- People with panic disorder experience
white-knuckled, heart-pounding terror that strikes suddenly and without
warning. Since they cannot predict when a panic attack will seize them,
many people live in persistent worry that another one could overcome
them at any moment.
Symptoms:
- Pounding heart, chest pains, lightheadedness or
dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, shaking or trembling, choking,
fear of dying, sweating, feelings of unreality, numbness or tingling,
hot flashes or chills, and a feeling of going out of control or going
crazy.
Formal Diagnosis:
- Either four attacks within four weeks or one or
more attacks followed by at least a month of persistent fear of having
another attack. A minimum of four of the symptoms listed above developed
during at least one of the attacks. Most panic attacks last only a few
minutes, but they occasionally go on for ten minutes, and, in rare
cases, have been known to last for as long as an hour. They can occur at
any time, even during sleep.
Treatment:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy and medications such
as high-potency anti-anxiety drugs like alprazolam. Several classes of
antidepressants (such as paroxetine, one of the newer selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and the older tricyclics and monoamine
oxidase inhibitors (MAO inhibitors) are considered "gold standards" for
treating panic disorder. Sometimes a combination of therapy and
medication is the most effective approach to helping people manage their
symptoms. Proper treatment helps 70 to 90 percent of people with panic
disorder, usually within six to eight weeks.
