You experience sudden, intense panic attacks with symptoms such as heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, and a feeling of unreality. You worry about new attacks and avoid situations in which they have occurred before. These symptoms can greatly affect your daily life and cause you to feel restricted in your activities and social contacts.
In brief
A panic disorder is characterized by recurring, unexpected panic attacks. These attacks can be very frightening and lead to an intense feeling of fear or discomfort. Treatment may include therapy, counseling, and sometimes medication.
What is panic disorder?
A panic disorder is a condition in which you experience sudden and recurring panic attacks. A panic attack is a sudden wave of intense fear or discomfort that peaks within a few minutes. During a panic attack, you may experience heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, nausea, dizziness, and a feeling of unreality or loss of control.
People with panic disorder often worry about having further attacks and may start avoiding certain situations or places where they have previously had an attack. This avoidance can greatly affect daily life and lead to agoraphobia, where people are afraid to be in places where escape might be difficult or embarrassing.
Causes of panic disorder
Hereditary predisposition: Anxiety is more common in some families because it is in the genes.
Your character: Especially if you are very shy or easily stressed.
Certain substances in your blood and brain: Such as substances that regulate stress.
How you were raised and what you have experienced: The way you were brought up and your experiences.
Treatment
Treatment for panic disorder can consist of several components:
Psychotherapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps you recognize and change negative thoughts and behaviors.
- Exposure Therapy: Helps you gradually expose yourself to situations that cause anxiety, in order to reduce that anxiety.
Medication
Although medication may sometimes be necessary to reduce symptoms, it is often avoided in cases of panic disorder. Psychotherapy is the preferred treatment.
Lifestyle advice and self-management (self-care)
Regular exercise, good sleep, healthy eating, avoiding alcohol and drugs, and relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation can help reduce panic symptoms.
Psychoeducation
This will assist you in learning more about your panic disorder and how to manage it. Family and friends can also be involved to provide support.
What do you notice?
- Heart palpitations, sweating, chills, dizziness
- Shortness of breath, an unpleasant feeling in the chest
- Tingling or numbness in hands and/or feet
- Dry mouth, nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, or diarrhea
- Headache, blushing, fainting
- Confusion: no longer knowing who or where you are
- The feeling of losing control, going crazy, or dying
Treatment Methods
Want to know more?
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