Overview

Everyone has felt panicked at some point. You've got a big college exam ahead of you or you have to think fast to avoid a car swerving into your lane. Your heart speeds up, you feel anxious, your muscles tense and you feel keyed up. But these feelings and reactions go away and have a known cause. People who have panic disorders (PDs) don't experience panic the same way.

Panic disorder is a mental disorder defined as recurring panic attacks or episodes of intense fear along with physical symptoms that strike often and without warning, even during sleep. For most people panic attacks last a few minutes, although in rare instances, they can persist for an hour or more. Usually the attacks don't have a specific cause and don't have a warning.

A panic attack is not dangerous or life-threatening. People with the disorder tend to become anxious between episodes, fearing another attack. People might develop phobias about places or situations where they have had panic attacks, such as at a grocery store. As the frequency of the attacks become more intense, the person may avoid places or situations where they fear they might have another attack, even though it might have nothing to do with the episode.

Panic disorder is twice as common in women as in men, affecting nearly 2 percent of adults, or about 2.4 million Americans, every year. The disorder usually begins in young adulthood before age 24.

Prognosis

PD doesn't have a cure, but it does have treatments to help head off attacks and treat the attacks as they happen. Therapy includes cognitive-behavioral treatments along with medications.

Untreated panic disorder can lead to severe problems, including:

• Agoraphobia (an inability to leave comfortable surroundings because of intense fear and anxiety).
• Depression.
• Substance abuse.
• Thoughts of self-harm.
• Interference with social and work functioning.

More on Panic Disorder

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.