Online narratives about panic attacks: interpreted within a psychodynamic framework

Abstract

The objectives of the study were to investigate what individuals posting narratives on four online forums dedicated to the issue of panic attacks wanted to discuss and how they made meaning of their experiences related to panic. A narrative approach was used to analyze 208 posts sampled randomly. Online discussions were centered around attempts to uncover, and make sense of, the hidden meaning of panic attacks occurring unpredictably by linking events and experiences from the past and the present with emotional reactions. The onset of panic tended to be related to life transitions that interacted with relational issues of emotional commitment as well as with expectations of increased independence or with separation and loss. Dysfunctional attachments in childhood may impair the integration of affective and cognitive information leading to problems with the recognition and expression of affects. Online forums provide fresh avenues for exploring narration of sensitive topics from an inside perspective.