Signs and Symptoms of Panic Anxiety Disorder

Afraid of Something.

Persons experiencing repetitive, severe panic attacks may simply have panic attacks and that is all. Other persons may begin to experience a progression of bothersome or distressing panic attack "side effects". This progression commonly occurs as follows:

1. A few weeks or months prior to the first panic attack there are sometimes minor symptoms such as rapid heart beat.

2. The first major panic attack occurs. The person often seeks emergency medical evaluation at this time. The initial examination is commonly normal.

3. Continued panic attacks cause the person to seek further medical evaluations which may be inconclusive. Many panic attack sufferers go for months or years before receiving the proper diagnosis and by that time may have seen over a dozen physicians, psychologists and counselors. This appearance of "doctor shopping" may cause others to regard the sufferer as a hypochondriac.

4. An individual with Panic Anxiety Disorder may begin to avoid a certain activity because it occurs to them that it would be especially embarrassing or dangerous to have a panic attack while engaged in that activity. A typical sufferer of Panic Anxiety Disorder might think, "It's bad enough to have a panic attack at all, but it would be dangerous to have one on Interstate 75 because I would be preoccupied with the attack and would not be a safe driver. I might wreck my car, injuring myself or someone else!" This avoidance behavior may appear to be a fear of driving when it is really a fear of having a panic attack while driving.

5. Tendencies to avoid circumstances in everyday life may increase and extend to more activities. This extensive avoidance behavior is referred to as agoraphobia.

Places, activities or circumstances frequently avoided by persons with Panic Anxiety Disorder include the following:

Shopping malls

Department stores

Restaurants

Church

Meetings

Classes

Driving

Being alone

Airplanes

Elevators

6. After months or years of continuous panic attacks and the restricted lifestyle caused by the typical avoidance behavior, the sufferer of Panic Anxiety Disorder may become demoralized and psychologically or physically depressed.

Some sufferers turn to alcohol in an attempt to self medicate or to diminish the symptoms of the disorder. This greatly complicates the individual's life and ability to seek appropriate treatment.

Tragically, one out of every five untreated sufferers attempts to end his or her life, never realizing that there was hope and treatment available.

IMMEDIATE ANXIETY/PANIC ATTACK RELIEF

more