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PANIC ATTACKS: When Fear Holds Sway

What are Panic Attacks?
Panic attacks are sudden episodes of intense fear that prompt physical reactions in the body. Between 10 percent and 20 percent of Americans experience a panic attack at some time in their lives. Women are more likely than men to have panic attacks.

If panic attacks are frequent (four or more a month) or if fear of having them affects your activities, you may have a condition called panic disorder. This condition can become debilitating and destructive if left untreated.

As the frequency of panic attacks increases, a person often begins to avoid situations where they fear another attack may occur or where help would not be immediately available. This avoidance may eventually develop into agoraphobia, an inability to go beyond known and safe surroundings because of intense fear and anxiety.

Once dismissed as nerves or stress, panic disorder is now recognized as a potentially disabling but treatable condition.

Causes of Panic Attacks
Researchers aren’t sure what causes panic attacks. Heredity may play a role; a person’s chances of having panic attacks increases if he/she has a close family member who has had them. Many researchers believe the body’s natural fight-or-flight response to danger is involved.

Treatment
Treatment for panic attacks and panic disorder is very effective. Most people are able to resume everyday activities. Treatment may involve:

• Education
• Medication
• Therapy
• Relaxation techniques

Appropriate treatment by an experienced professional can reduce or prevent panic attacks in 70 to 90 percent of people with panic disorder. Most people show significant progress after a few weeks of therapy. Relapses may occur, but they can often be effectively treated just like the initial episode.

What to Do if You Suffer from Panic Disorder
Seek information, support, and treatment resources for panic disorder from the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). To get more information from the EAP, please see our contact information below. When contacting the EAP by email, please note that email correspondence is not confidential. Therefore, you may want to call 800.326.3864 to discuss specific problems.

 

This information is from the National Institute of Mental Health pamphlet “When Fear Holds Sway,” NIH Publication No. 01-4596, developed for use of the general public.