Steve (not his real name) is a vocalist who sings with his brother. Steve is usually at ease while performing. Occasionally, Steve will feel like he is on the brink of a panic attack for no reason at all. Although singing is something he loves, Steve admits that sometimes he feels like running off the stage – and away from this brother as well.
Steve is a sufferer of Panic Disorder, a condition that affects 96 in every 100,000 Americans today. The number may not seem high, but it is on the rise, from less than 10 in every 100,000 in a study conducted in 1996.
A variety of causes have been reported for the condition, from hereditary inheritance to behavioral patterns including separation anxiety learned from a very early age.
For sufferers, Panic Disorder can be debilitating. Even the most mundane daily tasks can, without warning or reason, induce a panic attack that renders the individual physically incapable of doing anything but sit down, shaking and hyperventilating until the attack passes. Attacks can be as short as 15 – 30 seconds or as long as 15 minutes.
Those who have been diagnosed are taught early on to identify when they are having an attack, and can get some help using prescription medication. Antidepressants are known to aid in limiting the symptoms of anxiety quickly, but can also encourage dependency on these drugs.
Benzodiazepines have also been used in the treatment of Panic Disorder, though controversy still splits the medical community, some of whom believe that Benzodiazepines are ineffective in treating long term sufferers. SSRI drugs can also be used to lessen and even suppress entirely the effects of Panic Disorder in some sufferers.
Undiagnosed sufferers fight the effects of Panic Disorder often without any real idea of what it is, or in some cases that it is even treatable. Later sufferers face other problems; studies suggest menopausal women are at elevated risk of heart attack by almost 300%. Elderly men and women risk Benzodiazepine reacting with analgesic medications to also increase the chance of fatal heart attack.
In some cases, drugs are not necessary to treat the condition. A psychological therapy known as cognitive restructuring can, in some cases, lessen or even totally overcome the condition without the need for drugs. Whether drugs are needed or not, the first step in treatment is to recognize and acknowledge the condition, and this can be an issue in itself with the stigma of potentially being classified as mentally unstable.
The answer to working through and possibly overcoming Panic Disorder is not to silently agonize. Treatments are out there, and those who suspect they have this should consult a doctor.
Learn more about Panic Attack’s Release. Visit Yuval Harpaz’s site where you can download a self-help guide about how to Start Reducing Stress NOW and what it can do for you.
