What is Panic Disorder?
Panic disorder is a mental health diagnosis characterized by frequent and unexpected panic attacks. These attacks can be as often as multiple times a day or as infrequent as a few times a year. While the frequency and unexpectedness of the attacks are an important consideration in diagnosing the disorder, someone with panic disorder must also experience persistent concern about having additional panic attacks and their consequences or a significant change in behavior related to the attacks in order to avoid future panic attacks. However, it is important to note that not everyone who experiences a panic attack has, or will develop, panic disorder.
What Does a Panic Attack Look/Feel Like?
Panic attacks can look and feel differently for everyone. Although, panic attacks are commonly identified as a brief episode of intense anxiety resulting in physical and mental health symptoms. These attacks are most often not a result of an external threat.
Some physical symptoms that may be present when experiencing a panic attack are rapid breathing, nausea, trembling or shaking, chills, hot flashes, numbness, tingling, dizziness, sweating, a racing heartbeat, stomach pain, chest pain, upset stomach, muscle tension, shortness of breath, etc.
Some mental symptoms that may be present when experiencing a panic attack are fear of death, feelings of being out of control, feelings of impending doom, dissociation, intense worry, a sense of detachment from reality, etc.
Panic attacks typically last 5-20 minutes, however, mental and physical symptoms correlated with the attack may last hours. It is important that if you are experiencing these symptoms, and are unsure if they are a panic attack, you seek medical help as soon as possible.
The Difference Between Anxiety Attacks and Panic Attacks
Many people experience anxiety, anxiety attacks, and panic attacks, so you may be wondering what the difference is. While anxiety attacks and panic attacks have some overlapping symptoms, they also have key differences, most notably regarding their duration, intensity, and causes.
Duration: Panic attacks develop quicker and are much shorter than anxiety attacks, most commonly lasting about 10 minutes and peaking after a few minutes. Anxiety attacks on the other hand can last hours or days and build up gradually.
Intensity: Panic attacks are more intense than anxiety attacks. For example, while anxiety attacks can also result in a racing heart or an upset stomach, panic attacks may also result in intense heart palpitations, shortness of breath, nausea, etc.
Causes: Panic attacks can occur unexpectedly, even when one is not feeling anxious. Anxiety attacks are most often triggered by a stressor, such as an external threat or stressful event.
Signs of Panic Disorder
An intense worry or fear about when the next panic attack will occur
Avoiding places where panic attacks have previously occurred
A fear of being out of control
A fear of death during the panic attack
Sudden and repeated attacks of anxiety
Physical symptoms during a panic attack as mentioned above
Treatment for Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is most commonly treated with either psychotherapy, medication, or both. After any potential physical cause of concern is ruled out, a healthcare provider may refer someone experiencing panic attacks to a mental health professional. Two of the most prominent psychological treatment methods for panic disorder are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy.
CBT is a modality designed to help one develop different ways of thinking, specifically about panic attacks in this case, and combat their current maladaptive thoughts. This method also targets a person’s behaviors in order to help them react differently to the physical symptoms that occur during a panic attack. CBT also uses mindfulness and relaxation techniques.
Exposure therapy focuses on directly confronting the fears and beliefs one holds about panic attacks and panic disorder. This might look like having the client engage in activities they have been avoiding or learning to manage panic attack symptoms while they experience them.
If you think you or a loved one could benefit from treatment for panic disorder, reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.