Many people with panic disorder or other anxiety disorders go to great lengths to keep their symptoms a secret. Although they may disclose their condition to a few select friends or family members, the majority of people in their lives may not have any knowledge about the difficulties they are going through. Many suffer quietly, feeling the need to avoid disclosing their secret at all costs. Both disclosure and secrecy may have certain costs and benefits.

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Having a panic attack is not pleasant! But, I have discovered, that if one has an alcohol problem, the withdrawals can cause them. --danieldidonna1

People with anxiety disorders are up to three times more likely to have an alcohol or other substance abuse disorder than those without an anxiety disorder. But, what begins as a way to cope with anxiety, can quickly have the opposite effect of increasing distress. Problem drinking leads to alcohol withdrawal. This is often called a "hangover."� The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can include:

• anxiety
• panic attacks
• nausea
• vomiting
• elevated blood pressure and heart rate
• agitation
• increased body temperature

These symptoms tend to create a cycle of heightened anxiety and increased problem drinking. If you're having trouble controlling your alcohol consumption or are self-medicating your symptoms with alcohol or other drugs, talk to your doctor or therapist.

_{Photo © Microsoft Corporation}

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For the latest information on panic disorder,
panic attacks and agoraphobia, sign up for the
Panic Disorder Newsletter and visit the PD discussion and support forum.
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So, here we are just starting the summer season, and we find ourselves in the midst of a flu pandemic. Just the word “pandemic” can make us feel a sense of doom and start our anxiety escalating. But, the declaration of a pandemic is not made on the basis of the severity of the virus, but rather on its global spread. While the World Health Organization believes the current swine flu infections have been mostly mild to moderately severe, there is some uncertainty about how it may evolve in the months ahead. It would be easy to panic given all of the unknowns associated with this pandemic. But, what we really need to do is follow the guidelines by the CDC to stay healthy during this uncertain situation.

_{Photo © gettyimages}

Avoidance of feared situations is a common behavior associated with panic disorder. Avoidant behaviors are “dysfunctional” because they tend to provide only short-term relief from anxiety. They are non-productive in alleviating the actual problem in the long run and may, in fact, serve to reinforce underlying fears.

For many people, the symptoms of panic disorder often trigger an array of avoidant behaviors. This can result in agoraphobia, a common complication of PD. Agoraphobia can take a little time to develop, or it can come on rather quickly. Some sufferers believe their agoraphobic symptoms began after their first panic attack. Once agoraphobia takes root, avoidance behaviors often multiply quickly.

Facing your fears and putting yourself into anxiety-provoking situations is not easy. But, doing so will help you to develop adaptive ways to deal with your anxiety and will aid in your recovery from panic disorder. Systematic desensitization is based on the principles of classical conditioning and the premise that what has been learned (conditioned) can be unlearned. Ample research shows that systematic desensitization is effective in reducing anxiety and panic attacks associated with fearful situations.

_{Photo © iStockphoto}

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For the latest information on panic disorder,
panic attacks and agoraphobia, sign up for the
Panic Disorder Newsletter and visit the PD discussion and support forum.
===============================