Dear Readers,

A. B. writes Lifeline from a Kingston 8 address. She is a mature woman of 50 years, who was visiting a business place, over a month ago, when it was held up by gunmen and everyone was robbed.

The event was frightening when it happened, but A. B. thought she had dealt with it and was moving on with her life. However, recently, she has been experiencing vivid nightmares. In one of them, a man ran out of nowhere, coming towards her with a gun. In another nightmare, a woman relentlessly came after her with a knife. That dream was particularly troublesome and A. B.'s husband had to wake her up, as she was screaming in her sleep. She has also experienced moments of fearfulness. On one occasion, her lips, hands and feet tingled and went numb but the feeling subsided. A. B. has not visited her doctor, as she says that this is probably just her nerves acting up and, hopefully, it will soon settle down.

A relative told her that she was having panic attacks. She asked Lifeline if this could be so.

A.B's dreams are disturbing and certainly seem to be related to her bad experience. If they continue she should visit her doctor.

Panic attacks occur two to three times more often in women than in men. They tend to be present, initially, in young adulthood (mid -20s. A panic attack is associated with a feeling of intense fear, apprehension or terror. Often, there is a feeling of impending doom. Panic attacks are often accompanied by physical and psychological symptoms and many persons, who experience panic attacks, believe they are experiencing a heart attack.

SYMPTOMS

A diagnosis of panic disorder requires that the person would have experienced at least four panic attacks, involving four or more of the symptoms, during at least one of the attacks. The symptoms associated with panic attacks are:

Shortness of breath

Choking

Dizziness or fainting

Palpitations

Trembling or shaking

Chest pain discomfort

Depersonalisation

Nausea/abdominal distress

Numbness or tingling sensations

Fear of dying

Hot flashes or chills

Fear of loosing control of behaviour

Flashbacks

Panic disorder may be limited to a single brief episode, spanning several weeks or several months. However often, panic disorders last for years with periods of remission and exacerbation. Panic attacks are also often associated with agoraphobia, the fear of being in places where help might not be available, if they have an attack. Often, the person also experiences a fear of crowded places and may even be fearful of getting into a car. Eventually, they may not want to leave home. Because a panic attack involves several non-specific symptoms it is necessary that a physician rule out the possibility of any underlying organ-disease such as heart disease.

Panic disorders are associated with both social and health consequences, including problems with marital relationships, friendships, alcohol dependence or even substance abuse.

COUNSELLING

Because of this, the diagnosis of panic disorder is not to be made lightly and A. B. should see a physician for counselling about the events she experienced and her subsequent health manifestations. She should have a full physical examination, at which time the doctor will likely consider the diagnosis of panic disorder. Certainly, A. B. should be counselled and possibly medicated for anxiety.

Write Lifeline

P.O. Box 1731

Kingston 8

A. J. M.