Will a Medical Professional Correctly Diagnose a Panic Attack?

A Press Release from the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, TX

HOUSTON – (Nov. 14, 2008) – The symptoms of panic attacks are frequently confused by physicians with other problems, indicating a need for better education in the area, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, who surveyed physicians on the topic. A report of their study appears in the online version of the Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings.

“Because symptoms of panic attacks can be confused with those of other medical problems related to the heart and gastrointestinal tract as well as neurological problems, a lack of knowledge about panic attacks can lead to unnecessary referrals and tests,” said Dr. Ellen Teng, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at BCM and clinical research psychologist at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Researchers evaluated 95 surveys received from cardiologists, gastroenterologists and neurologists in the Houston area. The survey questions included information about those most at risk for panic attacks and treatment options.

The physicians answered only half of the survey questions about panic attacks correctly. There was no difference in knowledge among the three specialty groups.

While 94 percent recognized medication as a way to treat panic and anxiety symptoms, only about 30 percent recognized cognitive behavioral therapy to educate patients about panic attacks and their symptoms and give them tools to deal with the problem as the treatment of choice.

“Medication does treat the short-term aspects of panic attacks such as shortness of breath and a racing heart, but cognitive behavioral therapy treats panic disorder in the long-term,” said Teng.

Only slightly more than half of the physicians surveyed believed that psychologists could treat panic attacks directly and effectively through this technique.

Teng called for increased awareness of panic disorder among physicians. Teng also recommends providing resources and literature for physicians to make appropriate referrals to psychologists.

Common symptoms of a panic attack include heart pounding, shortness of breath, light headedness and trembling. Panic disorder develops when several panic attacks occur out of the blue. Patients then worry about what the attack means and when the next one will take place, which may cause them to avoid certain places or events.

If a panic attack does occur for the first time, Teng recommends seeing a physician to rule out the risk of heart disease or another serious problem.

Others who took part in this research include Drs. Angelic D. Chaison, Sara D. Bailey, Joseph D. Hamilton and Nancy Jo Dunn, all of BCM and the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Funding for this work came from the South Central Mental Illness, Research, Education and Clinical Centers, a part of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

The study can be found at http://www.springerlink.com/content/q5718wm131242433/fulltext.pdf * **

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Personality Traits of Panic Attack Sufferers

Many different people succumb to panic attacks. However, there seems to be a common thread found among many people who suffer from the dreaded anxiety attack.

Oftentimes people who have panic attacks feel insecure about their physical and emotional world. This could be due to an upbringing in an unstable environment or one or more severely traumatic experiences. They may not feel the world is a safe place.

Panic attack sufferers often are unassertive. They lack general self-confidence and have limiting beliefs in their capabilities. They may feel that their desires and wishes are unimportant. They may have grown up in a situation where they had to avoid asserting their feelings because of negative outcomes.

In a related vein panic attacks are often most prevalent in those who fear conflict and confrontation. Again they may have developed the behaviors of avoidance at a young age to survive and seek stability in a bad environment. Now they do not risk conflict in fear that their relationships may become threatened or just may fear something else, maybe even just fearing the unknown of what conflict and confrontation bring.

Panic attack sufferers often do not allow themselves to feel emotions. They may bury their feelings, or only feel feelings on a physical level, detaching the emotional element. Over time they avoid feeling strong emotions because, positive or negative, these feelings may cause their bodies to react with increased heart rate which could be recognized internally as a panic attack.

Panic attack sufferers may have the tendency to become deeply attached to others and may be extra-sensitive of loss or separation.

So what can one do about it?

-Many psychologists encourage people to keep a journal of their daily happenings, to write down their feelings on paper, to get back in touch with their emotions.

-Become more aware of your behavior. When did this behavior start?

-Perform a personality trait inventory. Write down what you like about yourself. Write down what you don't like. Notice your behavioral responses in the future and if you catch yourself responding negatively or in a non-constructive manner, take a note of it and ask yourself how you could have handled it differently without being too hard on yourself.

Self-confidence can be gained eventually over time, but it must be consistently worked at to change the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that make up your present state of being.

Want to boost your self-confidence and general feelings of well-being? Check out the power of positive self-talk and hypnosis.

Symptoms of a Panic Attack

1. palpitations, pounding heart or accelerated heart rate

2. sweating

3. trembling or shaking

4. sensations of shortness of breath or smothering

5. feeling of choking

6. chest pain or discomfort

7. nausea or abdominal distress

8. feeling dizzy

9. derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)

10. fear of losing control or going crazy

11. fear of dying

12. chills or hot flashes



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First Aid for Panic Attacks