Argumentative Essay

Should People Be More Aware of Panic Disorder?

“ Hmm, I wonder why my head hurts, what if I have a tumor, or what if I have a blood clot and I'm about to hemorrhage, breathe Cali breathe it's all in my head just go back to sleep. But why does it hurt so bad, is that a light I see? Am I dying? What if I don't wake up tomorrow, will anyone miss me? Why am I shaking now? Its getting dark in here, is this the last of my life? What is happening to me. In and out Cali breathe in and out. My head still hurts, I can't take the pain anymore, I need my mom, I need someone, anyone. This pain, I can't stop shaking and I'm freezing, but why am I sweating. Mommy please help.” Shaking, sweating, crying, screaming, dizziness, having the feeling that you are about to die. These are all symptoms of some one who has Panic Disorder and are effected everyday of their life. This is not a cry for attention or an over reaction to something you are deathly afraid of. It is a cry for help, and a sign saying “ I'm scared can you please help.” Many people compare this disorder to anxiety, which they are alike, but these anxiety attacks and panic attacks both happen for different reasons and can effect you in different ways. Being unaware of this disorder is not healthy for the person with it and the people that are around the person that has it. Being aware of a disorder like this can help many kids, teenagers, and adults today.

This disorder can get to a point where you do not want to leave your house because you are so frightened of getting a panic attack or running into a situation where a panic attack can occur, this is called Agoraphobia. In the YouTube video “ Panic attack with Agoraphobia” Dr. Greg Cason talks about Agoraphobia and what you may feel when experiencing it or the sudden symptoms you feel when it occurs. As Dr. Cason says, Agoraphobia is a fear of leaving your house because you know or you think “ I'm probably going to get a panic attack today so might as well stay in.” “1/3rd of panic disordered patients will move on to agoraphobia” ( Dr. Cason, Greg; Panic disorder with Agoraphobia ) Dr. Cason also states that women are more likely to have this disorder than men, but men hide this disorder with drugs and alcohol.
Panic Attacks can occur randomly or sometimes something might happen to you and you know you are going to get one. “Panic attacks that seem to strike sufferers out-of-the-blue are not without warning after all.” ( Allen, Pg.1) Not only can you get Panic Attacks randomly while you're awake, but you can also get Panic Attacks when you are sleeping ( nocturnal panic attack). The level you reach before you fall asleep is called REM mode ( Rapid Eye Movement) and when people try to sleep they usually think about something or someone. Having Panic Disorder may cause the person to think about something that they fear as they are falling asleep, and as soon as they hit REM mode the thoughts hit them harder and they wake up with a sudden fear of what they were thinking. This problem can cause people to have insomnia or their sleeping schedule can be effected in a bad way. Sometimes, people with nocturnal panic attacks blame these attacks on bad dreams. “But researchers contest this hypothesis considering that nightmares occur during the late and fourth stage of sleep (REM), while nocturnal panic attacks surface earlier. “ (Calm Clinic, Pg 1.) Panic Attacks are bad when you're awake, but how would you feel waking up in the middle of the night in fear?
Have you ever been so scared of something that you always try to avoid it? Or have a phobia of something and try everything in your power to stay away from it? Panic attacks are linked to things you are scared of and phobias you might have and you may not realize it, but it follows them around everywhere they go. “Stephen S. Hall asserts that "irrational fear equals irrational behavior" is the "disabling equation of anxiety disorders" ( Goleman pg 2.) A phobia does not appear out of no where or slowly make its way to you. “ Phobias can often be traced back to underlying trauma in the individual’s life and result from a combination of an ineffective coping mechanism to these situations”(Therarive, pg 1) People have many fears: talking in front of a crowd, being alone in public or at home, being surrounded by to many people, afraid of dying etc. All these fears and phobias do not come out of the blue and can cause someone to have a panic attack.
This disorder effects not only you, but the people that surround you and those who witness the panic attacks you get almost everyday. The first time someone experiences you getting a panic attack they are baffled, scared, and are not sure what to do in a situation like this. To them it may seem as if you want some sort of attention or that you are over reacting, but in your world of a Panic Disorder patient, it is nothing but a scare that effects you for the rest of your life. Sure, there are ways that you can treat this and they are different types of medications and therapies, but sometimes it never works. Medication may help your anxiety and therapy can help you figure out why you get these panic attacks or help you talk about the problem, but that does not mean that it has gone away completely. Your brain stores everything you see, hear, and feel, so thinking “ hey, the meds worked and so did the therapy, so I guess I don't have to worry anymore.” that's not the case. You may think it's gone when really its still in your brain effecting you and you don't even know it.
Having friends and family help you every step of the way makes your life better and you feel like you have no reason to fear. Having this disorder for 9 years and learning about it and seeing that other have it helps me in a way, and tells me that I' am not the only one out there suffering from this. As a kid I had no idea what was going on and that made me even more scared, and realizing that my mom goes through the same thing, helped me because I knew that she knew what I was going through and it helped the both of us. So yes, this is a disorder that everyone should be aware of because it effects people at a point where they are too scared to come out of their house or can't live a normal life without thinking that they are going to die at any second. This is a serious issue around the world and you are capable of helping someone whether you know it or not.