How is the panic attack test done? Panic Attack and Panic Attack Test Panic Test

Take our online test to find out if you have panic attacks, and if so, to what extent.

Signs and symptoms of panic attacks

Once you're done, click the "View Results" button to go to the next page for test results.

TEST FOR DETECTION OF PANIC ATTACKS (Katon W.J. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) Panic Screening Questions) A. Anxiety attacks. 1. Have you had sudden attacks of anxiety, fear or terror in the past 4 months? 2. Have you ever had similar seizures before? 3. Do some of these attacks come on suddenly, out of context, where you would feel anxious or uncomfortable? 4. Do you have a fear of an attack or its consequences? B. During your last attack (attack) did you experience: 1) shallow, rapid breathing 2) heartbeat, pulsation, heart failure or a feeling of stopping 3) pain or discomfort in the left side of the chest 4) sweating 6) feeling of lack air, shortness of breath 6) waves of heat or cold 7) nausea, discomfort in the stomach, diarrhea or urge to it 8.) dizziness, unsteadiness, fog in the head or lightheadedness 9) sensations of tingling or numbness in the body or limbs 10) trembling in the body 11) fear of death or irreversible consequences of an attack or a psychiatrist. Since the “triggering” factor of a panic attack is most often anxiety, timely detection and treatment of anxiety disorder is very important. Read each statement carefully and choose an answer according to how you have been feeling over the past month. 1. I experience tension, I feel uncomfortable: a) all the time; b) often; c) from time to time, sometimes; d) I don’t feel at all 2. I feel fear, it seems that something terrible is about to happen a) yes, it is, and the fear is very strong; b) yes, it is, but the fear is not very strong; c) sometimes I feel, but it does not bother me; d) I don't feel it at all 3. Worrying thoughts swirl in my head a) all the time; b) most of the time c) from time to time; d) only sometimes 4. I can easily sit down and relax a) not at all; b) only occasionally is this so; c) perhaps it is so; d) Yes, I am. 5. I experience internal tension or trembling a) very often; b) often; c) sometimes; d) I don't feel at all 6. I find it difficult to sit still, as if I constantly need to move a) yes, it is; b) perhaps it is so; c) only to some extent it is so; d) It's not like that at all. I have a feeling of panic a) very often; b) quite often; c) sometimes; d) does not happen Now calculate the result: the answer option "a" corresponds to 3 points, "b" - 2, "c" - 1, "d" - 0 points. Sum up the scores. If the score is from 0 to 3 - the level of anxiety is within the normal range; from 4 to 7 - a slight increase in the level of anxiety, we advise you to contact a psychologist; from 8 to 10 - moderate anxiety, it is best to contact a psychotherapist to correct the condition; from 11 to 15 - severe anxiety, we recommend that you contact a psychotherapist and undergo a course of treatment; 16 points or more - a pronounced increase in the level of anxiety, you need qualified treatment from a psychiatrist or psychotherapist.

Panic attacks, panic disorder... A huge number of books and articles are devoted to this problem. In any Internet search engine, you can find thousands of pages and forums dedicated to this issue.

And yet, patients with panic attacks walk and walk "in circles" in search of a doctor who can help them: numerous examinations and long courses of treatment by therapists alternate with similar courses by cardiologists, gastroenterologists, pulmonologists, endocrinologists.

The longer the examination and unsuccessful treatment continues, the more the fear of the presence of some mysterious serious disease that cannot be diagnosed and treated increases; which in turn causes increased anxiety and an increase in panic attacks.

This situation persists until the patient meets a competent doctor who will refer the patient to a psychotherapist or psychiatrist (or the patient himself decides to contact one of these specialists). Only then does adequate treatment begin, panic attacks disappear, and the condition returns to normal.

Very often, a patient with panic attacks has been unsuccessfully treated for many years, having a diagnosis of "vegetative-vascular dystonia", "neuro-circulatory dystonia", "vegetative crises (paroxysms)", or "sympathetic-adrenal crises". In most cases, behind these diagnoses is a panic disorder that needs to be treated and can be completely cured.

What are panic attacks?

These are sudden, unpredictable and short-term attacks of severe anxiety, accompanied by various unpleasant sensations, including:

• palpitations, interruptions, pain in the heart
• feeling short of breath or even suffocation
• increased blood pressure
• headache
• dizziness, weakness, faintness
• chills or sweating, sometimes called "cold sweat"
• nausea, abdominal pain, stool disorder
• discomfort in various parts of the body (numbness, tingling, etc.)

The most important symptom that always accompanies an attack is fear (to lose consciousness, go crazy or die).

I must say that most of these symptoms occur in many people at the time of stress, because in this situation the brain, as it were, gives a command to the whole body: “Attention, danger!”, Which means you must either attack the source of danger or run away from it. To ensure this activity, hormones are released into the blood, and then muscle tone increases, breathing and heart rate increase, sweating increases - the body is ready for action. If this condition causes fear, then the severity and duration of unpleasant sensations increase and a panic attack develops.

A person’s behavior during a panic attack varies: someone fusses, moans, calls for help, strives to the street, “to fresh air”, others lie down, afraid to move, others take all kinds of medicines and call an ambulance.

The prevalence of panic disorder.

Every person who develops a panic disorder believes that only he suffers from this disease. In fact, the prevalence of panic disorder is 4-5% of the population, and erased forms of the disease are detected in almost 10% of the population, that is, every tenth person on Earth is more or less familiar with panic attacks.

Causes, development, forecast.

Let's start with the prognosis, because this is very important: despite the fact that panic attacks are accompanied by very unpleasant sensations, they do not pose a threat to life.

There are various theories explaining the causes of panic disorder, while emphasizing that the likelihood of developing the disease is very high when these factors are combined.

A significant role is given to hereditary predisposition, the presence of which does not at all mean the mandatory development of the disease, but only indicates the expediency of carrying out preventive measures.

Another factor is reversible (that is, completely passing after the course of treatment) changes in the central nervous system associated with metabolic disorders of a number of substances (in particular, serotonin and norepinephrine). In every fifth patient with panic disorder, mental traumas suffered in childhood (alcoholism of parents, constant conflicts in the family, manifestations of aggression) are detected, leading to the formation of a feeling of insecurity, anxiety and children's fears.

One of the significant reasons is the patient's personal characteristics (anxiety, suspiciousness, uncertainty, excessive attention to one's feelings, increased emotionality, need for attention, help and support), which affect the tolerance of stressful influences.

The first panic attack most often develops during a period of stress (overload at work, conflicts in the family, divorce, illness of loved ones), or expectations of stress (before an exam, public speaking, business trip), but it can also develop for no apparent reason. A provoking factor can also be physical overload, drinking alcohol, large amounts of coffee or other stimulants.

If panic disorder is not treated, it can progress. In the initial stages, patients rarely turn to psychotherapists and psychiatrists. Finding no reason for unexpected anxiety attacks, patients with panic disorder often think that they have a serious illness: a panic attack is perceived as a “heart attack”, “stroke”, “the beginning of insanity”.

Even after the first panic attack, a fear of being in the situation in which the attack occurred can develop, and panic attacks occur more often and in a variety of situations. A person begins to avoid these situations, he finds himself, as it were, “captive” to his condition - he cannot go anywhere without the accompaniment of loved ones, he constantly waits for the development of a panic attack. Very often there is a fear of being in an awkward position, losing consciousness, getting into a situation where it is impossible to immediately get the help of doctors.

Other fears join in: fear of crowds, open space, traffic jams, large stores, metro, walking, closed spaces, travel, etc. The so-called restrictive behavior is formed - the patient stops using transport, leaving the house, sharply limiting his living space and activity . At this stage, panic disorder is often accompanied by depression, requiring immediate medical treatment.

In order to reduce fear or cope with panic, many resort to alcohol or anti-anxiety drugs. It is very important to know that this is the wrong tactic, which can lead to alcohol or drug dependence and make treatment of panic disorder much more difficult.

Here is one of the many clinical cases.

Nikolay, 27 years old. He successfully graduated from the institute, worked for a company. The last few months have been very heavy workloads, the issue of career growth was being resolved, I had to work until late in the evening, including days off. He took his birthday as an occasion to “recreate properly”: until late at night a plentiful feast, drank a lot, hardly slept. The next day - to work.

I got up early in the morning, it was a very hot day, while walking to the metro I felt a headache, heart palpitations (which is understandable after a sleepless night and drinking alcohol). There was a crowd in the subway car, it was impossible to sit down, after a while the heart began to beat even faster, there was a feeling of weakness, dizziness. He remembered that an elderly relative had recently had a heart attack, he was afraid that “it would become bad with his heart, the doctors would not have time to help,” he barely got to work.

The next day, on the way to the metro, a panic attack developed: severe anxiety, sweating, dizziness, palpitations, weakness, fear of death. I started driving to work, at first everything was fine, but after a few days I got into a traffic jam, the panic attack repeated, I had a desire to run out of the car, fear that no one would be able to help.

I went to a cardiologist, he was fully examined, the doctor said that he was absolutely healthy. Nikolay decided: “He is healthy, but there may be problems with the vessels of the head,” he underwent a detailed examination in a neurological clinic, where they also did not reveal any changes in the vessels of the brain. During this period, panic attacks arose more and more often, and developed not only in transport, but also on the street.

Nikolai stopped working, spent almost all the time at home, went out only accompanied by his relatives. He was sure that he was seriously ill, and it was incurable - after all, the doctors did not find anything in him, which means that it was not known how to treat him. Only a year later, on the advice of friends, Nikolai turned to a psychotherapist. He came to the consultation accompanied by his wife, while driving a car he had several panic attacks.

Nikolai was prescribed medication and a course of psychotherapy. After 2 weeks, the panic attacks disappeared, but the fear of their resumption remained. A month later, Nikolai was able to drive his car and go to work. Traffic jams were already perceived calmly, as a common occurrence in our lives. He began to work, gradually entered his usual rhythm. After 2 months I tried to enter the subway, then several more sessions of psychotherapy were carried out, and I began to ride the subway quite calmly.

After 3 months, the condition completely returned to normal, moreover, self-esteem, self-confidence and self-confidence increased. Nikolai decided to get a second higher education, to do an internship abroad (he hadn't even thought about it before). More than 5 years have passed, Nikolai is doing well, he has become the commercial director of a successful company and recalls his former fears with a smile. Panic attacks and fears no longer arose, and the psychotherapeutic methods mastered by him are very helpful in work and in life.

Can you manage panic disorder on your own?

Often, patients, their relatives, and sometimes doctors, believe that panic disorder is not worth treating, but that we should “just pull ourselves together.” This is absolutely the wrong approach. It is necessary to treat it, and the sooner treatment begins, the faster you can achieve normalization of the condition. Panic disorder responds well to treatment. Before going to the doctor, you can independently use some psychological techniques aimed at reducing the level of anxiety, and herbal remedies (medicinal herbs) that have a calming effect. But in order to get rid of panic attacks, restore a normal lifestyle, learn how to calmly overcome various stressful situations in the future, it is necessary to consult a psychotherapist or psychiatrist as soon as possible.

Panic attack treatment.

In the vast majority of cases, the combined use of drug treatment and psychotherapy is most effective. Among the methods of psychotherapy used in the treatment of panic disorder, the effectiveness of psychological relaxation methods, behavioral and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, neuro-linguistic programming, suggestion methods has already been proven.

I emphasize once again that almost all scientific studies on the problem of treating panic disorder have proven the maximum effectiveness of the combined use of drug treatment and psychotherapy. The choice of drug treatment and psychotherapy method depends on many variables (patient characteristics; causes, nature of the course and duration of panic disorder; the presence of concomitant diseases). Therefore, the course of treatment that allows you to cure panic disorder is developed individually for each patient, taking into account all his characteristics.

How to help yourself during a panic attack?

• First of all, it is necessary to switch attention, not to fixate on negative sensations. To do this, you can use the following methods:
• start counting cars or people passing by, read poetry to yourself, sing some song;
• wear a thin elastic band around your wrist. Feeling the approach of the first symptoms of panic, pull the elastic band and release it so that it clicks on the skin;
• fold your palms in a “boat” (“handful”, as if you want to scoop up water with your palms), attach them to your face so that they cover your mouth and nose. Breathe calmly, slightly lengthening the exhalation (you can count to yourself: in two counts (one, two), inhale, in four (one, two, three, four) - exhale.

To cope with panic attacks more easily, you need to learn how to relax. To do this, you can master any relaxation method, for example, progressive (progressive) muscle relaxation. When you learn how to quickly relieve muscle tension, you can easily reduce your anxiety levels. The fact is that anxiety and relaxation are opposite states, they cannot be at the same time, therefore, relaxing the muscles in situations that cause tension allows you to reduce the level of anxiety, get rid of negative feelings, perceive stressful situations more easily and prevent panic attacks.

Another way is to learn how to breathe properly. Many at the time of a panic attack have a feeling of lack of air, it seems that “there is not enough oxygen” and you want to take a deep breath. In fact, a person takes deep breaths and oxygen saturation occurs, which causes increased anxiety and a feeling of lack of air. To cope with this problem will allow the development of the method of the so-called diaphragmatic breathing and respiratory-relaxation training.

These are the simplest methods of helping yourself with panic disorder. I repeat that the maximum effect in the treatment of panic disorder can be achieved with the help of a properly selected course of therapy, including drug treatment and psychotherapy, that is, with the help of a specialist - a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.
And we must always remember - "the road will be mastered by the walking one" - panic disorder is cured if it is treated.

Panic Attack Test

(Katon W.J. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) Panic Screening Questions)

A. Anxiety attacks.
1. Have you had sudden attacks of anxiety, fear or terror in the past 4 months?
2. Have you ever had similar seizures before?
3. Do some of these attacks come on suddenly, out of context, where you would feel anxious or uncomfortable?
4. Do you have a fear of an attack or its consequences?

B. During your last seizure (attack) did you experience:
1) shallow, rapid breathing
2) palpitations, pulsation, interruptions in the work of the heart or a feeling of its stop
3) pain or discomfort in the left side of the chest
4) sweating
6) a feeling of lack of air, shortness of breath
6) waves of heat or cold
7) nausea, stomach discomfort, diarrhea or urge to it
8.) dizziness, unsteadiness, foggy or lightheadedness
9) sensations of tingling or numbness in the body or limbs
10) trembling in the body, limbs, twitching or tightening of the body (limbs)
11) fear of death or irreversible consequences of an attack

If you answered “yes” to at least one question in section A and to any four questions in section B, you are having a panic attack and you need to see a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.

Since the “triggering” factor of a panic attack is most often anxiety, it is very important to identify and treat an anxiety disorder in a timely manner.

Anxiety test

Instruction. Read each statement carefully and choose an answer according to how you have been feeling over the past month.

1. I'm feeling tense, I'm not feeling well:
   a) all the time b) often; c) from time to time, sometimes; d) don't feel at all

I feel fear, it seems like something terrible is about to happen
a) yes, it is, and the fear is very strong; b) yes, it is, but the fear is not very strong;
c) sometimes I feel, but it does not bother me; d) don't feel at all

Restless thoughts swirling in my head
a) constantly; b) most of the time c) from time to time; d) only sometimes

I can easily sit down and relax
a) this is not true at all; b) only occasionally is this so; c) perhaps it is so; d) yes it is

I experience inner tension or trembling
a) very often b) often; c) sometimes; d) don't feel at all

I find it difficult to sit still, as if I constantly need to move
a) yes, it is; b) perhaps it is so; c) only to some extent it is so;
d) it's not like that at all

I have a feeling of panic
a) very often b) quite often; c) sometimes; d) does not happen

Now calculate the result:
answer option "a" corresponds to 3 points, "b" - 2, "c" - 1, "d" - 0 points. Sum up the scores.
If the score is from 0 to 3 - the level of anxiety is within the normal range;
from 4 to 7 - a slight increase in the level of anxiety, we advise you to contact a psychologist;
from 8 to 10 - moderate anxiety, it is best to contact a psychotherapist to correct the condition;
from 11 to 15 - severe anxiety, we recommend that you contact a psychotherapist and undergo a course of treatment;
16 points or more - a pronounced increase in the level of anxiety, you need qualified treatment from a psychiatrist or psychotherapist.

Ayvazyan Tatyana Albertovna, neuroclinic.ru

I received hints to understand the puzzle from an unexpected side.
Complete the task of one very simple but informative test.

Draw a human figure from rectangular, round and triangular elements. The total number of elements in the figure is 10. The size of the elements can be any.

Drawing - Geometric shapes used in the Constructive Human Drawing test.

I have been using this one systematically, for about twenty-five years, in my psychotherapeutic work. It is called "Constructive drawing of a person".

Panic Test - Four Configurations

In the test data, there are four different configurations with one “common denominator” - with caps on the head:

One configuration is a figurine with a large head and small limbs;

Another configuration - on it the figure has a bottleneck or a gap along the vertical axis of the body: the neck or torso is drawn as a triangle, or the torso is made up of several elements;

The third configuration: a rounded head - an oval torso, arms and legs are often depicted as triangles, often large eyes appear in the image of the face, and a "navel" in the torso area;

The fourth configuration - on it is a head proportional to other parts of the body, a rectangular “calm” torso, arms and legs can be depicted “normally” - rectangles, but on the head there is also a triangular “cap”, often the head itself - with multiple inscribed elements - eyes, nose, mouth.

The first configuration reflects a high level of CNS excitation; in subjective perception, it corresponds to the sensation of a large, heavy, hot head. I call this circuit psychogenic, provoked by mental causes - experiences.

The second configuration reflects the presence of functional blocks of spinal motion segments, as well as vasoconstriction at these levels (junctions of pattern elements and/or bottlenecks in the image of the neck and torso). This contour can be called vertebrogenic, i.e. caused by problems in the spine.

The third configuration is a consequence of fear that arose at the time of the first and subsequent bouts of poor health - a phobic configuration, also psychogenic.

But the fourth configuration with a “calm” figure in general and a “blotch” on the head, filled with a face (eyes, nose, mouth) reflects neurogenic problems, i.e. problems associated with organic lesions of the central nervous system: the presence of the consequences of concussions, asphyxia during childbirth, etc.

There are also combined drawings. They are most often found in those who already have the problem of panic attacks. In these drawings, one can see a large head, coupled with small limbs, and the presence of narrowing in the image of the neck, torso and (or) fragmentation of the body image (the presence of gaps along the vertical axis) and other of the above signs.

What explains the appearance of a “cap” on the head in all the above cases? In my opinion, it is explained by the fact that for one reason or another, and most often due to their combined action, a person experiences discomfort in the upper part of the head, and among the causes of discomfort is a lack of oxygen supply and the corresponding feeling of “blotches on the head”. It is the feeling of darkening, heaviness of the upper part of the head that the “cap” in the figure conveys.

Want to take the panic attack test? Visit and complete the task according to the instructions.

A doctor's look at a panic attack attack and a panic attack test.

Panic attack often not seen from the standpoint of the disease. Under certain conditions, almost anyone can experience a panic attack. In the presence of severe emotional stress, there may be manifestations at the level of the body that indicate panic attacks. However, sometimes panic begins to progress, and is diagnosed in

1.9-3.6% of the population. With some preponderance among women.

During a panic attack, a person feels intense fear, which is combined with bodily manifestations. I mentioned the symptoms of panic attacks earlier, so I won't dwell on them.

With medical diagnosis, an attack can be classified as a vegetative crisis orvegetative dystonia. However, a panic attack is now a globally recognized term that has entered into classification of diseases.

In order to classify your attack in accordance with a panic attack, I bring to your attention a small test.

Panic Attack Test by Wayne J. Katon. Full name: Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) Panic Screening Questions.

1. The question of the presence of anxiety attacks. (answer "Yes", "No")

a) Have you experienced attacks (attacks) of sudden anxiety, fear or terror during the last 4 months?

(if you answer yes, continue answering the questions).

b) Have you ever had similar seizures before?

c) Do some of these seizures come on suddenly, out of context, where you would feel anxious or uncomfortable?

d) Do you have a fear of an attack or its consequences?

2.During your last seizure (attack) did you experience:

(answer "Yes", "No")

a) shallow, rapid breathing

b) palpitations, pulsations, irregularities in the work of the heart or a feeling of its stop

c) pain or discomfort in the left side of the chest

d) sweating

e) feeling short of breath, shortness of breath

f) heat or cold waves

g) nausea, stomach discomfort, diarrhea or urge to have it

h) dizziness, unsteadiness, foggy or lightheadedness

i) sensations of tingling or numbness in the body or limbs

j) trembling in the body, limbs, twitching or tightening of the body (limbs)

k) fear of death or irreversible consequences of an attack?

If you answer questions 1 a-d "Yes" and any 4 questions 2 a-k "Yes", you can assume that you are experiencing panic attacks.