Panic Disorder Blog

May is Better Sleep Month, so it's a good time to take a look at your sleep habits to see if they are affecting your anxiety. If you feel drowsy during the day, you may not be getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep may cause irritability, poor memory, poor concentration, and mood swings -- and that's for everyone, including people without panic disorder. Imagine how much worse it may be when you have panic disorder.

The first step in addressing any sleep problems is to talk to your doctor. You want to make sure there isn't an underlying health problem, including an actual sleep disorder. Additionally, discuss your medications because they may be causing the problem. If all checks out OK, then the second step is to improve your sleep habits.

Sleep problems also may make mornings difficult. Mornings can be rough when you have an anxiety disorder. For tips on coping with morning anxiety, see 10 Ways to Manage Morning Anxiety.

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The upcoming presidential election in the United States has taken center stage in the daily news. We hear a lot about the major candidates, but do you know their stances on mental health issues? The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) knows how important these issues are, especially in a time when we're trying to get equal insurance coverage for conditions like panic disorder.

NAMI sent each of the presidential candidates a questionnaire concerning mental health policies from insurance and disabilities coverage to research funding. Visit NAMI's site to see their responses (and a copy of the questionnaire).

This is a critical election year for so many reasons, but if you have panic disorder, then mental health policies affect you directly. Find out what the candidates think, and please vote!

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On the Forum, Melissa writes: I have struggled in the past with an anxiety/panic disorder. I controlled it and got on with my life. Suddenly life got hard again, and I'm finding it hard to breathe and take deep breaths. I thought it was asthma, but I'm not so sure. Does anyone else suffer from this? I've looked everywhere for advice but no one understands or they just think I'm "crazy."

Cathleen's thoughts: Melissa, you absolutely are not "crazy" or even alone with your symptoms. Yes, you should see your healthcare provider for a complete physical to rule out any underlying causes, such as asthma. Your doctor should know about any medications or supplements you take, including anything you buy over-the-counter.

Once you have been checked out physically, you'll want to talk to your doctor about what is causing your breathing difficulties. Is your doctor making the diagnosis of an anxiety disorder?

If so, please know that breathing difficulties may be a symptom of more than one anxiety disorder, including panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. If you do have an anxiety disorder (and you mention a history), then treatment for your disorder can alleviate your symptom.

Learning and practicing a deep breathing exercise may be helpful for you. People with panic disorder tend to breathe shallowly, which can lead to that feeling of not being able to take a deep breath. Because you are sensitive to your breathing, start slowly with a simple exercise (being sure to discuss this with your doctor first). An easy one to try is How to Breathe the Right Way.

What Do You Think? Do you have any problems with breathing during panic attacks or when you are anxious? Have you found anything that helps? Share your thoughts on the Panic Disorder Forum or by adding your comments below.

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If you are between the ages of 16 and 28, and you have agoraphobia, MTV may be interested in talking to you. Here is the casting call I received:

Do you suffer from agoraphobia? Is it extremely difficult or even impossible for you to leave your house or go to places that aren't completely familiar to you? Does even the thought of going outside of your home or into a new space trigger a panic attack? Do your friends and family know about your condition or do you keep it a secret? Are you becoming increasingly reclusive and don't know how to stop the downward spiral? Or has this disorder come to define you and you feel like you can't take it anymore? Are you willing to make a drastic change in order to overcome your fears? If you're agoraphobic and it's having a huge impact on your life, MTV wants to hear your story.

If you appear to be between the ages of 16 and 28 and believe you suffer from agoraphobia email us at agoraphobia@mtvstaff.com with all of the details, including how and when the condition affects you, whether you've ever sought treatment, and what your daily life is like. Please be sure to include your name, location, phone number and a photo, if possible.

If you are one of the many people with panic disorder who also have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), you may be relieved to know you're not alone. April is IBS Awareness Month, so it's a good time to get the help you need for IBS, if you aren't doing so already.

About.com's IBS Guide, Dr. Barbara Bradley Bolen, asks an excellent question in her new poll: Who have you told about your IBS? Click here to take the poll.

So, does telling people about your condition -- IBS or panic disorder or both or more -- help? And how do you get the conversation started? Share your thoughts here and on Dr. Bolen's site.

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What happens when agoraphobia becomes so crippling that the sufferer is unable to get urgent medical treatment? In New Zealand, Tracey Ward found herself in just such a situation. Three years ago, she was able to have routine gynecological tests which ended up showing precancerous cells in her cervix. Her agoraphobia kept her from having follow-up testing because the testing only could be done out of town.

Thankfully, Ward and her doctor were interviewed by New Zealand's Manawatu Standard. After the story was picked up by a local television program, Close Up, Ward found herself with all kinds of help, including an ambulance ride to the hospital for testing. It was the first time Ward left her hometown of Foxton in 16 years.

"I still can't believe I did it," Ward told the Manawatu Standard. "People had gone to so much trouble to organise it, and I was determined."

For more:
- Woman Beats Fear to Get to Hospital
- March 10th show on Close Up and the April 10th show

Have you had any difficulties getting to medical appointments because of agoraphobia? How can doctors and other treatment providers help people with agoraphobia and panic disorder get to medical appointments?

Be sure to stop by About.com's new Phobias Site. Maintained by Lisa Fritscher, the site provides all the basics on phobias, including symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment information. You'll also find information on phobias in children and the elderly, self-help information, resources for friends and family, and much more.

Genetic factors that are associated with common fears change with age, a new study finds. Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University found that some factors decline in importance during childhood and adolescence while other genetic risk factors increase.

Participants in the study were 2500 twin pairs born in 1985-86, and evaluated over a 20-year period. The participants (with help from their parents) rated their fears of 13 items, including snakes, the dark, and flying.

In addition to the change in genetic risk factors, the researchers also saw a change in environmental influences. The shared family environment became less influential as the twins ages, and the individual environment increased in importance.

The study was published in the April 2008 Archives of General Psychiatry.

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People with anxiety disorders may have low levels of a brain chemical known as neuropeptide Y (NPY), according to researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Released during times of stress, NPY works to reduce anxiety. Variations in NPY may explain why some people handle stress better than others, the researchers say. Read more...

April is IBS Awareness Month. Studies have shown a significant correlation between panic disorder and IBS, as discussed in IBS and Panic Disorder: What to Do If You Have Both. Our informal poll has shown similar results.

Do you have panic disorder along with IBS?

1) Yes
2) No
3) Don't know

Current Results