Panic Disorder with and without Agoraphobia
When taking panic disorders into consideration two components are emphasizing. Anticipatory anxiety and panic attacks. Panic attacks are not reflection of present physical illness, so they cannot be predicted or expected, at least not at the start. Maybe with time some hints may show that “something” is preparing on certain stimulus. Great deal of panic attacks can be predicted, but that situation needs patient and therapist with some previous knowledge about personal history disorder.
Anticipatory anxiety is great fear to situation of having new panic attack. This situation is alive between two following panic attacks. Some number of patients with diagnose of panic disorder may develop agoraphobia, which is fear (avoidance) of such personally embarrassing situations. Patients who do not show developed agoraphobia have diagnosed panic disorder without agoraphobia, while patients showing agoraphobia have diagnostic of panic disorder with agoraphobia.
Nowadays, despite great achievements in medicine, universal panic attack description is not available. Panic attacks differ in great deal by the way how they are manifested and experienced. Also symptoms are different. Those attacks can be part of anxiety manifesting physical symptoms and possible anticipation of unwanted consequences. Person affected, thinks, that something catastrophic will follow and this person very often, develop urge to leave that place instantly. Panic attacks strength is very progressive. They can reach their maximum value within 10 minutes from start and usually last up to thirty minutes. After attack calming, very often, patients feel totally exhausted even ruined. Another parameter worth to mention is frequency of panic attacks. Frequency can vary in different patients, and in fact it can vary great deal in the same patient. There are written therapist reports that panic attacks can appear occasionally in several months, even years or couple dozen attacks in same day.
As noticed, panic attacks got some features making them unique phenomena. They can appear unexpected without preparation or warning. They can reach their peak value very quickly. All those attacks are followed with some physical symptoms like heart pounding, lack of breath mixed with dizziness. On top, patients feel these symptoms and react to them with feelings that something catastrophic is going on.
