Panic Attack Disorder and Panic Attacks

Panic attack disorder is a mental condition whereby someone suffers through unexpected and recurring panic attacks and continually worries that more attacks will follow. Changes can happen in one's behavior, like not going anywhere near the place of their previous attack.

Panic attacks, themselves, are an unexpected onset of extreme fear and worry that comes on quickly and for seemingly no reason whatsoever. It is not uncommon, however, for the first attack to be fueled by some stressful event like death or dealing with some other situation that is going to be difficult to handle.

Panic attacks have physical symptoms that can be frightening, however, they are not life-threatening. These symptoms may include difficulty in breathing or hyperventilation, heart pounding wildly, feeling dizzy, faint or lightheaded, numbness or tingling in the hands, shaking, trembling, sweating, feel like you're choking, nausea, discomfort or pain in the chest, hot flashes, cold flashes and the feeling that things are not real.

These physical symptoms increase a person's fear and make them feel as if they are about to die or that they are going insane or about to go out of control. These fears continue well after the attack subsides as the person now looks for bodily signs that another attack is coming. This additional anxiety and fear of future attacks makes the person more susceptible to additional attacks.

Making the problem worse is avoidance. Although the first panic attacks seem to happen randomly, people start to link their attacks to other people or specific events and places where the attacks took place. Over time this leads to phobic avoidance whereby you start staying away from certain environments or situations because you think that is what caused your attack. But when a person's lifestyle is disrupted by their avoidance behavior they may have developed panic attack disorder with agoraphobia.


The treatment for panic attack disorder is typically behavioral therapy. Medication may also be prescribed to help relieve the physical and emotional symptoms of the attack or they may even eliminate attacks completely. It is prudent to begin treatment of panic attack disorder as soon as possible as this condition can often lead to depression and alcohol or drug abuse.

To find out more information about panic attack disorder, along with treatment options, visit http://www.anxietycuresite.com/panic-attack-disorder/.