Program & Services

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is a common problem. A person has moments of fear or anxiety that happen without warning. These moments are called panic attacks. They can last from minutes to hours. They may occur only once in a while or often. The cause for these attacks may not be obvious. Panic attacks usually appear with physical symptoms such as:

• Chest pain
• Abnormal heart beats
• Difficulty breathing
• Dizziness
• Stomach problems
• Sweating

You may think you are having a heart attack, and these feelings may add to your fear and anxiety. For some, just thinking of an attack may cause one. Treatments have been developed to help people with panic disorder.

Facts

• One out of 75 people are affected.
• More women than men have the illness.
• It sometimes runs in families.
• It starts when people are about 18 to 24 years old.

Common causes

Many things are believed to play a role in the onset of panic disorder, such as:

• Biological factors
• Stressful life events
• Thinking in a way that exaggerates normal bodily reactions in stressful events

Some research says panic attacks may occur when an alarm in the brain goes of by accident. It tells you that death is near. The exact cause or causes of panic disorder are not known. There is a lot of work being done to find out the causes.

Treatments

You can take medicine to help. There is also a special type of therapy. It teaches people how to view panic attacks differently and gives you ways to reduce anxiety. The right treatment can reduce or prevent attacks for most people. Most patients show good progress after a few weeks of therapy. Attacks can come back, but they can often be treated just like the initial episode.

Physical and emotional illnesses

Panic disorder can show up with other disorders. Depression and substance abuse are the most common. It is important to treat and diagnose it correctly. About 20 percent of those with panic disorder attempt suicide.

People with panic disorders can develop phobias. They may be afraid to go to places where panic attacks have happened or they may avoid something out of fear that they think they will have an attack. Some think help may not be available. This avoidance may lead to something worse. You may have the inability to go beyond known and safe surroundings out of fear.

People with panic disorder may have very bad stomach problems, or they may have minor heart problems. People with panic disorder also have other medical problems such as chest pain or are always tired. They may not know why they have these other problems.

Adapted with permission from material published by the National Mental Health Association.