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Relationship between substance abuse and panic attacks
1Department of Family Practice, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 78284-7795, USA.
Addictive Behaviors
|November 26, 1999
Summary
Substance abuse is linked to panic states, even mild ones. In most cases, substance abuse began before panic symptoms emerged, and few used substances to self-medicate panic attacks.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Panic states and substance abuse are prevalent mental health concerns.
- Understanding the relationship between panic and substance abuse is crucial for effective treatment.
- The temporal relationship and self-medication hypothesis require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the association between substance abuse and panic states, including subsyndromal panic.
- To investigate the temporal relationship between the onset of panic and substance abuse.
- To examine the role of self-medication in the co-occurrence of panic and substance abuse.
Main Methods:
- Community-based sample screened for panic using DSM-III-R criteria.
- Structured interviews conducted with panic and matched control groups.
- Assessment of substance abuse history, self-medication practices, and age-of-onset for both conditions.
Main Results:
- 39% of individuals with panic (n=97) reported a history of substance abuse.
- No significant differences were found between panic disorder and subsyndromal panic groups regarding substance abuse.
- In the majority of cases, substance abuse began prior to the onset of panic symptoms.
Conclusions:
- A significant association exists between substance abuse and panic states, even in subsyndromal presentations.
- Substance abuse typically precedes the onset of panic.
- Self-medication of panic symptoms with substances is infrequent in this population.
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