What is Panic Disorder? (1)by Beth McHugh | More from this Blogger 03 Apr 2006 12:29 AM
Panic attacks are frightening events and often occur after an isolated trauma or, alternatively, after a long period of sustained stress. The attacks are terrifying and appear to come out of the blue and consist of all or most of the following symptoms: • Heart palpitations • Feeling of tightness or inability to take in enough air • Tension in the muscles of the back and neck • Headaches • Muscle spasms • Insomnia • Excessive sweating • Dryness of the month • Dizziness • Tremors • Digestive disturbances • Constant need to urinate or defecate • Irritability • Fear of dying • Fear of going mad • Feeling you are about to explode Clearly, these are very frightening symptoms and sufferers of these attacks often believe they are going to die, even when they have had many panic attacks previously. Panic will often initially occur in an innocuous setting, such as a supermarket queue, at a set of traffic lights, in a crowded shopping mall. Once one or two attacks have occurred, it is natural for the person to start avoiding the places which he or she associates with the panic, so life begins to become more restricted as more and more places are avoided in order to stave off another one of these frightening attacks. Ultimately, the panic attack sufferer ends up with an additional diagnosis: Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia (PDA). In this case, the person's life is moderately to severely restricted, and often employment is impossible as the condition progresses. Sufferers are trapped inside their homes, and in some cases, in small sections of their homes, unable to even hang washing on the line or collect the daily mail. The condition is extremely painful for sufferers as panic attacks seem to come out of nowhere, leaving the person more stressed and less able to deal with the next attack. Misunderstanding by family and friends lead to further distress for the sufferer, creating a never-ending cycle of stress and anxiety. Next article: Case Studies and Treatment Options. Contact Beth McHugh for further information or assistance regarding this issue. Related articles: Do you have panic disorder with agoraphobia? Supporting a person with Panic Disorder (1) Supporting a person with Panic Disorder (2) Learn more about Beth McHugh  Beth McHugh began her career as a geologist and worked both in industry and as a university researcher. Relevantmental health tags christmas | Scrapbooking | family | parenting | relationships | children | marriage | sex | pregnancy | Kids User Comments JustMJ (26) 22 Nov 2007 10:09 AMGood grief. That sounds like me. I never leave the house without my husband, even to go into the back yard.  Beth McHugh (13211) 22 Nov 2007 01:54 PMHi again, JustMJ! Have you read the other articles on panic disorder and agoraphobia? Community Tags anxiety, agoraphobia, fear, panic, panic disorder, panic attacks Discuss this article
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Do you know someone who seldom seems to leave the house, or if they do they leave in the company of another person? Are they reluctant to accept invitations to weddings, attend social events, or even have a cup of coffee at your place, but are more than happy to hold functions at their own residence? Then that person may be suffering from Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia. 
