Panic Anxiety Disorder: Panic Attacks Don't Have to Rule Your Life
 Panic attacks are the classic symptom of panic anxiety disorder. What happens when you have a panic attack? Here is an example: You enter the gigantic new supermarket on your block and your heart immediately starts racing and you feel like you can't breathe. You begin to sweat, tremble and feel odd and nauseous. For no apparent reason, you think you are having a heart attack. You rush to the emergency room and doctors take your vital signs. You may even be hooked up to electrocardiogram. Doctors tell you nothing is wrong and recommended that you visit your family physician for further evaluation.
If you've experienced this type of situation, you're not alone. You may have had a panic attack. Panic anxiety disorder and panic attacks affect 2 million to 6 million Americans at any given time.
Panic attacks are not isolated incidences, nor are they typical reactions to situations. For instance, if you feel mild anxiety, nervousness, or "butterflies" before a job interview, public speaking engagement, or a final exam, you are having a normal reaction to an out-of-the-ordinary situation, according to medical experts. Panic attacks, on the other hand, sometimes come on for no reason at all. Sometimes, life-changing events, including job loss, death of a loved one, divorce, or even a happy occasion, such as a wedding, may trigger panic attacks. Occasional panic attacks, or even one-time incidents, aren't uncommon. But, it's not normal if, after a period of time, panic attacks start to take control of your life. Then, your attacks may fall into a medical classification called behavioral disorders. If you're having regular panic attacks, or you experience them occasionally and you'd like to learn how to cope with them, it's a good idea to visit a doctor.
He or she will use the following criteria to make a medical diagnosis of a panic attack:
- At least a one month stretch of persistent periods of intense anxiety with no apparent cause
- Making decisions based on that anxiety that restrict your normal lifestyle
- Constant worry about the consequences of having a panic attack
- Continual anticipatory anxiety about having another panic attack
Experts also believe that four of the following symptoms must be present for a classic panic attack: fear of losing control, having a heart attack, or dying; racing heart rate; shortness of breath; sweating or chills; chest pain; nausea; feeling faint or dizzy; shakiness; numbness or tingling; or a feeling of "unreality," as if one's feet are not touching the ground.
The psychiatric community doesn't know the specific causes of panic attacks, but it has been determined that panic attacks run in families; that they may be associated with substance abuse; or they could be attributed to brain abnormalities or poor nutrition. If you suspect that you are experiencing panic anxiety disorder, or panic attacks, see your doctor. Left untreated, panic attacks may lead to other mental disorders, including agoraphobia and social anxiety disorder. Treatments include talk therapy, relaxation, prescription medications, exercise, and eating a healthy diet. Experts report that 90% of people with panic anxiety disorder can overcome their panic attacks if they seek help and social anxiety treatment.
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