Treatment available for panic attacks

A young mother makes s sudden departure from the ticket line at the movie. As those in the line move up, some wondered if she forgot something or changed her mind about letting the children go to the show.

Unbeknown to those around her, and unrelated to the movie itself, she had begun to experience a number of unpleasant mental and physical difficulties which mirrored feelings she had had recently at a school meeting. On both occasions, she experienced difficulty in breathing, a racing heartbeat and a choking sensation. At the same time she felt dizzy, unsteady, and faint.

The sensations frightened her. Was she losing her mind or going to die?

A successful business man remembers his first attack occurred during a meeting with several of his associates. First he had trouble breathing, then experienced a feeling of unreality and a premonition that something terrible was about to happen. As the attacks continued and increased in frequency, he lost confidence in himself. Eventually he resigned from his company.

These individuals are among the estimated 1.5 million Americans plagued by recurring, debilitating panic attacks. Authorities estimate that nearly 2 percent of all Americans will experience a panic attack at some point in their life. Unfortunately, many go for years before seeking help for this treatable anxiety disorder. Because symptoms mimic physical ailments, such as heart disease, the problem often goes undiagnosed. The victim becomes a prisoner of his or her own fears.

There are other anxiety disorders that manifest themselves as phobias. These include agoraphobia in which patients experiencing its more severe form often become so fearful they become housebound.

A common characteristic of phobia patients is they develop a “fear of the fear” in which they begin to anticipate the problem occurring. This concern becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, causing or triggering the actual attack. Phobias are anxiety conditions defined as irrational fears of people, places, things or situations.

Anxiety or phobia sufferers often:

Are afraid to leave home without being accompanied by someone they know well. They avoid crowds or open spaces, such as shopping malls, airports or churches.
Feel tense and anxious and unable to relax most of the time.
Spend most of their time worrying about things that may not actually happen.
Become extremely anxious when they are the center of attention.
Feel they must resort to the use of alcohol or other drugs to calm their nerves when invited to a social event?

Next week I will discuss more about anxiety disorders, their cause and treatment.

Copyright c 1991 Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D.