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Panic Disorder is a mental condition that causes the sufferer to experience sporadic bouts of frightening symptoms, such as racing heart, shortness of breath, or a feeling of hopeless loss of control.
Causes of Panic Disorder It is not immediately clear what causes panic disorders, although it probably has to do with an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain, especially those related to information processing. It is also unclear why certain individuals develop panic disorders, while others do not. Panic disorder may be heredity, but it could be caused by a reaction to medication, diet, or stressful events. Symptoms of Panic Disorder Panic disorder sufferers usually have a series of intense episodes of extreme anxiety, known as panic attacks. A panic event may be triggered by an especially stressful situation, or it may occur for no particular reason. These events usually last for several minutes. Some individuals deal with these events on a regular basis—sometimes daily or even weekly. Because of the constant fear of having another panic attack, individuals with panic disorder are often extremely uncomfortable in social situations. As a result, as many as 35% of all individuals with panic disorder also have agoraphobia. DSM-IV Criteria DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Panic Disorder With or Without Agoraphobia A. Both (1) and (2): (1) recurrent unexpected Panic Attacks (2) at least one of the attacks has been followed by 1 month (or more) of one (or more) of the following: persistent concern about having additional attacks worry about the implications of the attack or its consequences (e.g., losing control, having a heart attack, "going crazy") a significant change in behavior related to the attacks B. Presence or Absence of Agoraphobia C. The Panic Attacks are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism). D. The Panic Attacks not better accounted for by another mental disorder, such as Social Phobia (e.g., occurring on exposure to feared social situations), Specific Phobia (e.g., on exposure to a specific phobic situation), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (e.g., on exposure to dirt in someone with an obsession about contamination), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (e.g., in response to stimuli associated with a severe stressor), or Separation Anxiety Disorder (e.g., in response to being away from home or close relatives). | ||||||||
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