People
with panic disorder experience frequent, unprovoked panic attacks that involve
some or all of these symptoms:
- Racing heartbeat
- Chest pains
- Terror
- Fear of dying
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Nausea
- Flushes or chills
- Difficulty breathing
- Tingling or numbness
- Feelings of unreality
- Fear of losing control or doing something embarrassing
Panic disorder strikes between 3 and 6 million Americans, and is twice as
common in women as in men. It can appear at any age in children or in the
elderly but most often it begins in young adults. Not everyone who experiences
panic attacks will develop panic disorder for example, many people have one
attack but never have another. For those who do have panic disorder, though,
it's important to seek treatment. Untreated, the disorder can become very
disabling.
Panic disorder is often accompanied by other conditions such as depression
or alcoholism, and may spawn phobias, which can develop in places or situations
where panic attacks have occurred. For example, if a panic attack strikes while
you're riding an elevator, you may develop a fear of elevators and perhaps
start avoiding them.
Some people's lives become greatly restricted they avoid normal, everyday
activities such as grocery shopping, driving, or in some cases even leaving the
house. Or, they may be able to confront a feared situation only if accompanied
by a spouse or other trusted person. Basically, they avoid any situation they
fear would make them feel helpless if a panic attack occurs. When people's
lives become so restricted by the disorder, as happens in about one-third of
all people with panic disorder, the condition is called agoraphobia. A tendency
toward panic disorder and agoraphobia runs in families. Nevertheless, early
treatment of panic disorder can often stop the progression to agoraphobia.
Studies have shown that proper treatment a type of psychotherapy called
cognitive-behavioral therapy, medications, or possibly a combination of the two
helps 70 to 90 percent of people with panic disorder. Significant improvement
is usually seen within 6 to 8 weeks.
Cognitive-behavioral approaches teach patients how to view the panic
situations differently and demonstrate ways to reduce anxiety, using breathing
exercises or techniques to refocus attention, for example. Another technique
used in cognitive- behavioral therapy, called exposure therapy, can often help
alleviate the phobias that may result from panic disorder. In exposure therapy,
people are very slowly exposed to the fearful situation until they become
desensitized to it.
Some people find the greatest relief from panic disorder symptoms when they
take certain prescription medications. Such medications, like
cognitive-behavioral therapy, can help to prevent panic attacks or reduce their
frequency and severity. Two types of medications that have been shown to be
safe and effective in the treatment of panic disorder are antidepressants and
benzodiazepines.
What is Panic Disorder
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