Clinicodynamical Characteristics of Panic Disorders in Alcohol-dependent Patients

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine clinicodynamical characteristics of clinical course of alcohol addiction and panic disorders. Patients (n = 214) with comorbidity of alcoholism and panic disorder were included in this study.

Defined and described were 4 clinical variants of associated course of these diseases that differ in formation order, cause-effect relations between alcohol abuse and panic disorder, clinical features and course of alcoholism and panic attacks, further development of double pathology.

The first group included patients with full abstinence from alcohol for no less than one year by reason of panic attacks during alcohol withdrawal syndrome. The second group consisted of patients whose panic attacks were followed by ingesting considerable doses of alcohol in order to release anxiety, which resulted in the bout of heavy drinking. Episodic paroxysmal alcohol ingestion was typical in patients from the third group. Ingestion of considerable doses of alcohol leaded to panic attacks, the following abstinence from alcohol (6 months in average) was based on fear of reiteration of panic disorder. The forth group included patients with panic attacks during clinical remission of alcohol addiction who used alcohol to ease the panic symptoms. This resulted in the heavy alcoholism recurrence.

The results of the study can serve as a basis for working out programs of differential therapy for above-mentioned patients.

The study is supported by the President's Grant Mκ-2670.2008.7.