Panic Attack

Last week you were driving across a bridge when all of a sudden you felt a strange sensation come over you.  You felt very afraid and it seemed to come from nowhere.  You were barely able to make it over the bridge.  When you talked to the doctor about it, you shrugged it off like a fluke, one of those things.  But yesterday it came again and you began to fear you were losing your mind.

Mary just finished her final exams during her first semester at college.  She was just lying on the couch watching TV when she began to feel lightheaded and had trouble breathing.  Suddenly, her heart began to pound rapidly.  She felt shaky, unsteady, sweaty.  It happened so quickly she felt she was having a heart attack.  She frantically searched for her car keys to get to the hospital.  She was totally panicked, "What's wrong with me?"

Each year, thousands of Americans have an experience similar to this.  Many, fearing they're having a heart attack, wind up in the emergency room.  Others try to ignore it, not understanding they are experiencing a panic attack.  According to the America Psychiatric Association, up to six million Americans suffer from panic disorder.  According to the Mayo Clinic, 10 to 20 percent of all Americans will have at least one attack in their life.

Panic attacks typically begin in young adulthood.  An episode generally starts quickly, peaks within 10 minutes and lasts about half an hour.  Signs and symptoms can include hot and cold flashes, sweating, nausea, feeling faint, trembling, racing thoughts, feelings of unreality, difficulty breathing, heart palpitations, chest pain or discomfort, feelings of choking, dizziness, numbness, fear of dying and fear of losing control.

By the time the average sufferer receives the correct diagnosis, they may have been to the emergency room of the local hospital several times, gone through many expensive and time-consuming testing procedures, and experienced fear they would not have thought possible.

It is obviously important to have your family physician examine you to rule out the possibility of a serious medical condition.  If physical causes have been ruled out, it is likely to be a panic attack.

If the panic attacks are frequent, you may have a condition called panic disorder.  If they are left untreated, it may eventually lead to depression and for some people a condition referred to as agoraphobia.  Agoraphobia basically means that the person spends more and more time at home in order to avoid having a panic attack, to the point they may even become completely homebound.

It is very difficult for the average person to understand what a panic attack feels like because there are no obvious outward signs.  The individual looks fine.  The best way to describe it would be like driving your car down the highway in the winter time and doing a "360" (car turns completely around.)  Most people would be scared and out of control.  In general, women tend to have more panic attacks than men and are afraid of losing control and going crazy.  Men tend to fear they will suffer a heart attack.

Getting help.  Panic attacks and panic disorder are clearly treatable and most people are able to resume their everyday responsibilities.  Education, medication and therapy have proven to be successful.  If you are suffering from panic attacks or severe anxiety, you need to see your family physician for treatment or referral to an appropriate therapist and begin the process of becoming free from fears. 

(In August, Dr's Allen and Reva Minor will be presenting a community workshop on "Anxiety/Panic Attacks." )