Mental health articles

‘Panic disorder’ is the term given for an attack of severe anxiety and fear that

envelops the person at any time without any cause or stimulus. The person could be carrying on with their daily activities when, suddenly, they can develop an overwhelming sense of panic for no apparent reason. Theperson may feel as if they are losing control of their life and sometimes may feel as if they are experiencing a heart attack. They experience feelings such as palpitations,

sweating, chest tightness and/or pain, trembling, dizziness, increased breathing, as if the autonomic nervous system has reacted spontaneously to a stressful situation but in the absence of any stressful situation. This could last for a matter of minutes but may be prolonged for much longer .

At other times, the person may experience situational panic disorder, especially when they find themselves in a place or situation when attacks have happened previously. Panic disorder is more prevalent in females but can also be a part of the presentation in phobias or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Tags: disorder, Panic Disorder