Panic, defined until recently (DAP Disorder Panic attacks) and now DP (Panic Disorder), is a psychological disorder characterized by panic attacks and the constant worry of having new attacks with changes in lifestyle or avoidance. The diagnosis of panic disorder is closely dependent on the presence of both components: panic attacks and modification of lifestyle (especially avoidance) for fear of having further attacks. Therefore, the mere presence of episodic panic attacks is not enough to make a diagnosis of panic disorder. If panic attacks occur when one is exposed in public situations (public speaking, to express their ideas in groups, etc..), There is no diagnosis of Disorder panic, but Social Phobia.
Panic attacks, in fact, may also be the manifestation of a problem passenger or impromptu. Many people in the course of their lives can experience panic attacks. These may occur in circumstances of exceptional stress or in times of weakness. Or, more rarely, panic attacks may be a symptom of a physical illness, such as an endocrine or neurological disorder, or an event to take on certain substances such as amphetamine, cocaine, LSD, alcohol etc..
Panic Attacks Panic attacks are episodes of intense anxiety that arise unexpectedly or in specific situations characterized by the perception of lack of escape routes (such as highway, traffic, public transportation, elevators, air, closed or crowded places), or the perception of being "distant" from familiar places (eg away from home from his city, from medical centers or hospitals), or the lack of resource persons (for example, if you are not around accompanied by family members or trusted friends or being alone at home). The symptoms of the attacks panic are very varied and can include cardio-respiratory symptoms (feeling of suffocation or air hunger, tachycardia, chest tightness), neuromuscular symptoms (muscle tension, tremors, soft legs), psychological symptoms, such as the feeling that reality is no longer the same (derealization) or to no longer be the same (depersonalization). The complete list is available at the symptoms.
panic attacks are frequently accompanied by catastrophic thoughts, the most typical of which are:
Fear of dying or having a serious illness
Fear of not being rescued
Fear of fainting Fear of going crazy
Fear of losing control
Fear of behaving in front of others embarrassing
Modification of lifestyle
The second component of Panic Disorder is the modification of lifestyle, that is, changes in their habits and choices in order not to have new attacchi.Il most common symptom is avoidance, which is to avoid places and situations that are connected to the idea of have new attacks. Therefore, it is common for people suffering from panic disorder tend to avoid such crowded places, transport, traffic, highway, airplane, etc.. When avoidance is pronounced is widespread, the area of \u200b\u200baction is greatly reduced, giving rise to feelings of frustration, loss of self-esteem and even depressione.Un other conduct put in place is not to be alone. In this case, people can have a marked avoidance, but they try in every way to be together when moving from family, friends or people you trust. Sometimes carers are unaware of this task "protective".
Therapy
International guidelines are agreed to recommend that the cognitive-behavioral therapy in combination or not with SSRIs. Cognitive behavioral therapy of panic disorder is typically a short-term therapy, as it focused on overcoming the problem and uses three basic tools:
Learning to calm down;
Beyond the catastrophic thoughts (cognitive restructuring);
gradually Expose yourself to situations feared, by applying learned techniques for relaxation and overcoming the catastrophic thoughts.
In recent years he has established the integration of cognitive behavioral therapy through the teaching of mindfulness. For this reason we speak of the third generation of cognitive behavioral therapy.
