Panic Disorder: Information, Symptoms, Treatment and More

Panic Disorder is an Anxiety-based condition which involves an individual having sudden panic attacks, or intense fears of having a panic attack.

While anxiety is a natural feeling, sometimes a person’s worries become very distressing, and cause significant impairment to quality of life.

Symptoms of panic attacks include shortness of breath, shaking and numbness. An individual may fear a panic attack happening so much that they actually inadvertently cause the attack, such is their level of worrying.

Understandably, Panic Disorder can have a profound impact on the life of an affected individual. With the right treatment and support, many people will recover fully.

What are the symptoms of Panic Disorder?

The symptoms of Panic Disorder include both symptoms of both general anxiety, along with the addition of Panic Attacks – which sets Panic Disorder apart from other anxiety-based conditions.

Typical symptoms of anxiety include, but aren’t limited to:

• An intense, regular fear and worrying
• Rumination
• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Excessive sweating
• Headaches
• Nausea

People who have Panic Disorder will have Panic attacks. A panic attack involves the body experiencing an intense and overwhelming rush of both mental and physical symptoms.

Panic attacks don’t often have a root cause, and can start suddenly. A panic attack is a distressing experience to go through. They will normally last between 5 and 15 minutes, though they can last longer.

The number of panic attacks an individual will have depends on the severity of their condition. In severe cases, individuals may have panic attacks on more than one occasion in a week.

As a result of a panic attack, physical symptoms may include:

• Feeling faint
• Pounding heartbeat
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Excessive sweating or shaking
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Hot flushes
• Numbness
• Stomach churning or stomach ache

These symptoms can lead an individual to believe they are going to faint, going “crazy”, going to have a heart attack, or even die. This can lead an individual to try and avoid public places.

As a result of the distress of panic attacks, someone with Panic Disorder will commonly fear having a panic attack – leading them to live in fear of essentially, fear. Therefore, this serves only to worsen their anxiety.

Panic attacks are a distressing experience, but don’t have any physical health ramifications.

What are the causes of Panic Disorder?

It isn’t entirely known what causes Panic Disorder. However, some factors do appear to be involved with Panic Disorder developing.

Some research suggests that individuals with Panic Disorder may have a certain brain circuit that doesn’t work properly – linked to the amygdala [1].

Anxiety-based conditions can run in families, which suggests that genetics may be involved Any form of traumatic event too can lead to Panic Disorder developing.

Moreover, life situations like unemployment, loneliness or homelessness all have the potential to be a trigger for panic attacks. Substance abuse often correlates with panic attacks, with both the use of illicit drugs and alcohol abuse linked.

Medications with stimulant or sedative characteristics can also cause panic attacks when abused. Smoking also appears to increases the risk of Panic Disorder developing [2].

Diagnosis of Panic Disorder

If a person believes they are suffering from Panic Disorder, they should book an appointment to see a doctor.

At an appointment, a doctor will be able to have an in-depth discussion with the person. They will ask several questions, including about symptoms, triggers, how the attacks happen, and anything else relevant.

For Panic Disorder to be diagnosed, a Doctor will generally look for the following criteria to be met:

• Individual suffers from unexpected and reoccurring panic attacks.
• In between panic attacks, the individual has an ongoing concern and general worry about a possible further panic attack
• The individual is left in a state of distress because of this

If Panic Disorder is diagnosed, treatment can proceed. Getting treatment for the condition is important.

How is Panic Disorder treated?

Treatment is available for Panic Disorder. The aim is for full recovery. At the very least, a patient should see a reduction in their symptoms and their intensity.

With the right treatment plan, a full recovery is possible. The level of treatment generally depends on how severe the symptoms are. Possible treatment includes:

Self-help

Some people find that anxiety-based conditions can improve through self-help measures. While this may seem simplistic, minor changes can have a big impact.

Self-help measures include increasing sleep, avoiding alcohol, regular exercise, meditation, and mindfulness.

When going through a panic attack, it is recommended to do the following:

• Assure yourself the panic attack is not life threatening
• Don’t try and fight the attack, stay still if possible
• Engage in deep breathing exercises
• Try and focus on positive images in your mind

Consider reading our guide 10 Tips for Before, During and After Panic Attacks [construction].

Talking Therapy

Talking therapy is a key treatment for any anxiety-based condition. Therapy can help a person to understand their thoughts and behaviour more. Therapy can also help individuals learn how to cope better with problems. Possible therapy types include:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): CBT is a type of therapy that is used to treat a range of mental health conditions. CBT involves an individual talking face-to-face with a therapist, although sometimes CBT can be conducted in a group setting. CBT attempts to improve an individual’s wellbeing and mood. The therapy focuses on the link between thoughts, feelings and actions. This can be useful for those with low self-esteem, anxiety, unhelpful personality traits or intrusive thoughts. CBT can help an individual understand their feelings more, and in the long run should lead to an improvement in quality of life.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS): Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a type of therapy that can be used to treat an array of mental health conditions. The therapy involves a trained therapist using a magnet in order to apply multiple magnetic pulses to the areas of the brain which are believed to be responsible for the regulation of mood and emotions – called neurotransmitters. In theory, the higher the level of these neurotransmitters, the better mood and emotions become. It is very rarely used as a first line treatment, but if someone has little success in lessening their symptoms with a range of other treatments, then rTMS may be used.

Aside from the above two options, there are a range of other types of talking therapies available – with these various types being capable of being very helpful. We have more information in our dedicated Therapy section.

Medication

In cases of Anxiety that feature symptoms that have a profound impact on an individual’s day-to-day life, medication could be prescribed.

Normally, an antidepressant will be used, though this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, Pregablin – an anticonvulsant medication used for epilepsy – may be prescribed.

Antidepressants: Antidepressants can help to improve and regulate mood. They should improve motivation and restore energy. SSRI Antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed. They act on the brain chemical serotonin – which is thought to help in regulating mood and emotion. They may include side-effects such as a dry mouth, sexual problems and nausea, though these should hopefully be short-term. Other classes of antidepressants are available in the event of an inadequate reaction.

Pregabalin: Pregablin is an anticonvulsant medication used to help those who suffer from Epilepsy. Pregablin is also licensed to treat some forms of anxiety. Pregablin will generally be taken for a long-term period, and can be particularly useful when an individual doesn’t respond well to antidepressants.

For severe cases of anxiety that lead to a crisis, sometimes a short-term course of Benzodiazepines can be prescribed.

Benzodiazepines: Benzodiazepines are fast-acting sedatives, which can relax an individual and improve their mood. Any anxiety should fade rapidly upon consumption. The individual should therefore have an improved level of functioning. Benzodiazepines cannot be taken for more than a few weeks, due to acute risk of both physical and psychological dependence.

Summary

Panic Disorder is a very difficult condition to live with. If left untreated, it will continue to cause many problems.

Therefore, seeking and then accessing treatment is crucial. For more information and resources, have a look around our website!

See Also

• Anxiety Section
• What Is The Prognosis for Anxiety?
• Therapy Homepage
• Medicine Homepage