Meera, a 28-year-old bank clerk, has had several sudden episodes over the last two months. Without warning, often while sitting at her desk, her heart pounds, she trembles, feels she is choking and has chest pain. Within minutes the fear rises to a peak and she feels she is losing control or dying. Between these episodes she is calm and works normally, and medical tests show that her heart is healthy. Which psychological disorder do these features best indicate?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Panic disorder
Option (1) Generalised anxiety disorder — Incorrect. Generalised anxiety disorder is a long-lasting, vague and intense fear that is not attached to any object. It comes with constant worry, hypervigilance and motor tension. Meera is calm between her episodes, so this ongoing worry is missing.
Option (2) Panic disorder — Correct. Panic disorder consists of recurrent anxiety attacks with intense terror that rise suddenly to a peak. Meera's palpitations, trembling, choking, chest pain and fear of dying are the clinical features of a panic attack.
Option (3) Illness anxiety disorder — Incorrect. Illness anxiety disorder is a persistent preoccupation with developing a serious illness, with constant worry about health. Meera's fear comes only in sudden, short attacks.
Option (4) Specific phobia — Incorrect. A specific phobia is an irrational fear of a certain object or situation, such as an animal or an enclosed space. Meera's attacks come without warning and are not tied to any object.
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