Panic Disorder Treatment
Panic Disorder Treatment in the Tampa Bay Area
Have you ever experienced the sudden onset of intense fear and frightening physical symptoms like accelerated heartbeat, sweating, shortness of breath, or chest pain? Maybe you’ve had the thought “I think I may be dying?” Perhaps you’ve even gone to the emergency room or called your doctor to make sure you’re okay. This is more than just normal everyday anxiety.
This is called a panic attack.
If you have worried about it happening again then you may have Panic Disorder. Panic Disorder affects about 6 million adults in the United States and is twice as common in women, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Fortunately, panic disorder is highly treatable. There are very effective treatments for panic disorder including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).
About Panic Disorder
When a person has panic disorder, they have had panic attacks. Additionally, they live in fear of having another panic attack. Sometimes, you may have a feeling that a panic attack is coming. Other times, it's a total surprise.
An expected panic attack is when someone has a panic attack that they knew would happen. This can be due to a specific fear or phobia, location, or situation. For example, someone may have panic attacks when they need to ride an elevator or due to fear of public speaking.
Unexpected panic attacks happen “out of the blue” and for no known reason/trigger. These can occur at any time of day. And, many report waking in the middle of the night or in the morning due to a panic attack and wonder what triggered it.
Have you ever had a panic attack so bad you thought you might die?
You’re not alone, this is actually very common. Fear of dying is frequently reported as panic attacks are usually accompanied by uncomfortable and distressing physical responses. Panic disorder can cause substantial impairment in daily life as a key feature of panic disorder is fear of another panic attack occurring. This can lead to avoidance of people and/or places, overanalyzing every day physical responses like racing heart or sweating, and an increase in reassurance seeking from medical professionals.
What’s the Difference?
Panic Attack
A panic attack is an abrupt and intense episode of fear that trigger distressing physical reactions like accelerate heartbeat, dizziness, nausea, chest pains, sweating, or shortness of breath. Panic attacks may be accompanied by fear of dying, thinking you are about to have a heart attack, or feeling as if you’re losing control. About 1/3 of adults in the United States will have at least one panic attack in their lifetime.
Anxiety Attack
The terms panic attack and anxiety attack are often used interchangeably, however, an anxiety attack is not an official term in diagnosing. Panic attacks are unmistakably distressing and time-limited while anxiety is characterized by worry and in anticipation of an unfavorable experience. Panic attacks can however lead to feelings of anxiety.
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is when someone experiences frequent or unexpected panic attacks accompanied by the persistent fear of having another panic attack. An individual with a panic disorder diagnosis will also have experienced changes in behavior, likely avoidance, in efforts of preventing a panic attack from happening again.
Symptoms of Panic Disorder
According to the DSM-V, the diagnostic criteria for Panic Disorder is as follows:
The individual experiences recurrent unexpected panic attacks, which are abrupt feelings of intense fear or discomfort that reach great heights within minutes, during a time in which at least four of the following symptoms occur:
· Palpitations or quickened heartbeat
· Abnormal sweating
· Trembling or shaking
· Instances of shortness of breath or feeling smothered
· Feelings of choking
· Chest pain or discomfort
· Nausea or abdominal pain
· Dizziness or faintness
· Chills or hot flashes
· Numbness or tingling sensations
· Derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (feeling detached from his/her self)
· Fear of losing control or “going crazy”
· Fear of death
One or more of the attacks were followed by a month (or longer) of one or both of the following:
A. Persistent worry about having more panic attacks and/or their consequences (e.g., having a heart attack)
B. Significant abnormal change in behavior in response to the attacks, such as ones intended to avoid unfamiliar situations.
The disturbance cannot be attributed to the physiological effects of a substance, such as a drug or medication, or another medical condition.
The disturbance cannot be better explained by another mental disorder, such as social anxiety disorder or specific phobia, which may involve panic attacks.
Treatment for Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is most effectively treated through a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). CBT techniques can help an individual improve awareness their awareness and see the irrationality of their fears. ERP is essential for the treatment of panic disorder as most anxiety disorders require a form of exposure treatment to target avoidance in daily life. ERP for panic disorder can take the form of in vivo exposures, imaginal exposures, interceptive exposures, and/or virtual reality exposure treatment. The goal of treatment for panic disorder is to increase tolerance to the uncertainty of a panic attack occurring and reduce avoidance of trigger situations that impede daily functioning.
Begin Treatment for Panic Disorder with Anxiety Center of Tampa
Therapists at Anxiety Center of Tampa are specifically trained in providing ERP treatment to those with a panic disorder diagnosis. Your treatment begins with a collaborative intake session where panic attack triggers will be identified. You and your therapist will then create a hierarchy of exposures that can be imaginal, in vivo, or interoceptive in nature in order to gradually expose you in a structure manner to triggers. Anxiety Center of Tampa also offers Virtual Reality Exposure Treatment (VRET) for those with specific fears that may trigger panic attacks. Call Anxiety Center of Tampa today for more information or to schedule your intake appointment at 813-773-5807. You can also reach us by email through our contact page.