Panic Attack at Work

Do you know anyone who has panic attacks? Have you ever experienced one? It’s not fun. My last panic attack was about two years ago (knock on wood) shortly after I started working at my current job. I wasn’t feeling well, and it started when I felt like I was going to throw up. I hate throwing up. I’m not good at it, and I starting getting anxious because I didn’t want to get sick at work. Once I realized that I was beginning to panic, I told a fellow team member that I was going to step outside and … Continue reading →

Supporting a person with Panic Disorder (2)

It takes a special person to support a friend who suffers from panic attacks and is using exposure therapy to recover from their condition. Patience, perseverance, understanding, and a caring nature are essential to facilitate recovery. But with help, you can learn to assist your friend overcome this debilitating condition. Following on from our first article in this series, here are some more tips to move your friend towards recovery. 1. Accept that it is up to your friend to decide what they can and cannot do in each session. It is not up to you to set the goals, … Continue reading →

Supporting a person with Panic Disorder (1)

To be a support to a person suffering from Panic Disorder requires understanding and infinite patience. Panic attacks are very frightening ordeals; so frightening that a person will do anything to avoid having one. Panic attacks are beyond the normal experience of everyday anxiety and therefore are difficult for a person who has never experienced one to understand. However, people who suffer from regular panic attacks will voluntarily give up activities that they once enjoyed, such as going to the beach, the movies, even on holiday, just so they can experience peace rather than panic. Often they are forced to … Continue reading →

More on Panic Disorder (4)

Panic Disorder is a highly distressing anxiety disorder which has the potential, if untreated, to severely handicap the sufferer. Many famous people are believed to have suffered from Panic Disorder, including Edvard Munch, the creator of the painting “The Scream”. Munch was known to suffer from panic attacks and many people believe his painting to be an attempt to portray the sheer terror and fear which accompanies a full-blown panic attack. Typical situations avoided by people who suffer from panic attacks include: Shopping malls ars Uses Trains Tunnels Restaurants Theaters Being away from the safety of home Saying home alone … Continue reading →

Do you have Panic Disorder with/without Agoraphobia? (3)

Panic attacks can happen to anyone given the right set of circumstances. Panic Disorder occurs in approximately 3.5% of the population. However the true proportion is likely to be much higher as sufferers, particularly males, do not seek treatment for the disorder for a variety of reasons. These reasons range from embarrassment, inability to attend a doctor’s office, or fear of being diagnosed as insane. Males typically manage the problem via the use of alcohol to temporarily mask symptoms, although this is also a common technique utilized by females, particularly those in the workplace who cannot afford to leave their … Continue reading →

Panic Disorder: Case Studies (2)

Panic attacks can affect anyone given the right circumstances. They are frightening events, ones that routine life cannot prepare us for. Small wonder that a panic attack is never forgotten, and it is the very intensity of these attacks that make us all so vulnerable to succumbing to a life filled with anxiety and punctuated by panic. When Mandy gave birth to her second child, the birth was unexpectedly complicated and what started as a natural birth ended up as a C-section and a baby in intensive care. However, the hospital staff were excellent and Mandy’s little daughter came home … Continue reading →

What is Panic Disorder? (1)

Do you know someone who seldom seems to leave the house, or if they do they leave in the company of another person? Are they reluctant to accept invitations to weddings, attend social events, or even have a cup of coffee at your place, but are more than happy to hold functions at their own residence? Then that person may be suffering from Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia. Panic attacks are frightening events and often occur after an isolated trauma or, alternatively, after a long period of sustained stress. The attacks are terrifying and appear to come out of the blue … Continue reading →