Dr LeCrone
03-24-2006, 03:04 PM
• As John drove down the crowded freeway listening to the news, he felt a tightening in his chest; soon, he had difficulty breathing. His heart began to beat irregularly; a feeling of dizziness overcame him. Perspiration broke out on his forehead and hands; his whole body began to tremble and shake. He thought he was going crazy or having a heart attack.
Convinced that the end was near for him, he managed to exit from the freeway and get to the nearest hospital. After examination by the emergency room physician, he was told that there was no indication of a heart attack or any other physical problem.
Two weeks later, the same cycle of events occurred. This time he was singing in the church choir and suffered sheer panic for almost an hour. At the close of the service, John was emotionally exhausted and gripped with fear.
• Mary’s problems began as a teen-ager. Her first recollection of her terrible discomfort came when she was walking in a crowded shopping mall surrounded by strangers. She felt very faint; her heart pounded wildly. As she began to tremble all over, she thought she would lose consciousness and there would be no one to help her. She managed to return to the car, where she cried until her mother returned.
A month later, she was in the family car again, this time crossing a bridge near her home; she felt the same overwhelming and incapacitating fear overcome her. She gripped the armrest and closed her eyes.
After these two situational “attacks” Mary stayed at home in familiar surroundings. Her whole world began to shrink. If she left the house at all, she insisted being accompanied by one or both of her parents. As she grew older, Mary found that having a couple of beers “calmed her nerves” enough to get her through a trip to town or for a visit with the relatives. Her use of alcohol increased to the point of dependency.
John and Mary both suffer from a problem that is very common in society. John’s difficulty fits the classification of panic disorder. Mary’s is agoraphobia. Both of these true disabling psychiatric diseases fall under the category of anxiety disorder.
Panic attacks are manifested by the sudden onset of intense apprehension, fear or terror, often associated with feelings of impending doom. Symptoms may include: difficulty in breathing, palpitations of the heart, chest pain or discomfort, choking or smothering sensations, dizziness, vertigo or unsteady feelings, hot or cold flashes, sweating, faintness, shakiness, fear of dying, fear of going crazy or of doing something uncontrolled during the attack.
Agoraphobics have a marked fear of being alone or in public places where escape is difficult. They decrease their normal activities, often insisting that a family member or friend accompany them wherever they go.
In both disorders, the individual generally begins to anticipate the problem even if they are not already feeling nervous, anxious, panicky or fearful. It then becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy and the fear of the fear becomes part of the problem.
Several types of treatments are available for these disorders. Successful treatment has given patients a great deal of hope in overcoming and conquering agoraphobia and panic disorder. They do regain control of their lives.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1985
Convinced that the end was near for him, he managed to exit from the freeway and get to the nearest hospital. After examination by the emergency room physician, he was told that there was no indication of a heart attack or any other physical problem.
Two weeks later, the same cycle of events occurred. This time he was singing in the church choir and suffered sheer panic for almost an hour. At the close of the service, John was emotionally exhausted and gripped with fear.
• Mary’s problems began as a teen-ager. Her first recollection of her terrible discomfort came when she was walking in a crowded shopping mall surrounded by strangers. She felt very faint; her heart pounded wildly. As she began to tremble all over, she thought she would lose consciousness and there would be no one to help her. She managed to return to the car, where she cried until her mother returned.
A month later, she was in the family car again, this time crossing a bridge near her home; she felt the same overwhelming and incapacitating fear overcome her. She gripped the armrest and closed her eyes.
After these two situational “attacks” Mary stayed at home in familiar surroundings. Her whole world began to shrink. If she left the house at all, she insisted being accompanied by one or both of her parents. As she grew older, Mary found that having a couple of beers “calmed her nerves” enough to get her through a trip to town or for a visit with the relatives. Her use of alcohol increased to the point of dependency.
John and Mary both suffer from a problem that is very common in society. John’s difficulty fits the classification of panic disorder. Mary’s is agoraphobia. Both of these true disabling psychiatric diseases fall under the category of anxiety disorder.
Panic attacks are manifested by the sudden onset of intense apprehension, fear or terror, often associated with feelings of impending doom. Symptoms may include: difficulty in breathing, palpitations of the heart, chest pain or discomfort, choking or smothering sensations, dizziness, vertigo or unsteady feelings, hot or cold flashes, sweating, faintness, shakiness, fear of dying, fear of going crazy or of doing something uncontrolled during the attack.
Agoraphobics have a marked fear of being alone or in public places where escape is difficult. They decrease their normal activities, often insisting that a family member or friend accompany them wherever they go.
In both disorders, the individual generally begins to anticipate the problem even if they are not already feeling nervous, anxious, panicky or fearful. It then becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy and the fear of the fear becomes part of the problem.
Several types of treatments are available for these disorders. Successful treatment has given patients a great deal of hope in overcoming and conquering agoraphobia and panic disorder. They do regain control of their lives.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1985