Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is less well known than some other mental health conditions, yet it affects
many people. In Hong Kong, 4% of respondents aged 15 to 60 suffered from varying degrees of panic disorder.
The first onset typically occurs in adolescents and adults aged 25-30, with a higher incidence in women.
Patients are constantly bombarded by unpredictable and intense feelings of fear and dread their recurrence.
Even in safe, relaxed situations, a person may experience a sudden surge of intense fear
and anxiety. While the exact causes of panic disorder are not fully understood, it is believed to be related to genetics, stress, and imbalances in brain substances.
Do you have the following symptoms?
The symptoms of panic disorder may appear in any second and the episode will normally last for 5-15 minutes. The symptoms of panic attack will reach extreme severity in just a few minutes. If a person experiences repeated panic attacks without any symptoms, that person may have panic disorder.
Intense fear of having another panic attack
Fear of imminent death
Tachycardia
Shivering & Sweating
Dizziness, headache, nausea
Difficulty Breathing
Numbness or tingling in the fingers or toes
Chest pain / Stomach pain
Treatment
With appropriate treatment, panic disorder can be greatly improved or fully resolved.
The faster the treatment intervenes, the better the treatment effect. With appropriate treatment, the curing rate of panic disorder is as high as 70% - 80%. The treatment for panic disorder are as follow:
Medication
Medication primarily involves drugs that regulate serotonin levels. At appropriate doses,
most people experience improvement in symptoms over time. These medications are
effective for most and have relatively few side effects.
Psychotherapy
Cognitive behavioural therapy: Guide the patient with panic disorder to write down the situation and reaction in detail when the symptoms appear. Thus, to correct the misunderstanding of "fear is dangerous" and face the things they are afraid of during the therapy session, so as to conquer the fear, reduce avoidance behaviour, and have a better control on breathing.
