Panic Disorder vs PTSD: How to Tell the Difference

There are two kinds of clinicians—the ones who follow algorithms, and the ones who understand the “why.”

Patients know the difference. Know the WHY!

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A patient has panic attacks, avoids driving, and recently witnessed a traumatic accident. PTSD seems obvious—but is it?

In this psychiatric case study, we break down panic disorder vs PTSD and explore why these diagnoses can look remarkably similar in clinical practice. You’ll learn how to distinguish trauma-related avoidance from fear of another panic attack, identify what the patient’s intrusive experiences are actually about, and uncover the “center of gravity” of the patient’s distress.

Perfect for PMHNP students, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychiatry students, and mental health clinicians, this episode offers practical interviewing pearls for navigating ambiguous presentations without being led astray by a dramatic trauma history.

Pearls covered: panic disorder, panic attacks, PTSD, trauma, avoidance, intrusive symptoms, differential diagnosis, DSM-5-TR reasoning, psychiatric assessment, and high-yield clinical interviewing.

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Panic Disorder vs PTSD: How to Tell the Difference

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