Panic Disorder: Case Studies (2)

by Beth McHugh | More from this Blogger

03 Apr 2006 12:31 AM

Panic attacks can affect anyone given the right circumstances. They are frightening events, ones that routine life cannot prepare us for. Small wonder that a panic attack is never forgotten, and it is the very intensity of these attacks that make us all so vulnerable to succumbing to a life filled with anxiety and punctuated by panic.

When Mandy gave birth to her second child, the birth was unexpectedly complicated and what started as a natural birth ended up as a C-section and a baby in intensive care. However, the hospital staff were excellent and Mandy's little daughter came home after three weeks to meet her older sister and the rest of the extended family. Relieved, Mandy and her husband settled down to the task of bringing u daughter number two.

Mandy was a little tired and run down, but she naturally put it down to the traumatic time she experienced during the birth followed by the worry about her newborn daughter together with the constant trips to the hospital and back. One day, after her husband came home from work, Mandy raced down to the local supermarket alone, so she could quickly pick up a few items for dinner.

At the end of the first aisle she started to feel a little unwell, but pushed on with her shopping. By the time she got to the checkout, she was feeling uncomfortably stressed. She felt a tremendous sense of impending dread. Putting it down to tiredness, she continued unpacking her items from the trolley.

That was when the first attack hit her. She couldn't breathe; her heart raced and felt like it would explode into the checkout operator's face. Her legs almost crumpled from under her and she badly wanted to run out of the shop, scream, or grab somebody to help her. She didn't know what was happening to her. All she knew was that she felt like she was going to die. She grabbed the items she needed, threw them into a bag, somehow managed to toss some cash at the operator and fled from the shop. Back in the car she settled down a little, but she still felt terrible. She slowly drove home but by the time she pulled into her driveway she felt almost her old self again. She promptly forgot about the ordeal after a day or so.

Unfortunately her brain didn't. The following week, Mandy was at the traffic lights with a wailing baby in the back seat. Next minute, another panic attack engulfed her and she sat, trapped in the car, unable to move due to the traffic. It was all she could do to pull over to the side of the road. She phoned a friend on her cell phone who came to get her.

Mandy's attacks continued to occur and Mandy quickly learned to avoid any situation where another attack could occur. Her daughter is now in school and Mandy is unable to take her there and relies on a friendly neighbor to take her daughter to school and back. Manndy seldom leaves the house and only in the company of her husband. Mandy has developed Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia.

Not all cases of PDA are as severe as Mandy's. Craig also suffers from Panic Disorder but is able to attend work. However due to his disorder he takes the same route to work each day as going outside of familiar territory can spark an attack. In social occasions, he always sits in a position where he can readily escape should a panic attack occur. Although not as badly affected as Mandy, Craig's quality of life is diminished.

Treatment is available for both Mandy and Craig and we will explore treatment options in coming articles.

Contact Beth McHugh for further information or assistance regarding this issue.

Learn more about Beth McHugh

Beth McHugh began her career as a geologist and worked both in industry and as a university researcher.

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zaniness (16) 16 Oct 2007 02:32 PM

Fortunately not all are as serious as her panic attacks .. I hope all the best for her.. It's really sad indeed..

Beth McHugh (13211) 18 Oct 2007 03:58 PM

A surprisingly large proportion of the population has experienced a panic attack and a sizable proportion of them go on to develop panic disorder and agoraphobia. Treatment should be sought as soon as possible to minimize the possibility of a chronic condition developing.

Corey427 (5) 01 Oct 2008 07:14 AM

sadly i've just relapsed with panic disorder. I get the panic attacks where i get that real heavy derealisation of things (through hyperventilation). Even though i know the physical causes of my panic symptoms i still tend to worry about going insane and developing a sort of schizophrenia. I'm going to buy cool anxiety from www.anxietysecrets.com to help get me on track. good thing there is a GIANT difference between neurosis and psychosis so i know i will be fine in the end. But i really think i have traits of ocd because i can't seem to get the scary thought of it out of my head. It's defintely PD though coz it only happens after the trigger of anxiety attack. If theres anyone else out there that feels this way just know that the symptoms eventually pass you just need to put time into getting better. Anxiety and panic are just our coping mechanisms at the end of the day.

Beth McHugh (13211) 01 Oct 2008 01:56 PM

Hi Corey, yes the symptoms of a panic attack are terrifying and that is why it is so difficult to dismiss the symptoms as being "not important". People who have never had a panic attack do not realize how all-encompassing the feelings are. But you are correct in saying that there is a huge leap between this type of symptoms and psychosis. You will not develop schizophrenia through having panic attacks. Best wishes, Beth