MDA
is funded by the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA),
community donations and is a member of the
BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information.
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Signs:
Commonly associated with depression, Panic Disorder can
appear very suddenly. The onset of their first "panic attack"
can make one feel like they are "going crazy" and are
unable to control their anxiety.
Once 'fear' is added, the symptoms become exaggerated and feed on
each other.
Symptoms:
- Racing
or pounding heartbeat
- Chest Pains
- Dizziness,
light-headedness, nausea
- Difficulty
breathing
- Tingling
or numbness in the hands
- Flushes
or chills
- Dreamlike
sensations or perceptual distortions
- Terror
- sense of something unimaginably horrible is about to occur
and you are powerless to prevent it
- Fear of
losing control and doing something embarrassing or
"going over the edge"
- Fear of
dying
Solutions:
- See a doctor
and obtain an accurate diagnosis
- Follow
treatment plan
Some Strategies
for Coping with Panic:
- Remember
that although your feelings and symptoms are very frightening,
they are not dangerous or harmful.
- Do not
fight your feelings or try to wish them away
- Do not
add to your panic by thinking about what "might" happen
- Notice
that when you 'stop adding frightening thoughts to your fear',
it begins to fade
- When the
fear comes, expect and accept it. Wait and give it time to
pass without running away from it
- Read about
your illness
- Educate
yourself
- Join a
support group and talk to others who have managed to live successfully
with this disorder
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