Anxiety and Panic Disorders
Anyone who wants to learn to fly must first learn to stand, walk, run, climb and dance – you don’t just take to the skies.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Contents
About anxiety and panic disorders
Definition
An anxiety or panic disorder is diagnosed when you spend much of the day thinking about your fears, your anxieties significantly impair your quality of life or your freedom of movement, if the thought of your anxieties makes you feel depressed, or if you use alcohol or other drugs to help you cope with your anxieties.
What can trigger anxiety and panic disorders
Causes & Triggers
Key characteristics of panic disorder are recurrent severe anxiety attacks (panic attacks) that occur unexpectedly and suddenly, and are not triggered by specific situations that might cause anxiety in other people (e.g. being mugged).
Unlike a phobia, panic attacks do not occur in connection with a phobic situation (e.g. in enclosed spaces).
A treacherous illness
Signs, Symptoms and Consequences
Although the symptoms of a panic attack can vary from person to person, all or some of the following are always present:
- Shortness of breath (dyspnoea), feelings of tightness, pain or discomfort in the chest
- Dizziness, a feeling of unsteadiness or a sense of faintness
- Palpitations or a rapid heartbeat (tachycardia), trembling, shaking, sweating
- Nausea, abdominal symptoms such as bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, pain
- Numbness, tingling, hot flushes or chills
- Depersonalisation or derealisation
- Fear of dying (e.g. from a heart attack)
- Fear of going mad or losing control
The symptoms develop suddenly, often become more severe within the first 10–20 minutes, and subside after 10–30 minutes, or in some cases only after several hours.
Common consequences of a panic attack:
- A persistent fear of another attack (anticipatory anxiety).
- Recurring attacks, the frequency of which can vary from several times a day or once a week to once a month.
How we can help you
Treatment
The aim of treating an anxiety disorder is not only to identify the factors underlying the condition, but also to reduce avoidance behaviour and to learn how to control or alleviate the symptoms of anxiety.
We use a combination of different therapies and techniques.
Our treatment methods
How We Can Treat You and Help You
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