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ANXIETY – Phobias & Panic Disorders

Wendy Bennett
Jul 8, 2015
3 min read

Last week I focused on Generalised Anxiety Disorder which falls under the umbrella of Anxiety Disorders. Today’s article is focussing on two other disorders included under the Anxiety Disorder umbrella being Phobias & Panic Disorders.

Phobias

So, most people will identify as having some kind of phobia. Personally I hate spiders, scared stiff of them, and I am not a fan of heights either. However, while I do not like spiders (in fact I have at least one can of Baygon in every room) this fear does not leave me paralysed and unable to carry on normal day to day functions.

I think this is an important difference to highlight. A fear of something does not affect your day to day living; it does not mean you resort to changing your behaviours to avoid a situation. But a phobia does.

Maybe a practical example will help demonstrate the difference between the two.

I have a fear of spiders. They creep me out and I regularly get our house sprayed and ensure I have plenty of bug spray in the house. However, I do not lose sleep worrying about spiders, I only really think of them and how much I dislike them when I see one.

I have a phobia of seeing the dentist. I live in pain, have broken teeth and avoid certain foods that I know are difficult to chew and may make my tooth situation worse. I have made and cancelled several appointments due to this phobia. I have even avoided taking my children to the dentist.

It may be a subtle difference for some to see but it is there nonetheless.

Panic Disorders

I have included panic disorders in this article as I believe that phobias and panic disorders are related. Being in a situation where you are forced to face a phobia can induce a panic attack. However, panic attacks do not have to be linked to a fear or phobia, nor does having panic attacks mean you suffer from a panic disorder.

Panic Disorder is diagnosed when you experience panic attacks that are recurrent and disabling. Some of the features of panic disorder are:

- Experiencing “out of the blue” panic attacks
- Worrying about having another panic attack
- Catastrophising the implications or consequences of the panic attack i.e. signifies a severe illness
- Noticing changes in behaviour to avoid situations where panic attack symptoms may be mirrored for example avoiding exercise that increases the heart rate.

If you are living with someone who experiences panic attacks here are some things that you can do to help:

Remain patient and calm, panic attacks usually last between 10 – 30 minutes.
Use reassuring phrases such as “you are having a panic attack”, “It will soon pass and in a few minutes you will start to feel better”.
Do NOT tell the person to relax or calm down.
Encourage the person to take slow and regular breaths. Counting can help keep the person focused on slowing their breathing.
Acknowledge the person has a disorder, is not just being difficult or dramatic.For the person suffering the anxiety is a very real and distressing experience.
Encourage the person to seek professional help to help them combat unrealistic or anxious thoughts.

If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms or issues please, in the first instance visit your GP. Counsellors, Psychologists and Psychiatrists are all trained professionals that can help you.

Wendy xo