Understanding Panic and Other Anxiety Disorders

122 Pages·2000·0.49 MB·English

by  Benjamin A. Root

Understanding Panic and Other Anxiety Disorders
Understanding Health and Sickness Series
Miriam Bloom, Ph.D.
General Editor
Understanding
Panic and Other
Anxiety Disorders
Benjamin A. Root
University Press of Mississippi
Jackson
www.upress.state.ms.us
Copyright©2000byUniversityPressofMississippi
Allrightsreserved
ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
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Root,BenjaminA.
Understandingpanicandotheranxietydisorders/BenjaminA.
Root
p. cm.—(Understandinghealthandsicknessseries)
Includesindex.
ISBN1-57806-244-6(cloth:alk.paper)—ISBN1-57806-245-4
(pbk.:alk.paper)
1.Panicdisorders. 2.Anxiety. I.Title. II.Series.
RC535.R66 2000
616.85'233—dc21 00-021977
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A man who fears suffering is already suffering from
what he fears.
—MicheldeMontaigne
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Contents
Introduction ix
1. The Nature of Panic Disorder 1
2. Some Related Disorders 9
3. Pictures of the Mind 21
4. Who Gets Anxiety Disorders? 26
5. Treatment 45
6. Searching for Answers 72
Appendices 81
Glossary 85
Index 107
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Introduction
Just over two decades ago, the idea of an emotional dis-
turbance called panic disorder was officially introduced into
common discussion among psychiatrists. Since that time much
research, revision, and dissemination of knowledge have been
undertaken regarding a group of disorders that are now fairly
well recognized. Diverse studies indicate that 1.5 to 3.5 percent
of the population experience panic disorder at some point in
their lives, and many other people are afflicted with related
disorders, such as social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder,
depression, bipolar disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder,
and specific phobia.
It’s estimated that in the United States somewhere between
three and six million people are affected by panic disorder.
Although cultural differences allow for a variety of symptom
patterns, the incidence of the disorder doesn’t vary much
according to social class or race. Women get panic disorder
about twice as often as men. The disorder tends to make its
initial appearance when a person is a young adult, but it can
occur for the first time at any age. It is believed that about 70
to 90 percent of patients suffering from panic disorder will
show significant improvement with appropriate treatment.
Symptoms of panic disorder were generally underreported
and underrecognized by persons in the medical profession
until fairly recently. Many people who were suffering sought
help in emergency rooms and doctors’ offices, undergoing all
manner of general examinations and laboratory tests to rule
out various medical conditions. Frequently, nothing could
be discovered to explain the difficulties, with the result that
people were dismissed without adequate treatment. (Part of
the problem in diagnosing panic disorder is that its symptoms
mimic those of other, nonpsychiatric, conditions.) In fact, not
much in the way of pharmacological treatment was available
for this disorder until the last two decades, but in recent years