Panic Disorder Test: What Are The Signs of Panic Disorder?
Disclaimer: This quiz is only for adults and is not designed to be administered to anyone under 18 years of age. By clicking on the quiz above, you acknowledge that the quiz is not a diagnostic instrument and is only to be used if you are 18 years or older. Let’s Talk! Counseling and Services LLC disclaims any liability, loss, or risk incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, from the use and application of this quiz.
Exploring Results for Signs of Panic Disorder
This quiz examines whether you're experiencing common signs of panic disorder or if your panic attacks may be the result of another type of anxiety. The results below can help you better understand your score and potential panic disorder treatment recommendations.
Your results on this quiz can offer valuable insight into your current symptoms. Depending on your score, panic disorder treatment may be recommended, in which case please remember that seeking help is a courageous step towards improving your mental well-being.
Not Typical Signs of Panic Disorder
Your responses suggest you’re not experiencing typical signs of panic disorder. One of the strongest signs of panic disorder is the emphasis on trying to prevent another panic attack at all costs. You may be experiencing panic attacks as part of another anxiety condition such as Generalized Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, Social Anxiety, or Health Anxiety. With any anxiety condition, panic attacks can occur as part of your body’s natural “pressure release valve.”
Based on your responses, panic disorder treatment is not recommended. However, if you've been using many of these strategies to prevent panic attacks for less than a month, or if you suspect your panic is part of another anxiety condition, it's recommended to discuss these things with a mental health professional to see if another type of anxiety treatment could be helpful.
Since panic attacks can look very similar to certain medical conditions, it's also recommended to discuss your symptoms with your doctor to rule out possible medical causes. Our therapists specialize in working with all types of anxiety including panic attacks caused by other anxiety conditions. For more information, call today or request a free consultation to discuss your symptoms.
Mild Signs of Panic Disorder
Your responses suggest mild signs of panic disorder. Panic attacks can be terrifying and it's not uncommon for people to make short-term changes, like giving up coffee or resting more, to try and reduce anxiety and stress. The good news is that it looks like you've only made a handful of these changes so far, which means panic disorder treatment should be both short and highly effective.
The bad news: treatment for panic disorder works the opposite of what you might guess. The longer you go on avoiding these things, the more likely you are to have another panic attack. This is because avoiding things like coffee and exercise may actually be your brain's way of trying to avoid unavoidable things like noticing your heartbeat or your breathing.
In other words, your brain may be starting to flag normal bodily sensations as dangerous, which can be a slippery slope. If left untreated, even mild symptoms can escalate to agoraphobia or health anxiety over time. As a result, panic disorder treatment is recommended to help break your body's habit of panicking in response to normal bodily functions.
We can help. Our approach to panic disorder treatment includes exposure therapy, which can rewire your brain to stop signaling an emergency when there isn't one. This can help you stop dreading the next panic attack and go back to not noticing things like your breathing and your heartbeat. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call today or request a free consultation and we'll reach out to you.
Moderate Signs of Panic Disorder
Your responses suggest moderate signs of panic disorder. This means you've made quite a few changes in your life, hoping to avoid having another panic attack. While this works short-term, it typically causes even more anxiety over time.
You've probably noticed that your life is getting smaller and the list of things you can't do anymore is getting longer. You may be noticing your stress tolerance has gone down too, meaning you're more likely to feel triggered by small stuff that never used to bother you.
If you scored in this range, panic disorder treatment is recommended. Our therapists offer coping skills that go beyond just breathing, to help you retrain both your body and your brain to stop signaling an emergency when there isn't one. Most importantly, we can help you break the habits that are likely keeping you stuck in a cycle of anxiety and exhaustion. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call today or request a free consultation and we'll reach out to you to discuss the signs of panic disorder you're noticing.
Severe Signs of Panic Disorder
Your responses on this anxiety test suggest severe signs of panic disorder, which can make daily functioning nearly impossible. Severe panic disorder can even cause panic attacks to wake you up from a sound sleep. Over time, severe symptoms can also lead to developing another condition called agoraphobia, which can make it hard to go places and do things you used to do.
At this point, panic disorder treatment is essential, sooner rather than later since people with severe signs of panic disorder can often develop depression too. Panic disorder treatment may include exposure therapy for panic disorder, in addition to anti-depressant medication if you're having depressive symptoms. Anti-anxiety medication is generally not recommended as a long-term solution for panic due to the nature of this condition and the high likelihood of building up a tolerance to the meds, meaning they eventually no longer work to control panic.
Our approach to panic disorder treatment includes exposure therapy to address one of the primary signs of panic disorder: your brain and body signaling an emergency when there isn't one. Our therapists can teach you real tools for targeting your anxious thoughts, baby steps to face your fears and overcome avoidance, and retrain your nervous system how to relax. For more information or to schedule an appointment to begin panic disorder treatment, call today or request a free consultation and we'll reach out to you.
We can help.
If you or someone you love is struggling with anxiety, depression, or the effects of trauma, please reach out. We offer Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Orlando and online throughout Florida. Call today or send us your info and we’ll reach out for a free consultation to see if one of our CBT Therapists would be a good fit.
References:
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
Barlow, David H., and Michelle G. Craske, Mastery of Your Anxiety and Panic: Workbook, 4 edn, Treatments That Work (New York, 2006; online edn, Oxford Academic, 1 Jan. 2015), https://doi.org/10.1093/med:psych/9780195311358.001.0001
