For this week’s discussion assignment, respond to the following: Describe and contrast the nature of panic attacks when present in a diagnosis of Panic Disorder versus a diagnosis of Social Phobia. Discuss one pharmacological and one psychological treatment for symptoms of panic attacks.

Remember that all posts are graded for substance and thoughtful consideration of the discussion topic. Your post must also end with a “Question to the Class” – something related to the topic that you found thought-provoking and about which you’d like to know more and have further dialog.

Classmate #1:

Hi Class,

Panic disorder and social phobia are both considered anxiety disorders. But what makes them different? Social Phobia is when basic, every day social interactions give someone severe anxiety and fear. Panic disorder is when someone experiences sudden and strong onsets of fear and anxiety that are frequent, worrying about things that are out of their own control and/or overthinking everything in the worst way. As a whole, a person is more anxious on the daily than they are relaxed. Both of these disorders experience panic attacks, but under different circumstances. Panic Disorder versus Social Phobia Discussion Paper Typical fears associated with panic disorder include worrying that you are going crazy and are losing control. Social phobia fears include worrying about what others think about you, potentially embarrassing yourself, afraid you’re going to offend someone, and lack overall confidence in themselves. Some symptoms include sweating, trembling, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath. These symptoms go for both social phobia and panic disorder because they are both experiencing panic attacks, but due to different reasoning. To treat panic attacks, cognitive behavioral therapy is always an option. Talking through your experiences with a mental health professional, experiencing those avoidable situations due to the intense fear, and how to cope with these situations may help those who are suffering. Results can take a lot of time and effort. As for medication, anti depressants and anti anxiety medications can be prescribed. There are preventative types of medication and as needed types as well. Some daily anti depressants include Zoloft and Prozac. Benzodiazepines that be prescribed include Xanax and Clonazepam. These typically start off for as needed use because they can become addicting as well as interact with any other potential medications that are being taken.

The mind is powerful – Do you feel like anxiety is all a mental game that can be self-controlled? Do you believe in emotional intelligence?

Reference:

American Military University. (2023). Anxiety Disorders. Retrieved from https://myclassroom.apus.edu/d2l/le/enhancedSequenceViewer/109611?url=https%3A%2F%2Ff54cbe36-23a9-4505-85fe-e251f80ec34d.sequences.api.brightspace.com%2F109611%2Factivity%2F11050107%3FfilterOnDatesAndDepth%3D1.

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Classmate # 2:

Hello class,

When present in a diagnosis of panic disorder, panic attacks are sudden and intense episodes of fear or terror that can occur out of the blue and are not necessarily triggered by specific situations. The physical symptoms may include a rapid heart rate, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, and a sense of impending doom.(Nazir, saad, & Marwaha, R. 2022). Panic disorder is characterized by recurrent and unexpected panic attacks, leading to ongoing worry about having future attacks. On the other hand, panic attacks in the context of social phobia (also known as social anxiety disorder) are triggered by social situations. People with social phobia experience intense anxiety and fear of being negatively judged or embarrassed in social settings. The panic attacks in social phobia are closely linked to specific social situations and often involve avoiding such situations to prevent anxiety from arising. For the treatment of panic attacks in panic disorder, a common pharmacological approach is the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (Nazir, saad, & Marwaha, R. 2022). SSRIs help regulate serotonin levels in the brain, which can reduce the frequency and intensity of panic attacks. Regarding psychological treatment, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective option. CBT helps individuals identify and challenge negative thought patterns and beliefs related to panic attacks. It also teaches coping strategies, relaxation techniques, and exposure therapy to confront and manage the fear of panic-inducing situations. For social phobia, the pharmacological treatment might also involve SSRIs, similar to panic disorder. In addition, another pharmacological option could be benzodiazepines for short-term relief of acute anxiety symptoms in specific social situations. However, benzodiazepines should be used with caution due to the risk of dependence and potential side effects. Psychological treatment for social phobia includes CBT, similar to panic disorder. Exposure therapy is particularly helpful in social phobia, as it allows individuals to confront and gradually desensitize themselves to feared social situations, reducing the intensity of panic attacks. What are some other effective coping strategies and techniques that you can suggest to manage and reduce the frequency of panic attacks?

Reference:

Nazir, saad, & Marwaha, R. (2022). Panic disorder – statpearls – NCBI bookshelfCurt Cackovic;. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430973/

Classmate #3:

Hello class,

In this week’s discussion topic, we focus on two anxiety disorders, Panic Disorder and Social Phobia. Both disorders are debilitating to those suffering from them. They are both very similar when looking into the symptoms of each disorder, but they have one difference that stands out. Panic disorder is when a person has frequent and unexpected panic attacks. These panic attacks can come at any time, no matter what activity the person is doing. They are characterized by a sudden wave of fear or a sense of losing control even when there is no clear danger or trigger. Panic attacks are intense episodes of anxiety of physical fear that can cause shortness of breath, racing heartbeat, dizziness, trembling & muscle tension. One of the worst things about panic attacks is the intense fear of having one. Social phobia disorder or social anxiety disorder is a long-term and overwhelming fear of social situations. When looking at both anxiety disorders the social anxiety disorders seems to have more triggers or embarrassment or worry of humiliation in social settings, while with panic disorder the panic attacks are very sudden and can happen at any time, even while sleeping.

Panic disorder symptoms can be treated or maintained with medications or psychological treatment. One of those psychological treatments that are common when treating panic attacks is cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. CBT teaches different ways of thinking, behaving, and reacting to feelings that happen during or before panic attacks. CBT focuses on confronting the fears and beliefs with panic attacks to help you engage in activities you try to avoid. The different therapeutic components involved are relaxation, breathing, retraining, cognitive restructuring, interoceptive exposure, and or in vivo exposure. Another treatment option is medications. These medications include and aren’t limited to antidepressants like serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Some common medications for panic attacks are Fluoxetine (Prozac), Paroxetine (Paxil), or Sertraline (Zoloft). Beta blockers are another option that can be used when having panic attacks helping to lessen symptoms. Anti-anxiety medications like Benzodiapines (Xanax or Klonopin) can be used and can be very effective in rapidly decreasing panic attack symptoms. An issue with benzodiapines is that it is a sedative and tolerance can be built leading to needing higher and higher doses. Patients on these sedative medications can end up dependent on them and usually are only prescribed for a short period of time. With these medication choices the most common used are SSRIs, they work by raising the serotonin levels in your brain to help with those unfortunate panic attack symptoms.

Question to the class: What are your thoughts of in vivo exposure? (in vivo exposure is directly facing a feared object, situation, or activity in real life)

Resources:

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2018, May 4). Panic attacks and panic disorder. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/symptoms-causes/syc-20376021

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Panic disorder: When fear overwhelms. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms#:~:text=Cognitive%20behavioral%20therapy%20(CBT)%2C,or%20before%20a%20panic%20attack.