Panic Attacks Can Devastate Entire Life Of A Person: Psychiatrist Warns

HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Feb, 2017 ) : Psychiatrist Dr. Darya Khan Laghari, terming panic disorder a serious psychological condition said that it is a long lasting crippling condition that can have a devastating impact on a person's family, work and social life.

Talking to APP here on Tuesday, he said that mental disorders included depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcohol and drug use disorders, dementia, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder and Primary insomnia and most of the mental disorders can be treated.

Dr. Laghari said that most people experience moments of anxiety and they worry about money, their job, the future, or some other issue but panic disorder is far more serious. He said it is a chronic (long lasting), crippling condition that can have a devastating impact on a person's family, work, and social life.

He said that the panic attacks usually last only a few seconds or minutes but they are terrifying. He said that people who have experienced a panic attack begin to wonder and worry about when the next attack will occur.

The doctor said mentally healthy people had a state of well-being, in which every individual realized their own potential, could cope with the normal stresses of life, worked productively and fruitfully and were able to contribute to their community.

About the causes of the panic disorder Dr. Darya Khan said that the cause of panic disorder is not known but some authorities believe that the condition is inherited and they think that patients may have unusually sensitive nervous systems that respond inappropriately to events and surroundings.

Dr. Darya Khan define a panic attack as an event with any four of the following symptoms including pounding, skipping, or fluttering heartbeat, Shortness of breath or a sense of being smothered, dizziness or light-headedness, Nausea or stomach problems, Chest pains or pressure on the chest, sweating Fear of dying and the feelings of unreality, he added.

He informed that the first step in diagnosing panic disorder is to rule out physical disorders and some of the symptoms described also occur with medical conditions, such as heart problems. Dr.

Khan said that as with most mental disorders, panic disorder is treated with a combination of medication and counseling and many experts believe that panic attacks are caused by an imbalance of neurotransmitters.

He informed that the neurotransmitters are chemicals that help carry messages between nerve cells in the brain. An excess or shortage of neurotransmitters can cause a wide variety of mental disorders.

He said that the other medications are designed to calm patients down and these medications are called antidepressants. They can often help relieve the worst symptoms of panic disorder, he added.

Dr. Darya Khan said that the health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over and to improve their health. It moves beyond focus on individual behavior towards a wide range of social and environmental interventions, he added.