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Panic, more commonly known as Panic Attacks, may
be part of a Phobia or Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder. However, Panic can be an illness in
its own right and often happens at random and when least expected. When Panic occurs as an
illness in isolation it is, of course, very distressing and frightening to the sufferer as
he/she cannot think of any logical reason why it should occur. It is very common for a
sufferer to feel quite at ease one minute and then find that the next minute he/she is
struck by utter terror. Because panic can happen without warning it is not possible to
produce a specific recovery programme. However, this does not mean that the risk of Panic
cannot be reduced or prevented and by using proper muscle relaxation exercises and other
techniques the illness can be overcome.
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Hyperventilation means over-breathing which
is caused by the sufferer taking rapid shallow breaths. In this way the body's balance of
carbon dioxide and oxygen is disturbed. It is not a serious medical condition as the body
will automatically readjust. However, the sensations are extremely unpleasant and
frightening. In many cases the sufferer has lost the ability to breathe correctly and this
can be remedied by re-learning the correct method of breathing.
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.GENERAL
ANXIETY
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General Anxiety Disorder
or, G.A.D. for short, makes the sufferer feel anxious and worried, irrespective
of the situation in which he/she finds him/herself. Symptoms vary from a mild
feeling of anxiety to acute fear, similar to that experienced by a phobia sufferer.
It is common for G.A.D. sufferers to suspect that they are going insane but,
like all anxiety disorders the condition is not connected to insanity. Proper
relaxation of the muscles can help enormously and NO PANIC can supply a useful
audio tape which teaches you how to do this.
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PHOBIAS
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TRAPPED
BY THE MIND - HAUNTED BY FEAR
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The dictionary definition
of the word "Phobia" is “Fear" but, we add the word "Avoidance”, as all the
phobia sufferers we know avoid the situations or objects which they fear.
Examples Are...
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AGORAPHOBIA
Agoraphobia is not, as many
people believe, just about open spaces. It is really a fear of being in any
place or situation where the sufferer does not feel safe or where the sufferer
feels trapped, and he/she is driven by an uncontrollable urge to escape to a
place of safety which, in most cases, is his/her own home. Taking all these
factors into account, it is thus not surprising that sufferers of agoraphobia
do not venture very far from home. Some agoraphobics find that they can get
further from their place of safety if accompanied by a trusted relative or friend.
However, eventually the sufferer becomes totally dependent on their "carer”
and thus finds that he/she cannot go out anywhere without their helper. It is
thus not surprising that sufferers try to avoid these awful sensations Regrettably
by doing so they are only reinforcing their fears and so making recovery much
harder. Once a phobia has set in then the best way to overcome it is to slowly
but surely face up to the fear. This is not easy as the sufferer has to experience
those feelings that for so long he/she has sought to avoid.
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SPECIFIC
PHOBIAS
Specific phobias are, as
the name suggests, ones which centre around specific objects, creatures or situations.
The sufferer has a continual and irrational fear of the object, situation or
creature, he/she realises that this reaction is illogical but, still feels under
threat. However, the sensations of fear which the sufferer experiences are very
real and very distressing. Many non-sufferers avoid such things as snakes, spiders,
large animals and inanimate objects like edges of railway platforms. However,
as a phobia develops, the sufferer will probably avoid pictures, or even saying
the name, of his/her particular dreaded object, situation or creature and will
almost certainly never go anywhere near them. It is not unknown for carers to
have to vet T.V. programmes or cut out articles out of magazines or newspapers
in order to protect their sufferer. Thus the sufferer becomes severely handicapped
in a similar manner to an agoraphobic.
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SOCIAL
PHOBIAS
Social phobias are characterised
by the fear of being the centre of attention and/or behaving in an embarrassing
or humiliating manner. It is fair to say that sufferers in this category rarely,
if ever, behave in this manner but they “avoid” just in case. Examples of social
phobias would be the avoidance of restaurants, public houses, public toilets,
having guests in the house, or even being watched whilst carrying out household
chores, e.g. preparing food, pouring drinks or even making a cup of tea.
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OBSESSIVE/COMPULSIVE
DISORDER
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Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder, or
O.C.D. for short, is based around obsessive thought patterns, such as fear of
contamination, in conjunction with compulsions to carry out physical rituals,
such as excessive washing. The rituals relieve the fear created by the obsessive
thoughts. The example given above is only one of many forms the illness can
take. It is perfectly possible, and very common, to have obsessive thoughts
without the rituals and it is equally possible to have the compulsive rituals
without the thoughts although this is quite rare. |
| Examples of
Obsessions are: |
Examples of
Compulsions are: |
| Fear of shameful
behaviour |
Cleaning |
| Death & disaster |
Washing |
| Contamination |
Checking |
| Perverted sexual
thoughts |
Counting |
| Symmetrical arrangements |
Measuring |
| Intrusive thoughts
& images |
Repeating actions
or tasks |
| Unsatisfactory body
image |
Confessing imaginary
"sins" |
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Like all Anxiety Disorders, O.C.D.
can be overcome with self-exposure and cognitive behaviour therapy, sometimes
in conjunction with anti-depressant drugs. Recovery is usually quite slow but
hard work does produce positive rewards and complete recovery can be achieved.
Sufferers often need a great deal of support and once again this is where NO
PANIC comes in.
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TRANQUILLISER
WITHDRAWAL
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Tranquilliser withdrawal is a major
problem. Tranquillisers do have a
role to play, in the short term, for the relief
of anxiety disorders.
However, if taken over long periods they can become addictive
and give withdrawal problems when people try to stop taking them.
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Last updated 30th November 2007 |
