Panic disorder is one of the so-called anxiety disorders and is the result of an increased level of anxiety which is caused by a change in the way a small organ called the Amygdala, in the brain, responds to anxiety-provoking thoughts or situations.
When this process becomes disrupted, the sufferer develops feelings of anxiety which may escalate into panic attacks or Panic disorder.
Panic Disorder has such diverse and sometimes extreme symptoms. BUT, this is caused by the same internal mechanism in every single sufferer. The brain thinks it is behaving normally as it has become re-set at a higher than normal level of anxiety due to a catalyst of some sort; the catalyst is unimportant actually, what is important, however, is that an internal switch, which activates the anxiety response in the brain has been 'adjusted' to a higher level of anxiety and it is this that causes and perpetuates the Panic Disorder. I don't like the term disorder, it suggests illness and anxiety isn't an illness, it's a natural device that can become disturbed.
Panic Disorder affects about 5 million adults in the US and the UK and is twice as common in women as in men. It most often begins during late adolescence or early adulthood. 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 indeed.
Many people with Panic Disorder visit the hospital emergency room repeatedly or see a number of doctors before they obtain a correct diagnosis and may go for years without learning that they have a real, treatable condition.
Regardless of how the anxiety affects you mentally or physically, the very same internal mechanism is responsible, so the curative process is the same in every case regardless of age, race or gender. To eliminate Panic Disorder permanently, this mechanism must be addressed and corrected.
Panic Disorder Symptoms
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.
If you are having a panic attack, you may have Panic Disorder. Most likely your heart will pound and you may feel sweaty, weak, faint, or dizzy. Your hands may tingle or feel numb, and you might feel flushed or chilled. You may have nausea, chest pain or smothering sensations, a sense of unreality, or fear of impending doom or loss of control. You may genuinely believe you're having a heart attack or losing your mind, or even on the verge of death.
Panic attacks can occur at any time, even during sleep. An attack generally peaks within 10 minutes, but some symptoms may last much longer.
Read more about Panic Symptoms
Panic Disorder and Phobias
Panic Disorder may lead to a pattern of avoidance of places or situations where panic attacks have occurred. For example, if a panic attack strikes while you're riding in an elevator, you may develop a phobia (fear) of elevators. If you start avoiding them, that could affect your choice of a job or apartment and greatly restrict other areas of your life.
Some people's lives become so restricted that they avoid normal, everyday activities such as grocery shopping or driving. In some cases they become completely housebound. Or, they may be able to confront a feared situation only if accompanied by a spouse or other trusted person.
Sufferers avoid any situation in which they would feel helpless if a panic attack were to occur. When people's lives become so restricted, as happens in about one-third of people with panic disorder, the condition is called Agoraphobia. Early treatment can often prevent agoraphobia.
Does a panic disorder medication exist?
In a nutshell, NO! There is no such thing as a therapeutic panic disorder medication which can offer a cure. Panic disorder is a behavioral condition and there exists no medication which can erase memory and behavior in a targeted way in order to eliminate panic disorder directly.
Many medications are prescribed for use with panic disorder, but these are sedatives and antidepressants and have not been developed for the targeted treatment of panic disorder.
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