extreme illustration, the above quotes serve to set up the creation of a 'moral panic'. Just as Hitler's 'facts' were unfounded, so too were The Daily Star and what resulted from both incidents was, in effect, the persecution of two minority groups within society. Hitler's quote stemmed from the use of propaganda, and although it would be fair to say that the essence of what is termed 'propaganda' does not exist in such a force today, it is nevertheless evident that what was quoted from The Daily Star is tantamount to propaganda. Throughout history, the mass media industry has been utilised as a tool to appeal to the public at large, particularly in the field of politics, where people in a position of power can tempt society into believing what they want them to believe. As Eldridge describes "The media, wittingly or unwittingly, reproduce the definitions of the powerful." [Eldridge 1997: 65] This document will examine not only the essence and origin of the term 'moral panic' but the very important nature of the media's involvement in the whole process of creating a 'moral panic'. It was Stanley Cohen...
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...Everybody has experienced feelings of anxiety from time to time; and sometimes people get so overwhelmed, they go into a state panic. Anxiety is actually a normal human reaction to stress. However, in severe cases, anxiety and panic can become disabling and interfere with everyday living. For an adolescent, life is already stressful enough. How does an adolescent, then, live day to day with one or both of these conditions? This paper will take an in depth look at what anxiety, specifically generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and panic disorder are, signs and symptoms that show severe anxiety and/or panic disorder is present in an adolescent, treatment methods for both GAD and panic disorder, and two websites offering advice and treatment for families with a diagnosed adolescent. While there are several types of anxiety disorders including GAD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), phobias, and panic disorder, this paper will focus on generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder in the adolescent population. Before we can discuss any aspects of GAD or panic disorder, we have to understand exactly what these two metal disorders are. Anxiety is the less severe disorder of the two. In general, anxiety is present in every human being. Feeling anxious is a normal circumstance in everyone’s life and, at times, can be beneficial in certain situations. Anxiety refers to the brain’s natural response to danger (Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders)...
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...A Critical Evaluation of Three Different Methods for Treating Panic Disorder A Critical Evaluation of Three Different Methods for Treating Panic Disorder Australia and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (2003) described panic disorder (PD) as an anxiety disorder in people that are characterised by intense fear within discrete periods, with the symptoms of ‘flight or fight’ response. Symptoms commonly associated with PD are: palpitations, accelerated heart rate, sweating, trembling and shaking, fear of losing control, abdominal distress and fear of dying. Studies across the developed world have shown that PD prevalence is between 1.4% and 2.9%, with more women being affected by PD (Australia & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 2003). PD can lead to serious consequences which can result in recurrent panic attacks, alcohol and drug abuse or risk of attempting suicide, if not treated (Bouton, Mineka, & Barlow, 2001). The three treatment methods that will be assessed are: Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) augmented by panic surfing, a combination of CBT and pharmacotherapy using serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and short term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP). It will be argued that a combination of CBT and SSRI is the best treatment for PD. CBT is a method that involves a paradigm of a fight or flight response and the role of bodily hyper-vigilance. Panic surfing is used to reduce anxiety by ‘riding out the wave of anxiety’ instead of trying to control...
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...Case Study Report What diagnosis has been given to this client? Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia Background Information Please outline the major symptoms of this disorder. According to the DSM, the major symptoms of Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia are, recurrent panic attacks and enduring anxiety about experiencing another panic attack. The individual is also anxious about going places where escape might be difficult or embarrassing, or where they will be unable to receive assistance in case of emergency. The symptoms cannot be better explained by another medical or psychological effect. Briefly describe the client’s background (age, race, occupation etc). The client is named Annie, and she is a 24 year-old Caucasian woman. According to the case history she had an abusive relationship with her parents, and started experiencing mental health problems during puberty. Annie is currently unemployed, and is receiving disability payments from the federal government. Please describe any factors in the client’s background that might predispose him or her to this disorder. During the interview, Annie states that her childhood was normal. However, during the interview she occasionally alludes to some abusive experiences, but is reluctant to talk about them any further. The client also makes reference to the night terrors she experienced at the young age of four, eight and twelve. These “intense” nightmares terrified her growing up, and she attributes...
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...Chances are, we’ve all had a panic attack at some point or know someone who has—your heart races, you can barely breathe or catch your breath, and you (obviously) panic. Maybe you suffer from anxiety and have them often, maybe you’ve only had one in your life. However many you’ve had, here’s how to tame one when it happens, because, like many things in life, you never know when it’ll occur. An ex-boyfriend of mine had them often, so I started to explore what, exactly, they are and how they can be controlled. And, as someone who’s had bad bouts of anxiety (mainly in the form of OCD), I learned a lot about relaxation techniques and getting rid of unwanted thoughts through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and hypnosis via some amazing therapists....
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...Part I As of this date, the best evidenced-based treatment for treating panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia, appears to be a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy. There are numerous studies to support this claim, some of which will be discussed here. There have been a number of comparative studies of psychotherapy, drug treatment, and a combination of both in the treatment of panic disorder and most have indicated that a combination is superior to mono-therapy of either type (Bandelow, Lichte, Rudolf, Wiltink, & Beutel, 2014). There are other methods that are also used, but current research shows that none appear to be as effective as this combination. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses, although persons suffering from them rarely seek treatment. Specific phobias are the most common type of anxiety disorder followed closely by panic disorder/agoraphobia (PDAG). Anxiety disorders are now thought to originate from an interaction of psychosocial, genetic, and neurobiological factors (Bandelow et al., 2014). Panic disorder (PD) is associated with significant personal, social, and economic costs and ranks among the most expensive psychiatric disorders (White et al., 2013). Merriam-Webster defines panic disorder, panic attack and agoraphobia as...
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...According to Rachman and Silva (2009), “Approximately 15 out of 1000 people will experience panic disorder at some point in their life. (p.19)” Actions all over the world have been taken to better treat individuals that suffer from anxiety disorders like panic disorder (Rachman and Silva, 2009, p.x). Although not every panic attack is associated with panic disorder, if untreated, it can become severe and possibly chronic (Rachman and Silva, 2009, p.19). Panic disorder afflicts approximately 1.5 to 3.5 percent of the entire population, specifically women (Root, 2000, p. 1). In the United States of America alone, there is an estimated three to six million individuals who suffer from this disease (Root, 2000, p. x). Panic disorder has an extensive...
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...have had a panic attack. B. I myself suffer from panic attacks frequently. II. I have learned a lot about my condition over the past three years, and I did additional research for this speech. III. Today I would like to inform you about the nature of panic attacks, the people affected most often by them, and the options for treatment. (Transition: Let's start with the nature of panic attacks.) Body I. Panic attacks are a severe medical condition with a number of physical and mental symptoms. A. As defined by the National Institute of Mental Health, panic attacks involve “unexpected And repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms." 1. The attacks usually come out of nowhere and strike when least expected. 2. Their length can vary from a few minutes to several hours. B. There are a number of symptoms common to most panic attacks. 1. Physical symptoms include a pounding heart, shortness of breath, bbbbbbbbbbbbbblightheadedness, and numbness or tingling sensations in the arms and legs. 2. Mental symptoms include acute fear, a sense of disaster or helplessness, and a hhhhhhhhhhhhhhfeeling of being detached from one's own body. (Transition: Now that you know something about the nature of panic attacks, let's look at how widespread they are.) II. Panic attacks affect...
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...whenever you encounter stress. When you have a history of panic attacks, the mere thought of panicking can cause you to panic. As this condition worsens, it can limit you from truly experiencing your life. If you are a victim of panic disorder, you deserve to get help and live a normal life. Do you feel helpless and terrified at the thought of a panic attack? Have you dealt with this problem for years without it improving? Are you unable to handle stressful situations because of panic disorder? Have you avoided starting a real career because you are unsure if you can handle it? Many people experience panic attacks every day. When a panic attack happens, it can make you feel terrified...
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