What to do if you have panic disorder?

Let's see what it is and what to do about panic disorder, its manifestations and symptoms, and why it is important to see a psychologist if you experience this psychological disorder firsthand.

• Related article: "Types of Anxiety Disorders and their characteristics"

What is panic disorder?

Panic disorder is a psychopathological syndrome that It is characterized by episodes of acute anxiety that manifest repeatedly, spontaneously, abruptly and unexpectedly.. Anxiety or panic attacks can have different durations, from a few minutes to an hour, and reach their maximum intensity in a short period of time.

When this psychological disturbance arises, the person unexpectedly feels an intense experience with a significant level of distress and discomfort, psychological and physical fear. The person with panic attacks is often afraid of losing control, dying, and going crazy. Panic attacks are not related to a specific object or situation.

Frequently, these people are afraid that they will suffer other panic attacks in other similar situations. In addition, panic attacks are often associated with

agoraphobia, since panic disorder is related to the fear of facing certain situations from which it would be difficult to escape or get out, or in which one would feel ashamed for showing the symptoms or suffering derived from their own interpretation of reality.

According to the psychologist Florencia Stolo, from the Malaga Cabinet of Psychologists Málaga PsicoAbreu, panic disorder is based on being afraid of a possible very high anxiety and anxiety attack, an experience in which the person himself believes that he is not capable of controlling the attacks and has an external locus of own situation (i.e., an interpretation of the situation in which it is seen as something external to oneself and uncontrollable, which happens to one in some occasions). The psychologist claims that Giving the patient the ability to control their own emotions and crises, it is possible to reduce them and control them.

Symptoms

The most frequent symptoms of panic disorder are as follows.

• Tachycardia: the heart beats faster.
• Palpitations: the heart beats faster. Heart "knocks" are perceived and blood pressure rises.
• Sensation of suffocation or shortness of breath.
• dry mouth
• Difficulties breathing.
• Pressure or pain in the chest.
• Tingling or numbness of the extremities.
• Hypersweating (excessive sweating).
• Tremors.
• Unsteadiness, fainting, or dizziness.
• Nausea or abdominal discomfort.
• Hot flashes or chills.
• Fear of losing control or consciousness, or imminent death.

As less frequent symptoms and in moments of great anxiety you come to experience depersonalization (feeling of strangeness to the environment that surrounds you or your own body) or derealization (altered perception or experience of the environment that is interpreted as unreal or strange).

What to do if you have panic disorder?

The most important is Go to a health psychologist specialized in treating anxiety to evaluate the specific case. Once in consultation, the psychologist will surely use the following tools and techniques.

1. psychoeducation

The patient will be explained what is happening to him, what panic attacks consist of, its symptoms and all the events surrounding the anxiety attacks that have already occurred. You will also be explained how panic attacks and your fear of them are affecting your day-to-day life and your relationships with others.

It is helpful for the patient to understand how he interprets the physical sensations he experiences in a catastrophic way.

2. relaxation techniques

Various relaxation techniques will be explained to the patient to give them tools with which to relax and to increase their sense of control over crises and everything that happens, which will help you feel more secure.

Relaxation will allow the rest of the cognitive and behavioral techniques to be carried out, which will help the person control anxiety crises to a greater extent. For example: Jacobson's progressive relaxation technique, diaphragmatic breathing, Schultz progressive relaxation...

3. cognitive techniques

To identify and know dysfunctional thoughts of the patient in situations of greatest anxiety, it is useful to fill out a self-registration. Cognitive techniques are also useful to be able to abandon security behaviors, which allow the person to feel safe in different areas without the need for these actions maladaptive. For example, among the cognitive techniques that the psychologist can use we find the Ellis A-B-C model, the cognitive restructuring, the Socratic discourse...

4. Techniques to increase self-esteem and self-concept

They are for the patient to feel more secure in control of the situations that surround him and to improve his social relationships and his relationships with her environment.

5. Other psychotherapeutic tools

Other tools or procedures can be used such as the mindfulness, EMDR Therapy (Desensitization and reprocessing by eye movements)... that accelerate or complement all of the above.

the cabinet of Psychologists Malaga PsicoAbreu It has psychologists specialized in the treatment of anxiety disorders, such as panic disorder, who can help you recover your day to day.