Under Pressure
Panic attacks may induce terror, but they're common and treatable.
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Patricia A. Farrell, PhD
A man in his mid-40s is rushed to an emergency room. He
is sweating, his heart is racing, and he can't catch his breath. He and
his wife are convinced he is having a heart attack. He could
be-only, this time, the ER doctors tell him his heart is
just fine. What he's having is a panic attack.
Though no one should ever ignore heart attack symptoms or
assume one is having a panic attack instead, thousands of
people each year share this man's experience.
Panic attacks are truly terrifying and can happen without
warning or reason, causing sudden fear and extreme
nervousness for 10 minutes or more. Physical symptoms
intensify the attack: sweating, racing heart, rapid pulse, feeling faint or
as if one is choking, and-perhaps worst of all-the sense of "going crazy."
These attacks are a symptom of panic disorder, a type
of anxiety disorder that affects some 2.4 million U.S. adults. The disorder most
often begins during the late teens and
early adulthood and strikes twice as many American women as
men. No one knows what causes panic disorder, though
researchers suspect a combination of biological and
environmental factors, including family history (panic
disorder seems to run in families), stressful life events,
drug and alcohol abuse, and thinking patterns that
exaggerate normal physical reactions.
What happens, exactly? "We all physically respond to
stress," says Barbara O. Rothbaum, PhD, psychiatry professor and director,
Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program, at
Atlanta's Emory University School of Medicine. "You might
feel anxious about work-related problems, taking a big exam,
or making an important decision. But someone who suffers
from panic disorder may react to those same moderate
pressures with an exaggerated physical reaction-as if he or
she were about to be attacked by a wild tiger or fall from a
great height. It's full-on, adrenaline-pumping,
fight-or-flight response."
For this very reason, Rothbaum says, panic attacks are
doubly frightening. "Because there is no real danger that provokes them, these
episodes can happen anytime, anywhere"-including while walking down the street,
dining out with a group of friends, grocery shopping-even sleeping, according to
the National Institute of Mental Health.
Over time, many who suffer panic attacks develop an
on-going fear of having another attack. This fear can
severely hamper daily activities and overall quality of
life. Some people refuse to leave their houses or to put
themselves in situations that remind them of their previous
attacks. Agoraphobia (a fear of being outside of known and
safe surroundings) or other mental problems may follow.
Fortunately, panic disorder is one of the most treatable
of the anxiety disorders. Psychotherapy
(sometimes called talk therapy), cognitive, or biofeedback therapy can all
help alter a person's response to stimuli. Medications, such
as antidepressants and beta-blockers, are another option.
And certain lifestyle changes, such as limiting caffeine and
sticking to a daily exercise plan, can decrease symptoms as
well.
© 2005 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.
Last Editorial Review: 1/31/2006
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