The development of panic disorder can be explained by classical conditioning. Classical conditioning involves pairing a neutral stimulus with a stimulus that produces emotional or physical responses. In the case of panic disorder, it can develop by pairing a neutral stimulus (heart palpitations) with an event that produces anxiety and panic attacks (being in places where help […]
How can you deliberately induce a panic attack?
Panic attacks can be induced by several agents, such as injecting sodium lactate, or breathing in carbon dioxide. Panic attacks can also be triggered by ingesting caffeine, agents which increase serotonin, cholecystokinin, and yohimbine. Another way you can deliberately induce a panic attack to is to think the worst whenever you have a physical symptom. For example, if you […]
Panic Disorder- What It Is And How To Treat It
Hello I’m Dr. Carlo Carandang and I’m a psychiatrist with AnxietyBoss.com. Today, I will talk about panic disorder, which is an anxiety disorder where you have repeating panic attacks and you have extreme fear of the next attack coming. So the audience will benefit from this presentation by learning more about panic disorder and how […]
What is the Best Antidepressant for Panic Disorder?
There are several options for treatment of panic disorder with antidepressant medications. Antidepressant medications are used in the treatment of panic disorder, as those antidepressants with effects on the serotonin neurotransmitter are effective. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in your brain that is dysregulated when someone has panic disorder. The antidepressants with effects on serotonin include […]
How Do I Deal With Panic Attacks?
Panic attacks are very distressing, and it can feel like you are going to die from a heart attack. Symptoms of panic attacks are shortness of breath, pounding and rapid heartbeat, chest pains, sweating, trembling, numbness, tingling, muscle tension, and headache. Many people who experience a panic attack will think they are having a heart […]
Panic Attacks- a Neural and Biochemical Response
A panic attack is a severe manifestation of the fight or flight response, which has both a neural response (sympathetic nervous system response) and biochemical response (hormonal response). The fight or flight response is illustrated in the following flowchart: So with a panic attack, it can be triggered by a change in your body, such as increased […]
Why Panic Attacks Come Out Of Nowhere in Panic Disorder
When you have panic disorder, the panic attacks are unexpected and come out of nowhere. You can be sitting in your chair, resting in your bed, or walking, when suddenly and unprovoked, a panic attack takes hold. There are no apparent triggers- you just have an unexpected panic attack. These unexpected panic attacks then lead to […]
How Panic Disorder Evolves – The Negative Cycle of Panic Disorder
Today, I will talk about how panic disorder develops. If you do not know what the negative cycle of panic disorder is like, and how you get stuck in a panic loop, then this article can be very helpful. We also have a video of this article if you prefer that format. The following flowchart details […]
Can Panic Attacks Just Go Away?
Panic attacks are the core symptom of panic disorder. These attacks are recurrent, abrupt in onset and random. The panic attack can manifest itself as intense fear, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, chest pain, palpitations, sweating, trembling, and dizziness and these symptoms can vary in intensity and duration, and can last for several minutes up […]
Can Lexapro Treat Panic Disorder?
Yes, Lexapro (escitalopram), can treat panic disorder. Although Lexapro is only FDA-approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, Lexapro can also treat panic disorder. All of the major anxiety disorder except for specific phobia can be treated with Lexapro. Lexapro is a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI), which blocks the […]