Psychopathology Term Paper

Panic Disorder

Daniella Lozano

Texas A&M University – Kingsville

November 25, 2015

Abstract

For people suffering from panic disorder, the world can seem like a scary place. Panic attacks can cause severe panic or fear and only last a few minutes. These people are always scared of getting another panic attack and find ways to avoid having another one. There are different types of treatment for panic disorder such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, family and group therapy, and also medication.

Daniella Lozano

11/25/15

Dr. Daughtry – 5325

Panic Disorder

Description of the Disorder

Panic attacks are the sudden onset of panic, or terror, that are usually unexpected. They are a period of intense fear, lasting only a few minutes, and are accompanied by physiological symptoms. Which include sweating, difficulty breathing, nausea, and rapid heartbeat. Some people have panic attacks, but do not worry about having an additional attack. The cause of their panic could be a normal thing, like hearing of a hurricane that is going to hit their area. Others are unexpected, meaning, nothing triggered off the onset of panic. For people who experience panic attacks, the effects are very upsetting. The degree of upset depends on the person’s interpretation of the symptoms, the person’s underlying fears, and the extent of the person’s anticipatory anxiety (Seligman & Reichenburg, 2014). People often want to run or escape when they are experiencing a panic attack.

The onset of a panic attack is caused by fear or even stress, and the physiological symptoms that occur can be mistaken for another medical condition (e.g., heart attack). This mistake increases the fear, resulting in a panic disorder. The typical age for the onset of panic disorder is between the ages of 15 and 24. The median age of onset in the United States is between 20 to 24, although a small amount of people developed this in childhood. Adolescents are also affected by panic disorder, with some...