Panic

=Panic Disorder = PANIC DISORDER!!!: Anxiety disorder that causes repeated, unexpected attacks of intense fear lasting from minutes to hours. This is a highly disabling condition which causes people to quit their jobs or social activities, avoid going outside of their home, or even giving up exercising. This all leads to unnecessary visits to hospital, emergency rooms.

SYMPTOMS!!!: At least four of the following symptoms spontaneously happen within ten minutes. The attacks can be followed by at least one month of persistent fear of having yet another attack.
 * chest pain
 * dizziness or faintness
 * fear of dying
 * fear of losing control
 * choking sensation [[image:http://images-cdn01.associatedcontent.com/image/A3399/33997/470_33997.jpg width="208" height="271" align="right" caption="http://images-cdn01.associatedcontent.com/image/A3399/33997/470_33997.jpg"]]
 * feelings of detachment
 * feelings of unreality
 * nausea or pain in the abdomen
 * numbness or tingling sensations
 * palpitations or pounding heart
 * sensation of shortness in breath
 * sweating, chills or hot flashes
 * depersonalization
 * trembling or shaking

Some Common Signs of this Disorder:

- Extreme changes in behavior where a person should feel comfortable - Worrying about the significance of their panic attacks - They may think that they are "going crazy" or having a heart attack - They will live in fer of having another attack and may be afraid to be alone or to be far from medical help

Some Ways to Treat this Severe Disorder:
 * Anti-anxiety medications
 * Antidepressants
 * Cognitive behavioral therapy

- These medications act on the central nervous system to reduce anxiety and related symptoms - Benzodiazepines are a common class of anti-anxiety medictions used - People can become addicted to the drugs provided in this class of medications (they are only to be used on a temporary basis) - Anti- depressants or SSRI's (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are the most commonly used medications for this disorder - The most common medicines used are Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox, Celexa, and Lexapro. - Longer term uses of SSRI's may be considered if you have a history of drug dependence or tolerance.  Behavioral therapies should be used with drug therapy, these include...
 * cognitive-behavioral therapy
 * cognitive restructuring (learning to recognize and replace panic-causing thoughts)
 * exposure
 * pleasant mental imagery
 * relaxation techniques
 * regular exercise, adequate sleep, and regularly scheduled meals can help reduce the frequency of attacks
 * reduce/avoid the consumption of caffeine and other stimulants
 * the combination of medications and psychotherapy can help


 * They seem to have long lasting benefits to the particular person*

Prevention:

- There is no known way to actually prevent panic disorder, however, people can lower their risk by avoiding the use of recreational drugs and learning stress management and relaxation techniques

Causes:
 * genetic Factors
 * biochemical imbalances in the central nervous system
 * consuming large amounts of coffee, tea, alcohol
 * a tendency to convert anxious thoughts into physical symptoms

Related Disorders:  - []   How Society Perceives and Lives with Mental Disorder Patients:

- People pointing and laughing at someone's disorder that is sometimes not managable - Society at times will be supportive in that they have fund raising for certain illnesses, as they like to call them - There are other cases that conclude in hate crimes or just other negative situations where these people are put down - They are mostly discriminated against because their peers around them think of it as an attention scam - Many people with mental a mental illness are seen as lazy and are blamed for their illness - may be blamed for causing mental illness to their children

Extra Facts:
 * According to the national Institute of Mental Health, between one and four percent of the American population suffers from panic disorder
 * It is more common among adolescence
 * Women are two to three times more likely to have this disorder
 * There have been debates that African Americans are the most susceptible, but there are others who say that it is Caucasians, and Asians

Works Cited:

- //Panic Disorder//. A.D.A.M., 2010. Web. 1 Mar. 2010. -