On Understanding the Being of Panic Disorder Patients

Abstract

Four different hypothetical phases of the “understanding” that panic disorder (PD) patients seem to go through are presented. The understanding here consists of both “to understand” and “to be understood.” The four phases are divided along with the general course of PD and experiences of the patients in general: (a) naming: diagnosis, (b) knowing: agreeing on the explanation of the mechanism, (c) objectifying: confrontation and control, and (d) surviving: holding the subjective experience of living with “pain” with or without meaning/understanding. The goal of this article is to offer clinical insights helpful in understanding PD by shedding light on different dimensions of the “being” of PD patients.