Epidemiology, pathogenetic factors, clinical picture and therapy of panic disorder against the background of chronic alcohol illness (according to data of foreign literature)

In clinical picture, patients with dual diagnosis of panic disorder and alcoholism are often found. There are several theories about causes of comorbidity but no one has been fully confirmed. Consistency of onset of diseases is not fully clear in patients with combined pathology. Most investigators incline to that anxiety disorders precede more often development of alcoholism. In perspective investigations high significance of presence of panic disorder as a risk factor of subsequent development of alcoholism has been shown. It has been shown that efficacy of therapy of alcoholism decreases several times in presence of comorbid anxiety disorders. In the same time questions of adequate therapy of patients with mixed pathology remain open.