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Case Reports
. 2004 Jun;41(2):155-99.
doi: 10.1177/1363461504043564.

Olfactory-triggered panic attacks among Khmer refugees: a contextual approach

Devon Hinton  1 , Vuth Pich, Dara Chhean, Mark Pollack
Affiliations
Case Reports

Olfactory-triggered panic attacks among Khmer refugees: a contextual approach

Devon Hinton et al. Transcult Psychiatry. 2004 Jun.

Abstract

One hundred Khmer refugees attending a psychiatric clinic were surveyed to determine the prevalence of olfactory-triggered panic attacks as well as certain characteristics of the episodes, including trigger (i.e. type of odor), frequency, length, somatic symptoms, and the rate of associated flashbacks and catastrophic cognitions. Forty-five of the 100 patients had experienced an olfactory-triggered panic attack in the last month. Trauma associations and catastrophic cognitions (e.g. fears of a 'wind attack', 'weakness', and 'weak heart') were common during events of olfactory panic. Several case examples are presented. A multifactorial model of the generation of olfactory panic is adduced. The therapeutic implications of this model for the treatment of olfactory panic are discussed.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The spectrum of wind severity.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Weak heart and stimulus sensitivity: A vicious cycle of escalating concern.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Subtypes of ethnophysiology-mediated somatization.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The escalating spiral of panic in response to an odor; A TCMRDE panic attack.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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