Panic Disorders – What

Are They?

Panic disorders are a particular sub-set of the broad group of problems that psychiastrists refer to as anxiety disorders.

Having a panic attack is bad enough. With a panic disorder, panic attacks are a recurring problem with other symptoms that make the situation even worse.

The official guide to psychiatric diagnosis is called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM for short). It’s a rather lengthy tome that’s getting longer all the time. It seems that almost every quirk of human behavior is getting a psychiatric diagnosis.

According to the DSM, a person has a panic disorder if they have recurrent panic attacks followed by at least a month of one or more of these symptoms:

• Fear that the attacks may return
• Concern about the meaning of the attacks (e.g. “I’m going crazy” or “I’m having a heart attack”)
• A change in behavior because of the attacks, such as avoiding crowds or staying home more often.

If you want to review the DSM definition of a panic attack, I have it on the What Are Panic Attacks page.

Another requirement for the diagnosis of panic disorder is that there is no other explanation for the episodes of panic.

Physical causes might be substance abuse, cardiac disease or hyperthyroidism.

Psychological causes could include a specific phobia, like fear of heights, or syndromes such as post traumatic stress disorder.

As you can see, a panic disorder represents a much more severe effect on a persons life than the effects of the attack alone. Even when they’re not having an episode, their life is negatively affected.

If not treated, they can begin a downward spiral. That’s why it’s especially important to get help.

I was lucky in that I was probably just starting to develop a panic disorder when I was able to cure myself.

Here's a great course that helped thousands of people:

Panic Away