تحلیل تجربه زیسته بیماران مبتلا به اختلال پانیک از احساس ناایمنی بدنی

امید رستمی; مهسا صالحی; فرهاد مرادی

Authors

Omid Rostami Department of General Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran Author
Mahsa Salehi Department of General Psychology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
Farhad Moradi Department of School Counseling, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran Author

Keywords:

Panic disorder, bodily unsafety, lived experience, phenomenology, bodily sensations, thematic analysis

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the lived experience of patients with panic disorder regarding bodily unsafety and to explain how they experience their body as a source of threat, alarm, and mistrust. This qualitative study was conducted using an interpretative phenomenological approach. The participants were 18 patients diagnosed with panic disorder in Tehran, selected through purposive sampling based on clinical diagnosis, recurrent panic attacks, and willingness to participate in an in-depth interview. Data were collected using individual semi-structured interviews, and sampling continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Each interview lasted between 45 and 75 minutes. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed through thematic analysis using NVivo software. To enhance trustworthiness, member checking, partial recoding, analytic memo writing, and research team discussions were applied. Data analysis led to five main categories: “threat-oriented monitoring of the body,” “catastrophic interpretation of bodily sensations,” “disconnection from the body and the experience of an alien body,” “safety-seeking behaviors and restriction of everyday life,” and “gradual reconstruction of bodily trust.” Participants described their bodies not as a safe ground for living, but as unstable, unpredictable, and potentially dangerous systems. The most frequent codes were related to palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, choking sensations, fear of death, continuous body checking, and the need for reassurance. The findings indicated that bodily unsafety in panic disorder is not merely fear of physical symptoms; rather, it is a deep existential and relational experience that disrupts trust in the body, environment, time, relationships, and future. Effective clinical interventions should go beyond correcting catastrophic interpretations and should focus on rebuilding a safe relationship with the body, interoceptive exposure, regulation of bodily attention, and reduction of safety-seeking behaviors.

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