Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder. It causes panic attacks, which are sudden feelings of terror for no reason. You may also feel physical symptoms, such as
- Fast heartbeat
- Chest pain
- Breathing difficulty
- Dizziness
Panic attacks can happen anytime, anywhere and without warning. You may live in fear of another attack and may avoid places where you have had an attack. For some people, fear takes over their lives and they cannot leave their homes.
Panic disorder is more common in women than men. It usually starts when people are young adults. Sometimes it starts when a person is under a lot of stress. Most people get better with treatment. Therapy can show you how to recognize and change your thinking patterns before they lead to panic. Medicines can also help.
National Institute of Mental Health
- Panic Disorder Self-Test(Anxiety Disorders Association of America) - http://www.adaa.org/GettingHelp/SelfHelpTests/selftest_Panic.asp
- When Fear Overwhelms: Panic Disorder(National Institute of Mental Health) - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-a-real-illness/summary.shtml
- Answers to Your Questions about Panic Disorder(American Psychological Association) - http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/panic.html
- Panic Disorder(American Psychiatric Association) - http://healthyminds.org/Main-Topic/Panic-Disorder.aspx
- Panic Disorder(Anxiety Disorders Association of America) - http://www.adaa.org/GettingHelp/AnxietyDisorders/Panicattack.asp
- Study Challenges Link Between Panic Attacks, PTSD(04/10/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_82802.html
- Panic Disorder Self-Test(Anxiety Disorders Association of America) - http://www.adaa.org/GettingHelp/SelfHelpTests/selftest_Panic.asp
- Medications(National Institute of Mental Health) - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/medications/complete-publication.shtml
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Panic Disorder: Panic Attacks and Agoraphobia(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/mentalhealth/anxiety/137.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/common/mentalhealth/anxiety/137.printerview.html
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Panic Disorder(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Panic+Disorder%22
- Article: Panic disorder: is the PAG involved? - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19283082&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Panic attacks and their relation to psychological and physical functioning... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19254442&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Pregnancy and birth with generalized anxiety disorder. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19244780&tool=MedlinePlus
- Panic Disorder -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=panic+disorder[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- ADAA - Glossary(Anxiety Disorders Association of America) - http://www.adaa.org/gettinghelp/glossary.asp
- Getting Help: Locate Services(National Institute of Mental Health) - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/getting-help-locate-services/index.shtml
- Anxiety Disorders Association of America - http://www.adaa.org/
- Mental Health America - http://www.nmha.org/
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NAMI - http://www.nami.org/
Also available in Spanish http://www.nami.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Inform_Yourself/NAMI_en_español/NAMI_en_español.htm
- National Institute of Mental Health - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
- Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America(National Institute of Mental Health) - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america.shtml
- Panic Disorder in Children and Adolescents(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Panic+Disorder+In+Children+And+Adolescents§ion=Facts+for+Families
- Anxiety - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/anxiety.html
- Mental Health and Behavior - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mentalhealthandbehavior.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Panic Disorder is the National Institute of Mental Health - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
Panic Disorder - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/panicdisorder.html