Panic disorder can be characterized by debilitating anxiety and fear that occurs frequently with unknown causes. In order to be diagnosed with panic disorder, one must have recurring and unexpected panic attacks, as well as meet other criteria. Panic attacks are intense surges of fear or discomfort that last up to 10 minutes. During the panic attack, one must experience 4 or more of numerous symptoms, such as trembling, shortness of breath, chest pain or discomfort, and palpitations. One must also fear more panic attacks or avoid situations that could possibly cause an attack for at least one month or more after the first attack.
There is no single cause of panic disorder, but rather numerous factors that interact with each other. Biological factors, such as heritability and decreased GABA production, can increase one’s likelihood of developing the disorder. Psychological factors such as classical conditioning also play a role in the development. From a social and sociocultural aspect, people who have experienced peer victimization and cultural differences are also more likely to develop the disorder. All these factors are intertwined and are all essential to understanding the cause of the disorder.
Treatments for the disorder include medication and psychological interventions. Psychological interventions have shown to be the most effective long-term treatment. These interventions include psychoeducation, relaxation and breathing skills, and cognitive restructuring. Psychoeducation is informing the client about panic disorder and its symptoms to help them reduce their worry of having an attack. Relaxation and breathing skills include teaching the client deep breathing when in stressful situations or when feeling an attack. Cognitive restructuring is rewiring the client’s thought processes such as, how they think about a certain trigger. These interventions are exposure-based which means the client is exposed to their fear in order to overcome it. For panic disorder, a client is exposed to having a panic attack, and the therapist works through it with them by using the SUDS rating scale. The SUDS rating scale indicates how distressed the client is in that moment. The SUDS rating commonly rises before it falls with panic disorder clients. Medication has not shown to be an effective treatment for this disorder, as there are high relapse rates after clients stop taking their medications. The most common medications given are Benzodiazepines, such as Ativan, and beta-blockers. Although medication has not shown to be effective as a long-term solution, it can be beneficial as a short-term solution, such as encountering a trigger very rarely and taking the medication before contact is made. Panic disorder can be managed if treated and those diagnosed can live normal lives.