PANIC DISORDER TREATMENT IN SCOTTSDALE

I have specialized in panic disorder treatment at my Scottsdale AZ practice since 2001; with a combination of medication and psychotherapy. A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions, when there may or may not be any real danger or apparent cause. When they recur they are referred to as a panic disorder. When a panic attack occurs, you might feel like you’re losing control, experience trouble swallowing, get dizzy, feel like you’re choking, or having a heart attack and even dying. The quick unset of the panic attack with seemingly no apparent environmental causes seems to be a red flag that differentiates panic disorder from other anxiety disorders. The severity coupled with the relatively short duration of the anxiety are also distinguishing features of a panic attack versus generalized anxiety disorder. Panic attacks are relatively short lived and sometimes only minutes in duration whereas the symptoms of generalized anxiety are long term and less severe or acute in nature.

Panic Attacks – Panic Disorder

Nearly 20% of the adult population in the US has suffered from a panic attack at some point in their lives. Of the 20%, 1.7% of the panic attacks are panic disorder. Women seem to be twice as prone to panic disorder than men (this is similar with depression as well). Often panic attacks seem to first manifest between the ages of 15 and 20. Adolescent males and females tend to experience panic disorder at the same rate. The causes of panic disorder are similar to the causes of most anxiety disorders. Factors that may play a role are chemical imbalances in the brain, environmental stress, genetics, and other non-related medical conditions.

Symptoms of Panic Disorder

Some of the most common symptoms of panic disorder are dizziness, chest pains, choking, headaches, sweating, nausea, chills, problems swallowing or breathing, erratic heartbeat, numbness, fear of losing control in formal settings, fear of death, or back pain. Panic attacks in children may result in the child’s grades declining, vomiting before school, avoiding school, as well as substance abuse, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Panic attacks can occur while you are asleep and may manifest as nightmares and dreams of being out-of-control. Sufferers of panic disorder will often try to avoid the situations that trigger the attacks and even develop a phobia from this avoidance. This avoidance can then become disabling in that some will avoid shopping, driving, crowds, and become reclusive and prisoners to their homes

Treatments for Panic Disorder

Some individuals have found SAM-e to be very helpful for treating panic disorder. The common benzodiazepine used is Lorazepam or Ativan, both of which offer immediate relief from the physical and emotional panic symptoms. SSRI antidepressants work very well with panic disorder for the long-term. The patient is started on a benzodiazepine. Once the antidepressant has been in the patient’s system for about a month, the benzodiazepine can then be tapered off to avoid issues with addiction. Usually, the less time and frequency a benzodiazepine is used, the less risk of addiction. Many panic disorder patients find it useful to carry one or two pills of the benzodiazepine in their wallet or purse for “just in case” situations.

It seems that the mere presence of pill’s availability acts as a deterrent to future attacks, and is one way of coping with panic attacks. This in itself is a mini-treatment plan for panic disorder. I usually see the patient in conjunction with the patient seeing a therapist, who will help the patient with behavioral modification techniques. The augmented treatment generally does wonders to help eliminate panic attacks. If you are suffering from panic disorder, please contact my office to schedule an evaluation. Read more about panic disorder.

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