Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is a condition in which the afflicted person experiences repeated panic attacks and episodes of intense fear and apprehension. Panic attacks can happen to anyone on ocassion, but when they become a regular part of life and the person afflicted begins to fear the panic attacks, they have developed panic disorder. Panic disorder is all about a person’s lack of coping skills for panic attacks. The symptoms of panic disorder are a fear of having panic attacks, a fear of the consequences of a panic atack (such as losing one’s mind or having a heart attack) and a change in behavior when confronted with the possibility of a panic attack. A panic attack is a sudden, unexpected episode of extreme anxiety, which can render a person momentarily disabled. Nearly a quarter of all North Americans will experience repeated panic attacks at some point in their life, whily only a small percentage qualify for panic disorder. The symptoms of a panic attack may include difficuly swallowing, light-headedness, headaches, cramps, hot flashes, hyperventilation, shaking and sweating, increase in heart rate, intense fear of death or loss of control, difficulty breathing, chills, nausea, pain in the chest, dizziness, throat constriction or a sense of impending danger and doom. Treatments for panic disorder include cognitive behavioral therapy, in which a therapist helps the afflicted person identify the thought patterns that lead to panic attacks, as well as medications, such as anti-depressant medications and anti-anxiety medications.

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