Is it Panic Disorder or Just Nerves?

Feelings of anxiety and panic are perfectly natural, especially when in a dangerous or stressful situation.  But for people with more frequent sense of panic or panic disorder, feelings of anxiety, stress and panic can occur at any time, usually for no obvious reason.   Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder that affects about 3.5% of the population and causes unexpected and repeated attacks. People with the disorder become afraid that they may have more attacks and fear that something bad will happen because of the panic attack like going crazy, losing control, or dying.

During a panic attack, one experiences a rush of intense mental and physical symptoms such as an overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety and nausea, sweating, trembling and a sensation that your heart is beating irregularly (palpitations).  A panic attack can be very frightening and intense, but it will not cause you any physical harm.

At least one in 10 persons experiences occasional panic attacks, which are usually triggered by a stressful event or situation. However, those with panic disorder have recurring and regular attacks, often for no apparent reason.  The number of panic attacks that you have will depends on the severity of your condition. Because panic disorder is a very unpredictable condition, it leaves those affected  feeling anxious and concerned about when their next attack will be.

What is the difference between panic attacks and panic disorder?

Panic attacks are pretty common and if you have one it doesn’t mean that you have the disorder. For example, if you are very stressed or overtired, or if you have been doing excessive exercise, you could have a panic attack. Panic attacks only become a problem if you are worried about having more attacks, or if you are afraid that something bad will happen because of a panic attack such as worry that you will faint, have a heart attack, go crazy, or even die.  It is also common for people with other anxiety disorders to have panic attacks, which is not panic disorder.  For example, people with a phobia of dogs might have a panic attack whenever they are near a dog, but in this case, the panic attack is expected, and the person is afraid of the dog, not the panic attack. In panic disorder, the panic attacks are unexpected and unpredictable.

What can I do to treat my panic disorder?

Zoloft or sertraline offers benefits for multiple conditions, including major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), panic disorder and social phobia (social anxiety disorder).  It is highly effective for panic disorder and boasts 15 years of effective treatment history.  Zoloft doesn’t cause weight gain like some other anti-depressant drugs and in 2007, sertraline was the most prescribed antidepressant on the U.S. market, with over 29 million prescriptions written.