A case of panic disorder treated with breathing retraining

In view of the marked prevalence of panic attacks in psychiatric populations, it is surprising that little interest has been devoted to their behavioral management. It has been suggested that hyperventilation may be important in the onset and/or maintenance of panic attacks and hence some form of respiratory control may be of value in their treatment. A method of breathing retraining is presented and applied to a subject suffering panic disorder (DSM-III). The results indicate that breathing retraining can reduce the frequency and intensity of panic attacks. A number of suggestions are made regarding the nature of panic attacks including the possible role of aberrant cognitions and the unique nature of panic attacks compared to other forms of anxiety.