Living with panic disorder can be a debilitating experience and can impact every aspect of an individual’s life. The disorder can cause the individual to experience doubt about themselves as well as live in constant fear of what their day, week, month, and the rest of their life will look like. While the individual’s disorder may not be evident to the people around them, it does not make the symptoms that the person experiences any less crippling. In order to better understand panic disorder, it is important to dive into what the disorder is, its risk factors, symptoms, criteria for a diagnosis, and available treatment/support.

What is Panic Disorder & How Do I Manage It?

Panic disorder is a condition that one in seventy-five people experience and it usually appears during someone’s teen years or early adulthood. People that have panic disorder will experience frequent and unexpected panic attacks. A panic attack is a sudden urge of overwhelming fear that happens abruptly without any obvious reason. Symptoms of a panic attack can include: racing heartbeat, difficulty breathing, terror that is almost paralyzing, dizziness, nausea, trembling, sweating, shaking, feelings of choking, chest pains, hot flashes, sudden chills, tingling in fingers or toes, fear of going crazy, or fear that they are about to die. One may ask, how can I know when a panic attack may take place? Well, there is not a specific time when a panic attack will occur since every human is different and experiences different emotions. They can happen during many situations or circumstances. However, panic disorder normally occurs when a person experiences a transition in a major life event that produces stress, such as graduating from college, getting married, or having a first child.

Panic attacks can be very frightening and people often fear having another panic attack. Because of this, people often avoid situations or places that they believe may lead to them experiencing a panic attack. Phobias that people with panic disorder develop do not come from fears of actual objects or events, but instead from the fear of experiencing a panic attack once again. Panic disorders can also occur while a person is sleeping and which will lead to them waking from sleep. When this occurs, it is often referred to as “nocturnal panic attacks” or “nighttime panic attacks” (Sawchuck, 2018). According to Staner (2003), sleep disturbances, predominantly insomnia, are very common in panic disorder.

Is There A Chance That I Will Develop Panic Disorders?

There is evidence that shows that if a person’s family member suffered from panic disorder, there is an increased risk for that person to also suffer from the disorder. Having a relative that has been diagnosed with panic disorder doesn’t guarantee that one will experience the disorder, but it does increase the risk. According to Memon (2018), panic disorder often coexists with mood disorders, and mood symptoms potentially follow the onset of panic attacks. There are also medical conditions that share significant comorbidity with panic disorder, such as COPD, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headache, restless leg syndrome, and fatigue (Memon, 2018). Studies have shown that women are twice as likely to be affected by panic disorder than men. However, it is possible that some men experience panic attacks but will not seek a doctor’s opinion due to feelings of embarrassment and as a result, will not be diagnosed with panic disorder. Therefore, the number of men with panic disorder could be higher than expected. Studies show that panic is also more common in women who have never been pregnant and during the postpartum period; it is less common during pregnancy (Momen, 2018). In a study done by Lister et al. (2017), it was discovered that the age of onset of panic disorder is between 21 and 34 years of age. This is likely due to the life transitions that were discussed earlier being more common in individuals that are in their 20s and early 30s. Panic disorder is a condition that comes with a lot of risk factors that may contribute to its onset. However, there are many people that have numerous risk factors that never develop the disorder.

According to Memon (2018), in order to meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria for panic disorder, panic attacks must be associated with longer than 1 month of subsequent persistent worry about: (1) having another attack or consequences of the attack, or (2) significant maladaptive behavioral changes related to the attack. To make the diagnosis of panic disorder, panic attacks cannot directly physiologically result from substance use, medical conditions, or another psychiatric disorder.

It is important to remember that people that are diagnosed with panic disorder can lead normal lives as long as they receive treatment. Without treatment, panic disorder can lead to serious consequences such as side effects like alcohol or drug use, increased risk of suicide, more time spent in the hospital, less time engaging in hobbies, becoming financially dependent on others, feeling less healthy compared to others, losing their jobs, and becoming afraid of driving more than a few miles away from home.

Best Treatment For Panic Disorder

Cognitive Therapy: Cognitive Therapy helps clients identify possible triggers for the panic attacks such as a thought or a situation.
Behavioral Therapy: Behavioral Therapy focuses on the client being exposed to the physical sensations that someone experiences during a panic attack.
Vivo Exposure: This involves breaking a fearful situation down into smaller manageable steps and doing them one at a time until the most difficult level is mastered.
Relaxation Techniques: This includes breathing retraining and positive visualization.
Support Group: Groups provide support to the client through engaging with others that are facing the same challenges. A support group should not take the place of individual therapy.
Medication: These can include anti-anxiety, antidepressants, and heart medications. Medication is most helpful when combined with therapy.

Resources For Panic Disorders & Attacks

In conclusion, panic disorder can present various challenges and can disrupt an individual’s daily life. However, it is critical to remember that this is a treatable condition. It is important to keep in mind that individuals that are dealing with the disorder have the opportunity to utilize the support and resources that are provided to them. These resources can assist the individual in leading a life that is worthwhile and fulfilling.

More About Panic & Anxiety

References

Lijster, J. M., Dierckx, B., Utens, E. M., Verhulst, F. C., Zieldorff, C., Dieleman, G. C., & Legerstee, J. S. (2017). The Age of Onset of Anxiety Disorders. Canadian journal of psychiatry.

Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 62(4), 237–246.

Sawchuck, C. N. (2018, January 12). Nocturnal panic attacks: What causes them?. Mayo Clinic.

Staner L. (2003). Sleep and anxiety disorders. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 5(3), 249–258.

Memon, M. A. (2018). Panic disorder. Background, Etiology, Epidemiology.

What Is Panic Disorder?