Panic disorder | |
---|---|
Depiction of someone with a panic attack, being reassured by another person | |
Specialty | Psychiatry, clinical psychology |
Symptoms | Sudden periods of intense fear, palpitations, sweating, shaking, shortness of breath, numbness[1][2] |
Usual onset | Sudden and recurrent[1] |
Causes | Unknown[3] |
Risk factors | Family history, smoking, psychological stress, history of child abuse[2] |
Diagnostic method | Based on symptoms after ruling out other potential causes[2][3] |
Differential diagnosis | Heart disease, hyperthyroidism, drug use[2][3] |
Treatment | Counselling, medications[3] |
Medication | Antidepressants, benzodiazepines, beta blockers[1][3] |
Frequency | 2.5% of people at some point[4] |
Panic disorder is a mental and behavioral disorder,[5] specifically an anxiety disorder characterized by reoccurring unexpected panic attacks.[1] Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear that may include palpitations, sweating, shaking, shortness of breath, numbness, or a feeling that something terrible is going to happen.[1][2] The maximum degree of symptoms occurs within minutes.[2] There may be ongoing worries about having further attacks and avoidance of places where attacks have occurred in the past.[1]
The cause of panic disorder is unknown.[3] Panic disorder often runs in families.[3] Risk factors include smoking, psychological stress, and a history of child abuse.[2] Diagnosis involves ruling out other potential causes of anxiety including other mental disorders, medical conditions such as heart disease or hyperthyroidism, and drug use.[2][3] Screening for the condition may be done using a questionnaire.[6]
Panic disorder is usually treated with counselling and medications.[3] The type of counselling used is typically cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which is effective in more than half of people.[3][4] Medications used include antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and beta blockers.[1][3] Following stopping treatment up to 30% of people have a recurrence.[4]
Panic disorder affects about 2.5% of people at some point in their life.[4] It usually begins during adolescence or early adulthood, but may affect people of any age.[3] It is less common in children and elderly people.[2] Women are more likely than men to develop panic disorder.[3]