What is panic disorder and agoraphobia?
This workbook contains a CBT treatment called Exposure and Habituation. It is recommended for the treatment panic disorder and agoraphobia, due to its large evidence base.
What is panic disorder and agoraphobia? Panic disorder is widely experienced problem. It is an anxiety disorder that affects about 7 in every 1000 people in the UK. A panic attack is a rapid rise in anxiety, usually reaching a peak within ten minutes. It is experienced as a rush of physical sensations. These sensations are the result of the adrenalin response in the body and are not harmful. While the attacks are not dangerous, they are very frightening and unpleasant at the time. They can feel very concerning and people can think they are a sign of something more sinister or catastrophic happening. Anyone can experience a panic attack. Some people have a one off attack and then don’t experience any ongoing anxiety afterwards. Some people have panic attacks, but as just one part of a different anxiety disorder and not the main focus of their fear, such as in a specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, illness anxiety disorder or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These disorders are treated differently to panic disorder, so an assessment of current symptoms is important first, to get a clear picture of what is happening. In panic disorder, the person has a first panic attack and then goes on to have multiple attacks on a regular basis. The panic attacks can be unexpected and seem like they come out of the blue. The physical symptoms of anxiety rise to a peak within minutes and are very frightening at the time. People with panic disorder understandably fear having more attacks and begin to avoid situations, places or activities that seem to bring them on. Some people also experience agoraphobia alongside their panic disorder. This is when someone feels panic in situations they are unable to escape from quickly or where getting help would be difficult. This includes crowded busy places, public spaces or wide open areas. This can be anywhere out of their home. This leads to high levels of avoidance and restrictions on how they can live their life.
1
© Marie Chellingsworth (2020). The CBT Resource.
