Patient Education – Panic Disorder

Patient Education – Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is a mental condition characterized by regular attacks of extreme fearfulness and anxiety. As a result, an individual experiences physical symptoms which are frightening but not life-threatening. Often, there is no apparent cause for the anxiety.

Signs and Symptoms

The panic attacks are usually sudden in onset, with symptoms peaking within minutes. The common signs and symptoms include rapid heartbeat, sweating, panting, trembling, shortness of breath, fear of death or losing control, and a sense of impending danger. Other individuals may also present with headaches, dizziness, feelings of detachment, numbness, abdominal pain, nausea, chest pain, and chest pain (Perrotta, 2019). The thought of having another panic attack causes even more intense fear. When one experiences the above symptoms, it is crucial to seek medical attention.

Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatment

Panic disorder can be treated with medications. The medications approved for the treatment of panic disorder are antidepressants, including Venlafaxine, Fluoxetine, and  Paroxetin, among others (Chawla et al., 2022). For best outcomes, it is important to adhere to the medications as prescribed by your doctor. The other form of treatment is psychotherapy, which helps individuals learn how to cope with the issues of panic attacks (Otte, 2022). The psychotherapy technique mostly used is cognitive behavioral therapy, where a therapist helps individuals learn to cope with their experiences.

Community Resources and Referrals

Other than psychotherapy and the use of medications. There are services in the community that may be of benefit. For instance, there are community support groups for people with similar experiences. Consequently, a person may be referred to a community support group after completing therapy sessions. Connecting with such individuals may help in the recovery process. Once medical therapy and psychotherapy sessions are completed, the healthcare provider will refer the client to social support groups available in their area.

References

Chawla, N., Anothaisintawee, T., Charoenrungrueangchai, K., Thaipisuttikul, P., McKay, G. J., Attia, J., & Thakkinstian, A. (2022). Drug treatment for panic disorder with or without agoraphobia: Systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMJ, 376. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-066084

Otte, C. (2022). Cognitive behavioral therapy in anxiety disorders: current state of the evidence. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2011.13.4/cotte

Perrotta, G. (2019). Panic disorder: Definitions, contexts, neural correlates, and clinical strategies. Current Trends in Clinical & Medical Sciences, 1(2), 1-10. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Giulio-Perrotta/publication/337631137_Panic_Disorder_Definitions_Contexts_Neural_Correlates_and_Clinical_Strategies/links/5f74464792851c14bca06953/Panic-Disorder-Definitions-Contexts-Neural-Correlates-and-Clinical-Strategies.pdf

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Patient education is an effective tool in supporting compliance and treatment for a diagnosis. It is important to consider effective ways to educate patients and their families about a diagnosis—such as coaching, brochures, or videos—and to recognize that the efficacy of any materials may differ based on the needs and learning preferences of a particular patient. Because patients or their families may be overwhelmed with a new diagnosis, it is important that materials provided by the practitioner clearly outline the information that patients need to know.

Patient Education – Panic Disorder

For this Assignment, you will pretend that you are a contributing writer to a health blog. You are tasked with explaining important information about an assigned mental health disorder in language appropriate for child/adolescent patients and/or their caregivers.
By Day 1, your Instructor will assign a mood or anxiety disorder diagnosis for you to use for this Assignment.
PANIC DISORDER
Research signs and symptoms for your diagnosis, pharmacological treatments, nonpharmacological treatments, and appropriate community resources and referrals.

In a 300- to 500-word blog post written for a patient and/or caregiver audience, explain the signs and symptoms of your diagnosis, pharmacological treatments, nonpharmacological treatments, and appropriate community resources and referrals.
Although you are not required to respond to colleagues, collegial discussion is welcome.