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Panic disorder is a real illness that can be successfully treated. It is characterized by sudden attacks of terror, usually accompanied by a pounding heart, shortness of breath, sweatiness, weakness, faintness, or dizziness. During these attacks, people with panic disorder may flush or feel chilled; their hands may tingle or feel numb; and they may experience nausea, chest pain, or smothering sensations. Panic attacks usually produce a sense of unreality, a fear of impending doom, or a fear of losing control.

Panic disorder affects about 6 million American adults and is twice as common in women as men. Panic attacks often begin in late adolescence or early adulthood, but not everyone who experiences panic attacks will develop panic disorder. Many people have just one attack and never have another. The tendency to develop panic attacks appears to be inherited.

For more information
Anxiety Disorders Association of America
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Mental Health America

Panic disorder is one of the most treatable of all the anxiety disorders, responding in most cases to certain kinds of medications, such as high-potency anti-anxiety drugs like alprazolam and/or cognitive psychotherapy, which helps change thinking patterns that lead to fear and anxiety. 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.

Proper treatment helps 70 to 90 percent of people with panic disorder, usually within six to eight weeks.
Panic disorder is often accompanied by other serious problems, such as depression, drug abuse, or alcoholism.

Related articles
Anxiety or anxiety disorder?
Managing anxiety
When Panic Attacks

Sources:
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
National Mental Health Information Center

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