Panic Disorder

 

Panic disorder is a mental health condition where you experience a feeling known as a panic attack reccurently.

Some of the symptoms of a panic attack include:

• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Tightness or pain in the chest
• Trembling or shaking
• Dry mouth
• Muscle tension
• Difficulty gathering thoughts or speaking
• Tingling fingers or feet
• A choking or smothering feeling
• Hot or cold flushes
• Nausea or butterflies
• Blurred vision
• Fear of dying, losing control or going mad

When you have panic disorder, you may also worry about the implications of a panic attack such as humiliation of feeling of going crazy. You may try and flee from the situation hoping the panic attack will stop.

Panic disorder is generally treated via therapeutic methods rather than medications. This may involve your doctor teaching you about panic disorder, for example, that a panic attack is distinguishable from other mental illnesses such as other anxiety disorders or psychosis- this is known as psycho education.