Panic Disorder
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What is Panic disorder?
Panic disorder differs from this normal fear and anxiety because it is often extreme, and may seem to strike out of the blue.
A person with panic disorder may experience symptoms such as severe feelings of terror, rapid breathing, and rapid heart rate. People with panic disorder may experience these attacks unexpectedly and for no apparent reason, but they can also be preceded by some sort of triggering event or situation.
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Symptoms
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Feelings of extreme terror that occur suddenly without warning
- Numbness in the hands and feet
- Pounding heart
- Rapid breathing
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Weakness
Panic disorder can lead to serious disruptions in daily functioning and make it difficult to cope with normal, everyday situations that may trigger feelings of intense panic and anxiety.
Diagnosis

To be diagnosed with a panic disorder, a person must experience recurrent and often unexpected panic attacks, according to the DSM-5. In addition, at least one attack needs to be followed by one month or more of the person fearing that they’ll have more attacks.
Avoidance Behaviors and Panic Disorder
Because panic disorder often leads to a person avoiding certain situations or objects, it can also lead to the development of phobias. For example, a person living with panic disorder might stop leaving home in order to prevent having an attack or losing control in public.
Causes
Although the exact causes of panic disorder are not clearly understood, many mental health experts believe that a combination of environmental, biological, and psychological factors play a role:
- Age: Panic disorder typically develops between the ages of 18 and 35.
- Gender: women have more than twice the risk of panic disorder than men.
- Genetics: If you have a close biological family member with panic disorder, you are much more likely to develop the condition.
- Trauma: Experiencing a traumatic event, such as being the victim of physical or sexual abuse, can increase risk of panic disorder as well.
- Life transitions: Going through a life transition or difficult life event, including the death of a loved one, divorce, marriage, having a child, or losing a job may increase also risk.
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Types of Panic Attacks
- Unexpected panic attacks occur suddenly without any external or internal cues. In other words, they seem to happen “out of the blue” when you feel relaxed.
- Expected panic attacks occur when someone is exposed to a situation for which they carry fear. For example, having a panic attack during take-off on a plane.
Treatment
Panic disorder, like other anxiety disorders, is often treated with psychotherapy, medication (antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs), or a combination of both.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy for panic disorder can include several different approaches, including:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help people with panic disorder learn new ways of thinking and reacting to anxiety-provoking situations. As part of the CBT process, therapists help clients identify and challenge negative or unhelpful patterns of thinking and replace these thoughts with more realistic and helpful ways of thinking.
- Exposure therapy involves progressively exposing people with panic disorder to the object and situations that trigger a fear response while teaching and practicing new relaxation strategies.
- Panic-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy (PFPP)aims to uncover underlying conflicts and experiences that may have influenced the person’s development of panic and anxiety
Medication
Medications for panic disorder fall into one of two categories: antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs.8
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants used for panic disorder, including:
- Benzodiazepinesare a commonly prescribed class of anti-anxiety medication that can help reduce the severity of panic attacks acutely, including:
Coping
In addition to medication and psychotherapy, there are some lifestyle habits that have been found to help people better cope with the symptoms of panic disorder.
Exercise
Regular exercise help reduce stress, anxiety, and tightness throughout the body, but it’s been found to lessen the frequency of panic attacks as well.
Prioritize Sleep
Sleep disturbances and panic disorder can be a vicious cycle. People with panic disorder often have trouble sleeping and the resulting sleep deprivation can result in greater panic disorder symptoms.
Watch Your Diet
There are certain foods and substances that might increase your anxiety or trigger a panic attack, including:
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Refined sugar
Practice Relaxation
• Deep breathing
• Mindfulness meditation
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Visualization
• Yoga