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Out of Control
Anger Management, panic attacks, controlling your emotions and post-traumatic stress disorder.
A panic disorder is one type of anxiety disorder which includes post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder and others. If you have a panic disorder, you may feel threatened for no reason. These frequent bursts of terror are called panic attacks. During a panic attack, you may suffer from a myriad of physical feelings such as a fast heartbeat, difficulty breathing or dizziness. Panic disorder is a real illness that can happen at any time and at any place without warning. It can be treated with medications or therapy. One common misconception is that the person experiencing a panic disorder can control their symptoms.
In speaking with Dr. Theodore Packy, clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine at Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook, N.Y., he expressed his concern that people who experience specific, potentially severe symptoms seek medical attention immediately. While a fast heartbeat (palpitations), trouble breathing or dizziness may be symptoms of a panic attack, they can also be symptoms of far more severe medical problems. Palpitations and/or trouble breathing may be symptoms of a severe heart attack, while dizziness may actually be associated with a stroke or a heart attack. According to Packy, panic disorder is a “diagnosis of exclusion which is made after all severe and life threatening conditions have been ruled out.” For these reasons, Packy urges anybody who experiences any of these symptoms to seek immediate medical attention.
The National Institute of Mental Health states that approximately 2.4 million Americans, aged 18 to 54, suffer a panic disorder in any given year. Panic disorder typically strikes in adulthood, and roughly half of all people who have a panic disorder develop the condition before age 24. In addition, women are twice as likely as men to develop a panic disorder.
by Eric Neigelberg
Complete story in this issue of DASH.
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