Panic Disorder

Imagine going out for a walk, or going to the store. Suddenly, your heart starts racing, you break out into a cold sweat. You feel dizzy and fear you'll pass out.

For many people, those are the kinds of symptoms brought about by panic disorder. This illness is an anxiety disorder (Read about "Anxiety") and it is characterized by sudden and repeated episodes of intense fear.

Symptoms of panic disorder

The Anxiety Disorders Association of America lists the following as symptoms of panic disorder:

• heart palpitations
• sweating (Read about "Sweating")
• fear of dying, losing control or going crazy
• chest pain
• faintness (Read about "Syncope/Fainting")
• dizziness
• trembling
• hot and cold flashes
• shortness of breath
• choking
• nausea
• tingling
• weakness
• feelings of unreality

The sensations can seem like a heart attack, so many people who in fact have panic disorder wind up making repeated trips to emergency rooms. This is not to say that someone who suspects they're having a heart attack should conclude that the symptoms are caused by something else; anyone who suspects heart problems should seek medical help right away. (Read about "Heart Attack")

Should the problem turn out to be panic disorder, the person's troubles may not stop there. Many people with panic disorder also start to develop phobias, (Read about "Phobias") often based on where they were or things they were doing when they experienced a panic episode.

For example, if someone gets a panic attack while driving, they may develop a phobia about getting into a car. Someone who gets panic attacks when they're outdoors may develop agoraphobia, an inability to go beyond known and safe surroundings because of intense fear and anxiety.

How common is panic disorder

Panic disorder is not unusual. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), about 1.7 percent of the adult U.S. population between the ages of 18 and 54 has panic disorder in any given year. That's approximately 2.4 million Americans. The disorder is also more common in women.

The exact cause isn't known. Possible causes include:

• heredity (Read about "Family Health History")
• biological factors
• stress (Read about "Stress")
• thinking that exaggerates relatively normal bodily reactions

Using brain imaging technologies and neurochemical techniques (Read about "CT Scan - Computerized Tomography" "MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging" "PET - Positron Emission Tomography"), scientists are finding that a network of interacting structures may contribute to a number of mental health problems. (Read about "Mental Health") According to NIMH, studies are looking into the possibility that anxiety disorders, such as panic attacks, are triggered by abnormal activity in a part of the brain called the amygdala. This is an almond-shaped structure deep within the brain. (Read about "The Brain") The amygdala is believed to serve as a communications hub between the parts of the brain that process incoming sensory signals and the parts that interpret them. It can signal that a threat is present and trigger a fear response or anxiety. It appears that emotional memories stored in the central part of the amygdala may play a role in disorders involving very distinct fears, like phobias, while different parts may be involved in other forms of anxiety.

Other research focuses on the hippocampus, another brain structure that is responsible for processing threatening or traumatic stimuli. The hippocampus plays a key role in the brain by helping to encode information into memories. Studies have shown that the hippocampus appears to be smaller in people who have undergone severe stress because of child abuse or military combat. This reduced size could help explain why individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder have flashbacks, deficits in explicit memory and fragmented memory for details of the traumatic event. (Read about "Post-Traumatic Stress")

Studies are also examining the genetic (Read about "Genetics") and environmental risks for major anxiety disorders, such as panic disorder. (Read about "Clinical Studies")

By learning more about brain circuitry involved in fear and anxiety, as well as genetic and environmental factors, scientists may be able to devise new and more specific treatments for anxiety disorders.

Whatever the cause, the key thing is that there are treatments. Although people with panic disorder may use alcohol or other drugs in an attempt to "self-medicate," these types of behavior can often just make things worse. (Read about "Alcoholism" "Addiction")

What can help, however, is talking with your doctor about appropriate therapies. They include both medications as well as a type of psychotherapy known as cognitive-behavioral therapy. This therapy tries to get people to change the way they think about themselves and the way their bodies respond to different stimuli. If you think you or someone you care for is suffering from panic disorder, ask your doctor about alternatives that can help.

Related Information:

    Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

    Depressive Illnesses

    Social Phobia

    Post-Traumatic Stress