What Is Panic Disorder? How Can Psychotherapy Help?

Panic disorder is a condition where a person experiences sudden, intense surges of anxiety, fear, or panic. Panic attacks are overwhelming and do have physical and emotional symptoms. They are experienced due to catastrophic thoughts that something dreadful is happening or might happen. It is thought that in the US, at least 3 people out of every 100 will experience panic disorder every year. A panic attack can happen to anyone and a person is said to experience panic disorder when he or she is worried about their panic and is seeking preventive steps to get over it.

How Does A Panic Attack Affect You Physically?

A person with a panic attack can experience the following symptoms.

• Profuse Sweating
• Trembling or shaking
• Feeling of choking
• The sensation of pounding in the heart
• Accelerated heartbeat
• Chest pain or discomfort
• shortness of breath
• Nausea or abdominal distress
• dizziness
• Chills or heat sensations
• Fear of losing control or going crazy
• Fear of dying
• Sense of impending danger

Some people might just have one panic attack and may not experience it anymore. But if the panic attacks occur regularly then it can be a sign of panic disorder. So one needs to take steps to prevent the possibility of having another panic attack.

What Causes Panic Disorder?

Panic may occur due to many reasons. Here is a list of factors that are likely to cause panic attacks or panic disorder.

• Some Stressful Events In Life

In stressful events like the death of a loved one’s or job loss may trigger panic attacks due to an individual’s body response to the stressful events with the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.

• Anxiety

When anxiety builds up, flight or fight response takes over and this is seen abnormally in sensitive people whose bodies react more sensitively than the normal range. Such people are more likely to notice such changes within their bodies and misinterpret them to be dangerous

• Certain Changes In The Way The Part Of Brain Functions

According to chemical imbalance theories, panic disorder can be attributed to imbalances in chemical messengers called the neurotransmitters that can negatively affect the communication between nerve cells throughout the brain causing panic attacks in the individuals.

• Other Psychological Problems

People suffering from any kind of psychological problem may experience panic attacks. For example, people with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may experience panic attacks.

• Genetic Factors

Various studies conducted in modern days suggested that 43% of panic disorders and hereditary and 80% of the patients with panic disorders had other psychiatric disorders.

Treatment:

Psychotherapy, called talk therapy, is the first treatment of choice for panic disorder. It is an extremely effective treatment with about 80% of success rate in people with panic disorder. Psychotherapy can help you understand panic attacks and panic disorder and learn the skills to cope with them.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy, a form of psychotherapy helps you learn through your own experience, that panic attacks are not dangerous. CBT works by focusing on a person’s thoughts, feelings, and perceptions that influence their actions and behavior. It can help change a person’s faulty or negative thinking by bringing change in unhealthy behaviors.

Your therapist will assist you to re-create the symptoms of a panic attack safely and repetitively. By doing this, you will understand that the physical sensations of panic are no longer feel threatening. Gradually, your panic attacks begin to resolve.

The optimal range of therapy sessions with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for panic attacks is between 7 and 14 hours, typically in the form of weekly sessions of 1-2 hours. Guided and non-guided self-help appropriate treatment interventions for panic disorder can help you overcome fears of situations that you’ve avoided because of panic attacks.

The research found that online CBT or In-person CBT is equally effective in treating panic disorders. Hence, in these unprecedented times, you feel that therapy is more accessible and comfortable. CBT y itself can help reduce panic disorder, but many will find a combination of treatment options to gain maximum benefits. Your therapist can help you determine which treatment plan works best to suit your needs.

Final Thoughts:

Are you seeking psychotherapy services in Minneapolis for mental health problems? Then you are at the right place. Many people turn to therapy to gain insight and support to address life’s challenges. Psychotherapy Partners is here to help such people to cope up with a myriad of mental health issues. We will create a warm and collaborative environment for all our clients to help them overcome obstacles and work towards their goals and dreams.