When you have recurrent, unexpected panic attacks, you have panic disorder. When you experience sudden, overpowering terror for no apparent reason, you may be having a panic attack. Physical symptoms such as a racing heart, breathing difficulty, and sweating may also be present. A panic attack is defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as "an abrupt rush of extreme fear or intense discomfort that reaches a climax within minutes." Most of us have panic attacks at least once in our lives. This is backed up by a study by Andreas J. Forstner and colleagues. According to research published in 2019, 2 to 4% of persons suffering from panic disorder.
According to Mayo Clinic, panic attacks usually occur suddenly and without notice. They can strike while you're driving, shopping at the mall, asleep, or in the middle of a work meeting. You may suffer from panic episodes occasionally or on a regular basis. There are many various kinds of panic attacks, but the symptoms usually peak within minutes. After a panic episode has passed, you may feel tired and worn out. Mayo Clinic further emphasized that panic attacks are characterized by a sensation of impending doom or danger, dread of loss of control or death, a racing heart, sweating, trembling, or shaking, shortness of breath or tightness in the throat, chills, hot flashes, and nausea, among other signs and symptoms.
According to some studies, some panic episodes are caused by your body's normal fight-or-flight response to danger. When you experience a life-threatening emergency, your body reacts by accelerating your heart rate and breathing. In a panic attack, many of the same responses occur. However, no one knows why a panic episode happens when there is no visible danger. The Mayo Clinic further claimed that while the exact cause of panic attacks or panic disorder is unknown, certain factors such as heredity, substantial stress, a temperament that is more sensitive to stress or prone to negative emotions, and changes in the way sections of your brain operate may all play a role. Panic attacks often strike suddenly and without notice at first, but they're usually triggered by certain conditions over a period.
A study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health showed that women are more prone to anxiety disorders, such as panic disorder than men. Based on research, the age groups most susceptible to suffering from panic disorders are teens and young adults. Reducing or eliminating your symptoms is the goal of your panic disorder treatment. This is accomplished by professional counseling and, in certain situations, drugs. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is commonly used in treatment (CBT). This therapy teaches you how to adjust your thoughts and actions so that you can understand and manage your panic episodes. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a type of antidepressant, are among the medications used to treat panic disorder. For panic disorder, SSRIs such as fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft) may be administered.
There are a few things that you may do at home to help alleviate your symptoms in addition to these meds. Keeping a daily schedule, engaging in various forms of physical activity on a regular basis, getting enough sleep, and avoiding stimulants like caffeine are just a few examples. If you are experiencing symptoms of a panic attack for the first time, seek medical help right away. Most people who suffer their first panic episode assume they are experiencing a heart attack. The help of a medical practitioner is critical; without it, it may be impossible to tell the difference between the symptoms. Therefore, better to be sure of what causes the experience and have an appropriate diagnosis than just making a tell-tale out of it.
PNFP Marie-Claire Gaas
References:
1. What You Need to Know About Panic Disorder
Medically reviewed by Nicole Washington, DO, MPH — Written by Darla Burke — Updated on September 24, 2021
https://www.healthline.com/health/panic-disorderhttps://www.healthline.com/health/panic-disorder
2. Genome-wide association study of panic disorder reveals genetic overlap with neuroticism and depression
Andreas J. Forstner, Swapnil Awasthi, Johannes Schumacher
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-019-0590-2?utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction&utm_campaign=3_nsn6445_deeplink_PID100090071&utm_content=deeplink
3. Panic attacks and panic disorder
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/symptoms-causes/syc-20376021
