Panic Disorder: A Psychological Study

Anxiety affects the entire person. It affects the physiological, behavioral and psychologically. Physiological anxiety include body reactions like rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, queasiness, dry mouth and sweating. Behavioral it can interfere with the ability to act, express yourself or handle everyday situations. Psychologically anxiety causes apprehension and uneasiness. It can cause one to feel detached from one’s body or fearful of dying or going crazy. Criteria must be met are 1. Symptoms must interfere with important areas of functioning or cause marked distress. 2. Symptoms are not caused by a drug or a medical condition. 3. The fears and anxieties are distinct from the symptoms of another anxiety disorder (Kring, p. 174).

Science with all its marvels and wonders continues to press forward making extraordinary breakthroughs. Psychology plays a key role in many of sciences steps forward, each branch of psychology focusing on a specific techniques and theories. In the document the center of attention is surrounding the application of clinical psychology, this branch of psychology is unique as it all realms of an individual’s issue. Specifically speaking, anxiety is the psychological disorder that is under review through the processes of a clinical

Hello, Michelle, while reading chapter 14, I thought that all the disorders where very interesting as well. I agree with you on how symptoms like racing heart, dizziness, breathing difficulties, sense of fear etc. are all a part of a panic disorder. For the most part I also agree that the book was somewhat consistent with the symptoms of a panic disorder because both sources stated that panic disorders are one of four principal anxiety disorders. Both sources also stated panic disorders are characterized by recurrent attacks of overwhelming anxiety that occur suddenly & unexpectedly and due to the severity of some people’s panic disorder several attack victims may develop agoraphobia. Overall I agree with your statement Michelle except when

Panic disorder is something that develops for no apparent reason. It causes repeated and unexpected attacks of intense fear. It can last for a few minutes or even hours. The people that have this disorder usually live in fear of having another attack. They are afraid to be alone, or to be far from medical help. The feelings of intense fear can trigger severe physical reactions. This disorder is very real and treatable.

A panic attack is a sudden feeling of a very strong fear or extreme inconvenience and discomfort, which is usually described as a feeling that something bad will happen - the person feels that is going to die, lose control, crash or go mad. The attacks usually do not last longer than half an hour, but they reach their peak within a few minutes. However, the subjective feeling is that they last forever. Some of the symptoms that appear during these attacks are: accelerated heart rate; digestive distress; feeling damping or dizziness; breathlessness; pressure in the chest; tingling or numbness of some body parts; feeling of great heat in body; feeling of loss of touch with reality; feeling insecure; fear of death or life-threatening situation;

A mental illness is the same as a physical illness or disease; it follows a certain pattern, consists of a multitude of symptoms and has the potential to be treated. The only difference is that a mental illness affects the brain and the mind, and in today’s society, has negative connotations associated with it. Mental illness is just as biological as any physical disease, and can be just as serious and devastating to the individual. One mental illness, in particular, is believed to be very common and easily reversible: panic disorder. This illness is classified under the DSM-5 as an anxiety disorder, and it is separate from panic attacks, which by themselves are not a disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Panic attacks, are a symptom of panic disorder, and can be experienced by anyone, both those with and without the disorder. Panic disorder is a mental disease characterized by specific criteria, risk factors and etiologies particular to itself.

The exact causes of anxiety are still currently unknown. Studies have shown that brain chemistry, environmental stresses and other factors are thought to play a role in the development of chronic anxiety (Lehigh Valley Health Network, 2014). However, according to University of Maryland Medical Center (2014), anxiety disorders are most likely caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. Most people with these disorders seem to have a biological vulnerability to stress, making them more susceptible to environmental stimuli than the rest of the population (University of Maryland Medical Center, 2014).

According to Torpy (2011), Panic Disorder refers to an overwhelming fear, terror, or fright that is usually referred to as panic, one that happens to an individual several times in his or her life. She goes on to describe panic as a situation that is short-lived and frequently related to a terrifying event that happens in an individual’s life. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to provide a detailed discussion that shows a definitive picture of panic disorder. In order to enhance one’s understanding on what a panic disorder is, it will be necessary to examine some things like the symptoms and prevalence rate of panic disorder, how different cultures views panic disorder, the age at which the onset of panic disorder comes, some of the gender features in relation to panic disorder with emphasis on whether it manifests differently in boys as it does in girls. It is also necessary to discuss the etiology of panic disorder, the course and prognosis of the condition, as well as, a differential diagnosis that appears similar to panic disorder. Finally, there will be a need to describe the social effects of panic disorder in order to show how an individual with panic disorder gets affected socially.

As of 2007, 1 in 60 Americans were affected by panic disorder (“Panic Disorder Sick”). Panic disorder, as well as all other mental illnesses, is a solemn disorder that deserves to be treated seriously. Many people experience panic disorder, and it can affect lives greatly. By understanding what panic disorder is, it’s various symptoms, and treatments, doctors can be better able to help individuals to lead healthy lives.

. I believe that this type of behavior might be abnormal, however; it does seem to appear normal. According to the textbook, it states that, “Anxiety disorders have in common the physical, cognitive, behavioral symptoms” (Chapter 4, page 117). It also states that, “Each disorder, the anxiety is expressed differently and how some people are anxious about public speaking, some do not like to travel on planes” (Chapter 4, page 117). Regarding what the textbook says, this behavior is considered normal since it is not affecting him mentally, physically and how he is not harming himself or harming others. However; it is was affecting him then it would be considered abnormal. My personal opinion would be that it appears to me that Tom might have anxiety

Have you ever thought- “Why do I feel so down?” “How can I feel happier?” “Can I control my fears?”

Panic disorder is a recurrent experience of unexpected panic attacks, also defined as extreme fear or discomfort with abruptly and reaches a peak within 10 minutes. And, symptoms include dizziness, lightheadedness, sweating, heart rate accelerating and fear of going crazy and dying, (Psy 101). Therefore, the definition of a panic disorder by: The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, A panic disorder is a psychological state characterized by acute (rapid onset) feelings, which engulf a person with a deep sense of destruction, death and imminent doom. Yet, experience of a recurrent panic attack can sometimes be an unfamiliar situation or a different specific, nature, environmental that in which can triggers the episode. However, Post Traumatic

With as many problems as there are today, including the stresses from family, jobs, school or socially, psychological disorders are very common. The stress of life, at one time or another, causes people to sometimes have a horrible feeling of anxiety. “Anxiety disorder is an alarm signal, heralding an imminent danger, allowing people to use all necessary measures to cope with the threat” (Yduoctinhhoa). People who have pathological anxiety usually experience excessive or disproportionate symptoms to the persistent threat. This affects their activities, and is possibly accompanied by thoughts or actions which seem excessive, repeated or prolonged, which influences their adaptation to life. The pressures of work, health, the family, the living

Annie states that the Agoraphobia is a result of her overthinking how people view her. Throughout the interview, Annie often demonstrates how she thinks others view her—“why did she just run out” or “she is crazy”. During the interview, it becomes clear that Annie is mainly afraid of judgment by other people.

Panic Disorder is anxiety and fear that arise frequently with no cause. There is no