Panic Disorder

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF A PANIC ATTACK?

As described above, the symptoms of a panic attack appear suddenly, without any apparent cause. They may include:

• Racing or pounding heartbeat
• Chest pains
• Dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea
• Difficulty breathing
• Tingling or numbness in the hands
• Flushes or chills
• Dreamlike sensations or perceptual distortions
• Terror—a sense that something unimaginably horrible is about to occur and one is powerless to prevent it
• Fear of losing control and doing something embarrassing
• Fear of dying

A panic attack typically lasts for several minutes and is one of the most distressing conditions that a person can experience. Most who have one attack will have others. When someone has repeated attacks, or feels severe anxiety about having another attack, he or she is said to have panic disorder.

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