The novel “Learning to Breathe: My Yearlong Quest to Bring Calm to My Life” by Priscilla Warner is an autobiography. Priscilla Warner is a woman who struggles with intense anxiety. She self-mediates with alcohol. She also struggles with panic attacks. These panic attacks are shown in her everyday life. Warner’s anxiety leads to multiple panic attacks. Warner shows many symptoms and could be diagnosable to these three diseases.
Warner has experienced anxiety many times in this novel. She talks about how every time she saw the word panic attack it made her anxious. She also described how she experienced every symptom on the medical page that relates to an anxiety disorder. Warner also talks about how it's like someone stole her high school …show more content…
Patients must have three or more symptoms. The symptoms outlined are people drinking increased amounts of alcohol to get desired effects. Drinking to suppress or avoid withdrawal symptoms is one option for being diagnosed (DSM5). Another is having an increased tolerance for alcohol (DSM5). Another is using alcohol over a long period of time (DSM5). Using alcohol after becoming aware of physical side effects is another option for a diagnosis. A desire to reduce or control use of alcohol is another option. Reducing involvement in events is another. Therefore, Warner is qualified to become diagnosed with alcohol use disorder. Warner’s relationship with alcohol isn’t a functional one. She uses alcohol for self-medicating her anxiety and panic disorders. She tries to numb her feelings. This is evident when she carries a flask of vodka around with her, and takes a drink when she’s anxious or feels like she’s going to have a panic attack (Warner 71). This meets one of the symptoms provided by the DSM5. The symptom is increased amount of alcohol to get desired effect, which is numb and prevent attacks and anxious feeling. Another symptom relates back to the vodka flask she used to carry around dulled her nervous system and suppressed her feelings, and how she continued to use it through the years (Warner 71). This action fulfills another symptom on the DSM 5, which is when alcohol is used to despite …show more content…
It implies that the attacks must be recurrent, and unexpected. The patient must be experiencing at least four of the symptoms. The symptoms are palpitations or increased heart rate. Sweating, shortness of breath, or choking is also a part of the list. Celera palsy, dizziness, and de-realization also fit the list (DSM5). The last symptoms are fear of losing control, fear of dying, and chills (DSM 5). There is also a last category, in which, a patient must fit at least one symptom. The symptoms are fear of another attack, worrying about the implications of the attack, and a change in behavior. As she has experienced panic attacks for most of her life. The DSM 5 describes a panic disorder as recurrent and unexpected panic attacks. She experiences four of those detailed systems on the DSM5, every panic attack, she experiences. These symptoms all occurred with the thoroughly explained panic attacks in this novel, which leads us to assume that she knows what a panic attack is, and if she wasn’t experiencing these symptoms that she won’t have called it a panic attack. It’s a case where you must trust the patient, and that every panic attack had the same symptoms. Now to explain why the panic attacks have led to a panic disorder. During her panic attack while serving peas, Warner experienced five of the symptoms clarified by the DSM 5. The symptoms are heart pounding, which means increased heart rate. Another