Research
Panic
Anxiety Education
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An Analysis of Uncued Panic Attacks in Panic
Disorder - Part3
RESULTS
Panic Energy Descriptor Analysis
Table 4. summarises the results investigating the description of
'energy' experienced prior and during a panic attack and a limited
symptom (anxiety) attack.
PD - Panic Disorder / AD - Other Anxiety Disorder
Table 4. 'Energy' descriptors -
experienced by Panic Disorder/ Other Anxiety Disorder
participants prior/ during panic attack ... or continually
| 'Energy' Descriptors |
Experience then panic
PD(AD) |
Panic
PD(AD) |
Experience without fear
PD(AD) |
Anxiety
PD(AD) |
Total
PD(AD) |
| 'Unusual' intense flows of 'energy' throughout the
body |
33%(3%) |
22%(0%) |
11%(3%) |
17%(6%) |
69%(9%) |
| Rushes of 'energy' shaking the body |
22%(6%) |
19%(3%) |
6%(3%) |
11%(0%) |
47%(12%) |
| Electric current moving through the body |
28%(6%) |
19%(0%) |
14%(0%) |
11%(0%) |
67%(6%) |
| Tingly sensation moving through the body |
8.3%(6%) |
8.3%(6%) |
14%(19%) |
14%(13%) |
44%(42%) |
| Creeping sensation moving through the body |
11%(8%) |
6%(6%) |
8.3%(6%) |
19%(19%) |
39%(33%) |
| Hot prickly sensation moving through the body |
11%(3%) |
25%(3%) |
6%(6%) |
6%(3%) |
50%(11%) |
| Intense heat or burning pain moving through the body |
17%(3%) |
17%(6%) |
6%(0%) |
14%(0%) |
42%(8%) |
| Wave-like motion of energy moving through the body |
17%(3%) |
11%(3%) |
11%(0%) |
11%(3%) |
50%(8%) |
| Vibration moving through the body |
22%(6%) |
14%(0%) |
11%(0%) |
3%(0%) |
50%(6%) |
| Rippling sensation through the body |
8%(0%) |
6%(0%) |
6%(3%) |
8%(6%) |
27%(6%) |
| Itching sensation through the body |
0%(0%) |
8%(0%) |
6%(3%) |
14%(6%) |
27%(6%) |
| White hot flame through the body |
14%(0%) |
8%(0%) |
3%(0%) |
6%(0%) |
22%(0%) |
| Ice cold sensation through the body |
14%(6%) |
11%(3) |
3%(0%) |
17%(6%) |
44%(11%) |
| "Ants crawling" sensation over the body |
6%(3%) |
8%(3%) |
14%(3%) |
19%(6%) |
42%(14%) |
The results highlight the inherent differences between the peak
of anxiety/fear response of a limited symptom (anxiety) attack and
the 'energy' of a panic attack. Analysing the total experience of
the energy descriptors, the following energy descriptors show much
higher proportions for Panic Disorder participants compared to other
Anxiety Disorder participants: electric current (67% vs 6%,
P<0.001), 'unusual' intense flows of energy (69% vs 9%,
P<0.001), vibration energy (50% vs 6%, P<0.008), wave-like
motion of energy (50% vs 8%, P<0.007), hot prickly sensation (50%
vs 11%, P<0.05), rushes of energy shaking the body (47% vs12%,
P<0.03), intense heat or burning pain (42% vs 8%, P<0.005),
ice cold sensation (44% vs 11%, P<0.03), and 'ants crawling'
sensation over body (42% vs 14%, P<0.09). Only Panic Disorder
participants experienced the energy descriptor white hot flame
(22%).
Energy descriptors common to both panic attack and limited symptom
(anxiety) attack that may describe the anxiety/fear response energy
were a tingly sensation (44% vs 42%) and a creeping sensation (39%
vs 33%). Tingly sensation was experienced predominantly without fear
and as anxiety by both Panic Disorder and other Anxiety Disorder
participants. The creeping sensation was experienced predominantly
as anxiety by both groups.
Energy descriptors predominantly categorised by Panic Disorder
participants as experienced and then panic were as follows:
'unusual' intense flows of 'energy' throughout the body, electric
current moving through the body, vibration moving through the body,
rushes of energy shaking the body, intense heat or burning pain
moving through the body and less predominantly, ice cold sensation
moving through the body. These 'energies' were experienced first then
the people panic. Also, the results show clearly that other
Anxiety Disorder participants rarely experience these energies then
experience a limited symptom (anxiety) attack compared to Panic
Disorder participants.
Energy descriptors predominantly categorised by Panic Disorder
participants as panic energy were as follows: hot prickly sensation
moving through the body, intense heat or burning pain moving through
the body, rushes of energy shaking the body, 'unusual' intense flows
of energy throughout the body, electric current moving through the
body and vibration moving through the body.
Once again, the results show clearly that other Anxiety Disorder
participants rarely or never experience these energies as panic/peak
of a limited symptom (anxiety) attack compared to Panic Disorder
participants.
Interestingly, some energy descriptors categorised as anxiety by
Panic Disorder participants are not experienced equally as anxiety
by other Anxiety Disorder participants. This highlights that perhaps
these energies are experienced on an ongoing basis but are not
associated by Panic Disorder participants as related to the panic
attack itself. If these energies were in fact anxiety energy, the
other Anxiety Disorder participants would have a high probability of
experiencing them - as in the tingly and creeping sensations. This
indicates further ground for investigation. These energy descriptors
are as follows: 'ants crawling' sensation over the body, ice cold
sensation through the body, itching sensation through the body and
rippling sensation through the body.
Cross correlations were performed on the energy descriptors. Three
basic energy correlations emerged:
- Electric current and vibration (0.52) - Electric current and
vibration (0.52); Electric current and vibration and hot prickly
(0.45); Electric current and vibration and intense heat or
burning pain (0.35); Electric current and vibration and white
hot flame (0.22)
- Electric current and wave-like motion of energy (0.32);
Electric current and wave-like motion of energy and vibration
(0.45); Electric current and wave-like motion of energy and
intense flow of energy (0.3) ; Electric current and wave-like
motion of energy and rushes of energy shaking the body (0.33)
- Tingly sensation and creeping sensation (0.48) ; Tingly
sensation and creeping sensation and wave-like motion of energy
(0.47)
Energy
Descriptor vs Energy Movement
The major difference between a uncued panic attack and a limited
symptom (anxiety) attack is that there is no energy movement in a
limited symptom attack. Other Anxiety Disorder participants reported
no movement of energy, just localised energy eg. tingling in a
specific section of the body. Table 5. shows the distribution of
energy movement experienced by Panic Disorder participants. Many
participants experienced different energy movements on different
occasions, and so the results reflect this fact.
Table 5. Distribution of energy
movement experienced by Panic Disorder participants
| Energy movement through
the body |
Panic Disorder participants |
| Energy Movement 1. Energy moves from the base of the spine
to the crown of the head |
25% |
| Energy Movement 2. Energy moves from the base of the spine
to the crown of the head and then radiates throughout body to
fingers and toes |
17% |
| Energy Movement 3. Energy rises from feet through the spine
to the crown of the head |
31% |
| Energy Movement 4. Energy rises from the feet through
the spine to the crown of the head and radiates through body
terminating in the stomach |
25% |
| Energy Movement 5. Begins in the stomach region, moves
to the base of the spine, through the spine to the crown of
the head |
56% |
| Energy Movement 6. Begins in the stomach region, move
to base of spine, through spine to crown of head then radiates
down through body to fingers and toes |
42% |
Space was given for participants to describe other energy movements
that they may be experiencing. Only two participants described
alternate energy movement. Correlation between 'energy' movement and
'energy' descriptors is as follows:
- Energy movement 1. had a high correlation to the following
energy descriptors: electric current (0.21), hot prickly
sensation (0.14), and vibration moving through the body (0.14).
- Energy movement 2.had a high correlation to the following
energy descriptors: electric current (0.2), rushes of energy
shaking the body (0.15)
- Energy movement 3.had a high correlation to the following
energy descriptors: electric current (0.27), wave-like motion
(0.33) and vibration moving through the body (0.21)
- Energy movement 4.had a high correlation to the following
energy descriptors: electric current (0.3), hot prickly
sensation (0.4), intense heat or burning pain (0.37), 'unusual'
flows of energy (0.23) and vibration moving through the body
(0.23)
- Energy movement 5.had a high correlation to the following
energy descriptors: electric current (0.35), hot prickly
sensation (0.22) and vibration moving through the body (0.16)
- Energy movement 6.had a high correlation to the following
energy descriptors: electric current (0.14), rushes of energy
shaking the body (0.14) and vibration moving through the body
(0.16).
All energy movements within an uncued panic attack encompass the
movement of energy from the base of the spine to the crown of the
head.
Location where Uncued panic attack
'energy' begins vs 'energy' movement...
Other Anxiety Disorder participants reported these as where they
felt localised energy. Many Panic Disorder participants reported
experiencing 'energy' beginning from different locations at varying
times, the results reflected this fact. Also, many Anxiety Disorder
participants experience no localised energy.
Energy descriptor locations that are only experienced by Panic
Disorder participants were base of spine (25%) and the stomach
(56%). Correlation between locations 'energy' begins and energy
movements for Panic Disorder participants showed location where
energy begins is linked to particular energy movements. Energy
movements defined above had correlations with locations as follows:
- Energy movement 1: base of spine(0.41), crown of head(0.2)
- Energy movement 2: base of spine(0.26), fingers(0.18)
- Energy movement 3:legs(0.63), toe (0.42), feet(0.25)
- Energy movement 4: crown of head(0.33), feet(0.36), toe(0.32),
fingers(0.45)
- Energy movement 5: stomach(0.36), heart(0.34), shoulders/upper
back(0.29), abdomen(0.28)
- Energy movement 6: simultaneously(0.31), stomach(0.21),
abdomen(0.23)
All locations (where energy begins) correlate logically with the
actual physical energy movement models giving a high degree of
confidence in the correlation results.
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