Certain cultural syndromes seem to increase the risk of panic attacks by generating catastrophic cognitions about symptoms of autonomic arousal. These schemas create a constant anxious scanning of the body, hence facilitating, maintaining, and producing panic. As a case in point, a Khmer fainting syndrome,‘wind overload’ (kyol goeu), results in dire expectations concerning the autonomic symptoms experienced upon standing, thus contributing to the high rate of orthostatically induced panic observed in this population. © 2001, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.

Panic disorder Mental health Khmer traditional healing Cultural syndromes

symptomatology refugee cerebrovascular accident Cambodia terminal disease clinical feature human syncope anxiety neurosis clonazepam alternative medicine panic body position autonomic nervous system function kyol goeu mental disease arousal traditional medicine case report female cognition risk factor population research cultural factor Article adult posttraumatic stress disorder disease severity seizure serotonin uptake inhibitor