Douglas Pollock McCloud was twenty-five when he first experienced the effects of panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDA). The year was 1968-twelve years before The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders listed formal diagnostic criteria for the condition.Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia recounts the past fifty years of medical history as it pertains to PDA. McCloud shares his own experiences with PDA diagnosis and treatment, including his personal search for answers while he waited for psychiatry to catch up with his symptoms.McCloud details the early days of PDA treatment, the different psychiatric and psychotherapeutic approaches to the disorder, and the inevitable growing pains required to achieve proper diagnostic results. He pays special attention to the often-contentious debate concerning antianxiety and antidepressant medication as initial treatments for PDA.A treasure trove of information for anyone interested in panic disorder with agoraphobia, McCloud's story discusses important medical professionals and their contributions to PDA diagnosis and treatment, as well as the role people living with PDA have had in their own treatment. Fifty years ago little help was available as McCloud struggled with the debilitating effects of PDA. Today, there's both treatment and hope."
