Do You Suffer from a Panic Disorder Too?

Panic disorder is a real illness that can be successfully treated. It is characterized by sudden attacks of terror, usually accompanied by a pounding heart, sweatiness, weakness, faintness, or dizziness. During these attacks, people with panic disorder may flush or feel chilled; their hands may tingle or feel numb; and they may experience nausea, chest pain, or smothering sensations. Panic attacks usually produce a sense of unreality, a fear of impending doom, or a fear of losing control.

A fear of one's own unexplained physical symptoms is also a symptom of panic disorder. People having panic attacks sometimes believe they are having heart attacks, losing their minds, or on the verge of death. They can't predict when or where an attack will occur, and between episodes many worry intensely and dread the next attack.

Panic attacks can occur at any time, even during sleep. An attack usually peaks within 10 minutes, but some symptoms may last much longer. Panic disorder affects about 6 million American adults and is twice as common in women as men.Panic attacks often begin in late adolescence or early adulthood, but not everyone who experiences panic attacks will develop panic disorder. Many people have just one attack and never have another. The tendency to develop panic attacks appears to be inherited.

People who have full-blown, repeated panic attacks can become very disabled by their condition and should seek treatment before they start to avoid places or situations where panic attacks have occurred. For example, if a panic attack happened in an elevator, someone with panic disorder may develop a fear of elevators that could affect the choice of a job or an apartment, and restrict where that person can seek medical attention or enjoy entertainment.

Some people's lives become so restricted that they avoid normal activities, such as grocery shopping or driving. About one-third become housebound or are able to confront a feared situation only when accompanied by a spouse or other trusted person. When the condition progresses this far, it is called agoraphobia, or fear of open spaces.

Early treatment can often prevent agoraphobia, but people with panic disorder may sometimes go from doctor to doctor for years and visit the emergency room repeatedly before someone correctly diagnoses their condition. This is unfortunate, because panic disorder is one of the most treatable of all the anxiety disorders, responding in most cases to certain kinds of medication or certain kinds of cognitive psychotherapy, which help change thinking patterns that lead to fear and anxiety.

Panic disorder is often accompanied by other serious problems, such as depression, drug abuse, or alcoholism. These conditions need to be treated separately. Symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness or hopelessness, changes in appetite or sleep patterns, low energy, and difficulty concentrating. Most people with depression can be effectively treated with antidepressant medications, certain types of psychotherapy, or a combination of the two.

This section is taken directly from The National Institute of Health.

Panic Disorder is diagnosed in people who experience spontaneous; seemingly out-of-the-blue panics attacks and are preoccupied with the fear of it happening again. The attacks occur unexpectedly, sometimes even while a person is asleep.

A panic attack is defined as the abrupt onset of intense fear that reaches a peak within a few minutes and includes at least four of the following symptoms:

• a feeling of imminent danger or doom;
• the need to escape;
• palpitations;
• sweating;
• trembling;
• shortness of breath or a smothering feeling;
• a feeling of choking;
• chest pain or discomfort;

• nausea or abdominal discomfort;
• dizziness or lightheadedness;
• a sense of things being unreal, depersonalization;
• a fear of losing control or "going crazy";
• a fear of dying;
• tingling sensations; and/or
• Chills or hot flushes.

Since many of the symptoms of panic disorder mimic those found in illnesses like heart disease, thyroid problems and breathing disorders, people with panic disorder often make multiple visits to emergency rooms or doctors' offices, convinced they have a life-threatening illness. It often takes months or years and lots of frustration before getting a proper diagnosis. Many people with panic disorder don't know they have a real and treatable disorder. Some are afraid or embarrassed to tell anyone, including their doctors and loved ones, about what they are experiencing for fear of being thought of as a hypochondriac. Instead, they suffer in silence, distancing themselves from friends, family and others who could be helpful.

Complicating the picture is the fact that panic disorder often co-occurs with other mental and physical disorders, including other anxiety disorders, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma or substance abuse. This may further increase the difficulty in getting a proper diagnosis.

Panic disorder typically develops in early adulthood. It is three times more common in women than in men.

This section is taken from Anxiety Disorders Association of America.

What Are the Treatments?

The cause of most panic attacks is not clear, so treatment may be different for each person. Typically, it involves psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, or medication. Alternative treatments like meditation and relaxation therapy are often used to help relax the body and relieve anxiety.

Psychotherapy offers support and helps to minimize the fearfulness of symptoms, and sometimes is sufficient to clear up the disorder. Recurrent attacks, however, require additional measures.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps people learn to deal with panic symptoms, using techniques like muscle and breathing relaxation. They also gain reassurance that panic will not lead to the catastrophic events they fear, since many people fear they are having a heart attack.

Antidepressants, such as Tofranil, often help reduce anxiety and the frequency and severity of panic attacks. Even more frequently used medications are the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, such as Prozac, Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro and Zoloft). This group of medications is often considered the first line of treatment for panic disorders. Often, anti-anxiety medications such as Xanax, Klonopin and Ativan are provided at least in the beginning of medical therapy.

Important note regarding medications:Some of these drugs can actually produce the anxiety symptoms of a panic attack. It is often best to start with a low dose and slowly increase medication for this disorder.

This section is taken from WebMD.