Master Your Panic and take back your life

Self-Study Examination

Instructions: After studying the text answer the following true/false or multiple choice questions.  Remember, there's only one answer to each question.

1. Feelings of unreality experienced by a person under panic attack or by a person facing extreme external danger are of the same nature.

a) True
b) False

2. The diagnosis of panic disorder requires, among other things, that you have at least two panic attacks during a four-week period.

a) True
b) False

3. Who is more likely to develop panic disorder?

a) men
b) women

4. What kind of an upbringing is likely to contribute to the later development of panic disorder?

a) underprotective
b) overprotective
c) either of the above

5. Select the factors that may be responsible for causing panic disorder:

a) biology
b) genetics
c) early upbringing
d) all of the above

6. Most people suffering a panic attack associate it with some potentially life-threatening physical event. What is the most common physical ailment feared?

a) heart attack
b) “going crazy”
c) brain tumor
d) serious stomach problem

7. All of the following traits are generally displayed by panic sufferers except

a) they lack self-confidence;
b) they suppress their feelings;
c) they find it difficult to attach deeply to others;
d) they seriously worry about death and disaster.

8. Ongoing medical conditions, on their own, generally do not produce panic in people with no preexisting vulnerabilities.

a) True
b) False

9. Once a person is predisposed to having panic attacks he may experience an attack at any time, without warning, for no rhyme or reason.

a) True
b) False

10. Symptoms of overbreathing can be produced and reversed in less than a minute’s time.

a) True
b) False

11. All of the following are actions of the autonomic nervous system except

a) heartbeat
b) release of adrenaline
c) breathing
d) decreased salivation or dry mouth

12. Learning and practicing controlled breathing can take

a) only a couple of weeks, no more than six.
b) several months.
c) forever.

13. Controlled breathing technique requires you to inhale and exhale through your mouth.

a) True
b) False

14. There’s no clear evidence that relaxation training actually adds to the effectiveness of panic treatment over and above the contribution of the slow, deep breathing that’s built into all methods of relaxation.

a) True
b) False

15. During a panic attack body responds by releasing adrenaline and noradrenaline. Which one affects the cognitive and emotional functions?

a) adrenaline
b) noradrenaline

16. Body’s physical, emotional and behavioral reactions to a panic attack and to a “fight- or- flight” situation are identical.

a) True
b) False

17. To halt a panic attack which element of the panic process one should work to eliminate

a) anxiety
b) physical situation
c) catastrophic thinking

18. How can you get the most benefit out of the SRB method (Stop-Refocus-Breathe)?

a) intervene as early as possible in Stage One of panic attack
b) wait till you’re having a full-blown panic attack

19. The author recommends sequential questioning technique to

a) identify the earliest triggers of out-of-the-blue panic attacks.
b) identify “second stage” triggers for panic.

20. What’s the purpose of challenging self-talk?

a) stop triggers of panic attack
b) a substitute for SRB method
c) stop the process of negative self-talk

21. Which of the following statements defines exposure hierarchy?

a) fear of open, exposed spaces
b) list of fearful situations or activities, placed in order from easiest to hardest
c) rapid building of a panic attack fueled by catastrophic thoughts

22. Most people find that it’s much harder to shed anxiety they feel before entering a fearful situation than the anxiety they feel once they’re in the situation.

a) True
b) False

23. Which method is essential to effective panic control?

a) exposure to real-life situations
b) exposure to internal sensations
c) both are essential

24. Some of the reasons for taking medication for panic disorder include:

a) anxiety level is very intense and constant;
b) client is suffering from major depression;
c) client wants more rapid relief from the symptoms of panic;
d) all of the above

25. Antidepressants are just as effective against panic disorder as they are against depression.

a) True
b) False

26. Which of the following classes of antidepressants is the newest?

a) tricyclic antidepressants
b) MAO inhibitors
c) SSRIs

27. Prozac belongs to one of the following classes of antidepressants:

a) tricyclic antidepressants
b) MAO inhibitors
c) SSRIs

28. Which of the following is not a drawback of antidepressants?

a) once the medication is stopped, original symptoms of panic are likely to
b) return
c) addictive
d) it takes two to four weeks or even longer to see results
e) side effects

29. Which of the following is a side effect common to all antidepressants?

a) dry mouth
b) weight gain
c) sleep disturbance
d) headaches
e) “jittery” feeling

30. Rebound and withdrawal effects are most pronounced with

a) antidepressants.
b) high-potency benzodiazepines.

31. Depression and panic disorder often go hand in hand.

a) True
b) False