summarize the symptoms of panic disorder. how is panic disorder different from having just a few panic attacks
Solution:
Panic disorder falls under the types of Anxiety Disorders that include excessive irrational fear and worry or anxiety along with other disturbances that are related. Panic disorders are characteristic of recurring panic attacks that are unexpected in nature, and the individual is constantly worried about the recurrence of panic attacks in the future. Panic attacks refer to abrupt and intense surges of excessive fear or some kind of discomfort related to something that heightens within a few minutes and can cause maladaptive behavior or other cognitive or physical symptoms.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders- V (DSM-V. 2013), states the following as the symptoms of panic disorders:
1. Recurrent incidence of panic attacks that are unexpected and that occur from a calm or anxious state. At the time of the panic attacks, at least four or more of the following symptoms must occur:
- Palpitations, extremely fast-beating heart, pounding
- Perspiration/ sweating
- Shaking and trembling
- Shortness of breath, feeling of being stifled or smothered, or choked
- Chest pain, discomfort
- Nausea, feeling of discomfort in the abdomen
- Feeling light-headed, or dizzy, fainting
- Heat flushes or chills
- A feeling of numbness (paresthesias) or tickling sensation
- Derealization or unrealistic thoughts, and depersonalization or moving away from one's own perception of self
- Feeling of going crazy or losing control
- Fear of death
Culture-specific symptoms mustn't be counted.
2. Persistent worry for future panic attacks or their consequences, and, a significant change in the behavior pattern towards maladaptivity must be noticed within one month or more of occurrence of one attack
3. The disturbance is not due to the intake of a substance or some other medical condition.
4. The disturbance has bo scope of fitting the description of another mental disorder better.
Hence, these are the symptoms of panic disorders. However, the occurrence of a panic attack for once or a few times without the presence of other symptoms must not be treated as panic disorder.
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