What Causes Panic Disorder? Risk Factors, Treatment & More

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Having a rush of anxiety, feeling your heart racing, breaking out into a sweat — whether it’s a spider suddenly scurrying out in front of you or in the lead-up to a big presentation at work or school, we’re all familiar with fear.

Fear is the body’s natural response to something it picks up on as dangerous or threatening. It can help you avoid a situation or thing that could cause harm.

However, some people experience repeated, intense feelings of fear or panic that come out of the blue for no reason at all and can significantly impact day-to-day life. This is called panic disorder.

Curious about panic disorder? Keep reading to learn about panic disorder, its symptoms, how a medical provider can diagnose it, how to treat panic attacks, and more. (Learn more about Anxiety.)

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What Is Panic Disorder?

Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder. It’s characterized by having sudden, repeated episodes of panic or fear that often happen with physical symptoms like a racing heart or sweating. These are called panic attacks.

They’re accompanied by something called “anticipatory anxiety.” That’s persistent worry or fear of a panic attack striking. It can also be accompanied by avoidance of unfamiliar environments where having a panic attack could be particularly frightening. This avoidance can narrow a person’s life, leading to missed opportunities and social isolation.

It’s not too uncommon to experience panic disorder at some point in your life. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), an estimated 4.7 percent of adults in the United States experience panic disorder during their lifetime. Isolated panic attacks are more common, but they generally don’t cause enduring problems the way panic disorder does.

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What Are the Symptoms of Panic Disorder?

Panic attacks are one of the main symptoms of panic disorder. While it’s possible for anyone to have a panic attack at some point in life, those with panic disorder experience repeated panic attacks accompanied by anticipatory anxiety or avoidant behavior.

What causes a panic attack? In panic disorder, panic attacks happen out of nowhere. That means they can’t be attributed to a specific trigger, such as a frightening or stressful situation.

Are there specific panic disorder symptoms? Due to the unexpected nature of panic attacks, folks with panic disorder often feel a lack of control and worry about the possibility of having another panic attack. This can significantly affect your quality of life.

For example, someone with panic disorder might show up to fewer social activities or avoid going out in public (agoraphobia) for fear of having a panic attack. Some people with panic disorder may avoid places they’ve previously had a panic attack, worrying that going there would lead to another.

 

They may also avoid exercise. An elevated heart rate is one of the symptoms of a panic attack. When that happens in the context of exercise, it can trigger anticipatory fear, additional anxiety symptoms, and, often, the cycle of mounting anxiety leads to an actual panic attack.

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Symptoms of a Panic Attack

What is a panic attack, and what does a panic attack look like? Panic attacks are characterized by intense panic, fear, or anxiety. Other psychological symptoms that can happen during a panic attack include feelings of:

  • Dread, impending doom, or fear of dying

  • Feelings of unreality, referred to as derealization

  • Feeling detached from yourself (depersonalization)

What does a panic attack feel like? Panic attacks are also accompanied by physical symptoms. These can vary from person to person but can include:

Severe panic attacks come on quickly. Symptoms typically peak within 10 minutes and typically last 20 to 30 minutes.

The frequency of panic attacks can be different for each individual too. Some people may have several in a day, while others might have a few throughout the week or month.

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What Causes Panic Disorder?

The exact cause of panic disorder isn’t known. Generally speaking, experts believe it happens due to a variety of biological, genetic, and environmental factors.

Medical experts have many ideas about what may cause panic disorder. Some are related to the pathways and chemicals in the brain.

For instance, brain pathways related to fear may be hyperexcitable — or over-reactive — in people with panic disorder. An imbalance of certain chemical messengers called neurotransmitters in the brain also likely contributes.

Panic attacks are intense. Because of this, a person may feel like they’re having a heart attack or that their symptoms are life-threatening. It’s common for people experiencing a panic attack for the first time to go to the emergency room. This could lead to a vicious cycle of fear or anxiety, resulting in further panic attacks in the future.

It’s important to note that although you may feel like you’re dying when you have a panic attack, there is no medical risk. Aside from the scary psychological symptoms, they cannot hurt you.

Other things may feed into the development of panic disorder, like genetics and environmental factors, such as trauma.

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Risk Factors for Panic Disorder

Though the exact causes of panic disorder are unknown, there are some things we know can increase the risk. These are called risk factors.

Some risk factors for panic disorder include:

  • Family history. Researchers have found a genetic component. Having a close family member (like a parent, sibling, or child) with panic disorder increases a person’s risk of panic disorder by 40 percent

  • Sex. Women develop panic disorder more often than men.

  • Age. Most people develop panic disorder during adolescence or early adulthood.

  • Childhood trauma. Traumatic experiences during childhood have been linked to an increased risk of panic disorder.

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When to See A Doctor

Many of us will experience a panic attack at one point in our lives. However, if you find that you’re having repeated panic attacks, it’s time to seek care.

Making an appointment with your primary care provider is a great way to start. Telling them about your thoughts, feelings, and symptoms can help them to get an idea of whether you may have panic disorder.

Keep in mind that other physical health conditions could cause similar symptoms. For instance, angina is a heart condition that can cause symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, and sweating.

Your healthcare provider can order tests to help rule out other physical health conditions as the cause of your symptoms. If they suspect you may have panic disorder or another mental health condition, they can then refer you to a mental health professional.

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Diagnosing Panic Disorder

Healthcare providers diagnose panic disorder based on criteria laid out by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. This is a bit of a mouthful, so let’s just call it the DSM-5 for short.

The DSM-5 gives very detailed information on all types of mental health conditions. A provider can compare your symptoms and experiences to what’s in the DSM-5 to help make a diagnosis. It’s based on a clinical interview. Currently, there aren’t any blood tests or brain scans that make the diagnosis.

Did you know panic attacks can happen due to mental health conditions other than panic disorder? It’s true! People who have other types of anxiety disorders or depression may also get them.

Because of this, the DSM-5 can be used to rule out other mental health conditions as the cause of your symptoms.

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What Are the Treatment Options for Panic Disorder?

If you’ve been diagnosed with panic disorder, know that effective treatments are available. A treatment plan for panic disorder can include psychotherapy (talk therapy), medication, or a combination of both.

When you start treatment for any condition, it’s totally normal to want quick relief. But when it comes to psychotherapy and medications for panic disorder, it’s important to be patient and stick with it. Both types of treatment take time to start working.

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Psychotherapy for Panic Disorder

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is commonly used to treat panic disorder. During CBT, you’ll work with a mental health professional to identify thought patterns that are negative or problematic for you.

You’ll then work on learning new ways of thinking and reacting that can help you before or during a panic attack. As you adopt the strategies you learn in CBT, your panic attacks might become less frequent.

CBT sometimes includes additional components. One example is exposure therapy, which aims to help you directly confront something you fear. Beyond panic disorder, this type of therapy is used to treat other mental health conditions like phobias and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).

In exposure therapy, you’ll be gradually exposed to increasing levels of the thing that causes you anxiety while in a safe space. You may also be taught breathing exercises or relaxation techniques.

For panic disorder, exposure therapy often involves confronting physical symptoms similar to those you’d experience during a panic attack. For example, you might be asked to run in place for a brief period to boost your heart rate and get your heart racing.

Along with CBT, exposure therapy can teach you that the symptoms of a panic attack aren’t themselves harmful. This can help to break the vicious cycle of having stress or anxiety related to the possibility of a panic attack. Over time, you may find that you have fewer panic attacks.

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Medication for Panic Disorder

Medications can also be prescribed to treat panic disorder. According to the NIMH, several types of medication can be prescribed, depending on your individual needs:

  • Antidepressants. Certain antidepressant drugs, specifically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), can help manage anxiety disorders like panic disorder.

  • Beta-blockers. Beta-blockers are actually a type of blood pressure medication. But your provider might prescribe them off-label to help manage panic attack symptoms like a racing heart.

  • Anxiety medications. Anxiety medications called benzodiazepines like alprazolam (Xanax®), diazepam (Valium®), and clonazepam (Klonopin®) can be used to quickly reduce anxiety attack symptoms. But these may only be used for brief periods due to the risk of misuse, dependence, and long-term negative effects on the brain.

(Learn more about Medications for Anxiety.)

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Can Panic Disorder Be Prevented?

There’s no tried-and-true way to prevent panic disorder from developing. That’s because we still don’t know what exactly causes panic disorder in the first place.

Also, many of the known risk factors for panic disorder, such as age and genetics, are totally out of your control.

All that said, if you’ve been diagnosed with panic disorder, there are some steps you can take to help lower your risk of having another panic attack.

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Panic Attack Prevention Tips

Here’s what might help prevent panic attacks:

  • Take all medications as directed and keep up with your psychotherapy sessions.

  • Practice the breathing exercises or relaxation techniques you’ve been taught.

  • Add relaxing activities like yogameditation, or tai chi to your daily routine.

  • Engage in regular exercise to help to lower stress and improve your moods.

  • Avoid foods or drinks that contain caffeine, alcohol, or lots of sugar, which could make you feel more on edge.

  • Talk to your healthcare provider about ways to quit smoking if you currently smoke.

  • Get enough sleep at night. Experts typically recommend seven to nine hours of sleep for most adults.

  • Keep doing your typical activities. Withdrawing can impact your mood and may lead to increased stress or anxiety.

Coping with panic disorder can be tough. If you find that you’re really struggling, there are ways to get help right away. Use some of the resources below:

This article originally appeared on ForHers.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.

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