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August 07, 2008
Panic disorder may affect six million adults, NIMH estimates
The Albany Democrat-Herald /Chicago Tribune (7/26, Pallant) reported, "Panic disorder affects about six million American adults, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and is twice as common in women as it is in men."
The American Psychiatric Association defines "a panic attack as a sudden, intense episode of fear or discomfort where there is no real danger. A panic attack will reach a peak within 10 minutes," and is "accompanied by at least four of the following symptoms: palpitations or accelerated heart rate; sweating; trembling or shaking; sensations of shortness of breath or smothering; feeling of choking; chest pain or discomfort; nausea or abdominal distress; feeling dizzy, unsteady, or faint; feelings of unreality or being detached from oneself; fear of losing control, or going crazy; fear of dying; numbness or tingling sensations," and "chills or hot flushes."
The Tribune pointed out that "[p]anic attacks become panic disorder when the symptoms aren't ignored, and the fear of the next attack is so overwhelming that it becomes life-altering."
Related Links:
- "Panic attacks: Those overwhelming feelings of fear are biological false alarms," Susan Kutchin Pallant, Chicago Tribune, July 20, 2008.
Posted by admin at August 7, 2008 03:06 AM