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 Panic Disorder 
Panic attacks can occur at any time, even during sleep. An attack generally peaks within 10 minutes, but some symptoms may last much longer. People with panic disorder have feelings of terror that strike suddenly and repeatedly with no warning. They can't predict when an attack will occur, and many develop intense anxiety between episodes, worrying when and where the next one will strike. Many people with panic disorder repeatedly visit the hospital emergency room or see a number of doctors before they obtain a correct diagnosis. Some people with panic disorder may go for years without learning that they have a real, treatable illness. Panic disorder affects about 6 million or 2.7 percent adult Americans and is twice as common in women as in men. It most often begins during late adolescence or early adulthood. Risk of developing panic disorder appears to be inherited. Not everyone who experiences panic attacks will develop panic disorder--for example, many people have one attack but never have another. For those who do have panic disorder, though, it's important to seek treatment. Untreated, the disorder can become very disabling. Panic disorder is often accompanied by other conditions such as depression, drug abuse or alcoholism and may lead to a pattern of avoidance of places or situations where panic attacks have occurred. Some people's lives become so restricted, they avoid normal, everyday activities such as grocery shopping or driving. In some cases they become housebound. Or, they may be able to confront a feared situation only if accompanied by a spouse or other trusted person. When people's lives become so restricted, as happens in about one-third of people with panic disorder, the condition is called agoraphobia, or a fear of leaving a safe place. Early treatment of panic disorder can often prevent agoraphobia. Panic disorder is one of the most treatable of the anxiety disorders, responding in most cases to medications or carefully targeted psychotherapy. |
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