Panic Disorder

What is panic disorder? Panic disorder occurs when you experience recurring unexpected panic attacks. The DSM-5 defines panic attacks as abrupt surges of intense fear or discomfort that peak within minutes. People with the disorder live in fear of having a panic attack.

 

Cluster Number:
Wiki Number: PW150
Diagnosis: Panic Disorder
US Patients: 2.5% sometime in life
World Patients:
Sex Ratio: M;W2
Age Onset: adolescence or early adulthood
Brain Area: amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus and periaqueductal grey may all be autonomically stimulated and frightening extent
Symptoms: 1-5 or up to 20 minute duration; rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fear of losing control, going crazy or dying; choking, paralysis and others.
Progression: Treatment helps 50%, but 30% have recurrences.
Causes: PTSD, taking on too much responsibility, genetic, substance abuse-drug or alcohol;
Medications: Antidepressants, benzodiazopines, beta blockers
Therapies: learning positive self-talk helps to reduce the panic; reductions can occur within twelve weeks.

Youtube Video: Panic Attacks vs. Panic Disorder

Amazon or Library Book:

The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Workbook for Panic Attacks

Click the book to link or order from Amazon.

Support Group: mhanational.org; 800-273-8255

(Mental Health America)

4 CURRENT ARTICLES
FROM PUBMED

The world-wide medical research
reports chosen for each diagnosis 

Clicking each title opens the
PubMed article’s summary-abstract.

  • Idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension: A case report
    by Qilong Nie on December 20, 2024

    RATIONALE: Idiopathic noncirrhotic portal hypertension (INCPH) is a rare liver disorder with elevated portal pressure without cirrhosis, making diagnosis challenging. This case report presents a 46-year-old Chinese male with INCPH, highlighting the crucial role of liver biopsy.

  • An electrolyte disturbance masquerading as a panic attack
    by Anne Wildermuth on December 19, 2024

    Because proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are so commonly used, their safety and potential adverse reactions often are not considered. This article describes a patient whose paresthesias and severe muscle cramps were attributed to panic attacks but actually were caused by hypocalcemia secondary to PPI-induced hypomagnesemia. This case serves as a reminder that PPIs should be used cautiously and appropriately with consideration for regular monitoring of electrolytes and vitamin B12.

  • Evaluation of the relationships between psychiatric comorbidity and seizure semiology in psychogenic non-epileptic seizure patients
    by Gülce Coşku Yılmaz on December 19, 2024

    Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) are episodic events that bear a resemblance to epileptic seizures (ES) in their outward manifestations, yet they lack pathological electroencephalographic (EEG) activity during the ictal phase. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5th Edition (DSM-5), PNES is designated as "Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder with seizures". Individuals diagnosed with PNES commonly present with concurrent psychiatric disorders, notably depression, panic...

  • Voice hearing in young people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following multiple trauma exposure
    by Katie Lofthouse on December 18, 2024

    Background: PTSD is comorbid with a number of other mental health difficulties and the link between voice hearing and PTSD has been explored in adult samples.Objective: To compare the trauma history, symptomatology, and cognitive phenotypes of children and adolescents with a PTSD diagnosis following exposure to multiple traumatic events presenting with voice hearing with those who do not report hearing voices.Methods: Participants (n = 120) were aged 8-17 years and had PTSD following exposure to...