Panic Disorder: Understand the Causes and Learn About Panic Disorder Treatment
Some people may only have one or two panic attacks in their life. But for others, once they start, it can happen time and time again. Learn about panic disorder—what it is, what causes it, and how to treat it.
If you’ve ever experienced a panic attack, you probably know how terrifying and disorienting it can feel. You’d probably want to do anything to avoid feeling that way again.
Some people may only have one or two panic attacks in their life. But for others, once they start, it can happen time and time again. Recurring panic attacks can really take a toll on someone’s general mental state and quality of life.
In this article, we discuss panic disorder—what it is, what might cause or trigger panic attacks, and the most common and effective treatment.
What is a panic disorder?
A person may be diagnosed with panic disorder if they experience recurring panic attacks and persistently worry about having panic attacks or change their behavior to avoid situations that may trigger them.
A panic attack is a sudden and intense surge of anxiety that peaks within minutes. Panic attacks can occur seemingly randomly or can be a part of another mental health condition, like anxiety or PTSD.
Panic disorder often goes hand-in-hand with agoraphobia. This combination involves a fear of having a panic attack in a situation that is difficult to escape from or get help—like wide open spaces, enclosed spaces, public transport, or crowds. For people who experience panic disorder with agoraphobia, it can be difficult to even leave the house, and can be highly disruptive to their life.
What are the causes of panic disorder?
Panic attacks occur when the brain (consciously or not) interprets some signals, either from the environment or within the body, as something being wrong or dangerous. This sets off a sudden burst of adrenaline and an intense fight or flight response.
Some personal traits, ways of thinking, and life experiences can increase the risk of someone developing panic disorder. These things might not apply to everyone with panic disorder, but there is a higher likelihood that you may struggle with panic if you have the following:
- Being inclined to notice signals of potential danger more easily than others or interpret situations as being threatening.
- A tendency to feel uncomfortable with unfamiliar or potentially risky situations.
- A belief that the symptoms of anxiety can be harmful to your health.
- A tendency to be very aware of small changes happening within the body and being sensitive to sensations that others may take no notice of.
- A history of challenging or traumatic life experiences.
- Parents who were very protective but not emotionally warm.
- Smoking or other issues that affect the lungs, like asthma.
People are likely to first develop panic disorder after a stressful life event, like a health scare, family problems, etc. Panic attack causes can also relate to other mental health conditions—for example, a person who struggles with social anxiety may have panic attacks in certain social situations, or someone with PTSD may have a panic attack when faced with reminders of the traumatic event.
Other panic attack triggers can include certain substances, such as caffeine or cannabis, or the rebound effects of alcohol. However, sometimes triggers are far less obvious, or even seemingly non-existent.
Very subtle changes in bodily sensations can set-off the alarm bells, even if you’re not consciously aware of it. For instance, your brain might interpret normal changes in breathing or heart rate as something being wrong, which can set-off a cycle of panic.
Once the fight or flight mode has been triggered, it’s difficult to think straight and common to think that something terrible is happening or that there is no escape. We’re likely to feel desperate for any kind of relief, and may leave the situation. But the way we think and act can sometimes cause panic attacks to get worse or keep happening.
Panic attack symptoms: What does a panic attack feel like?
It makes sense to want to avoid panic attacks, because they are truly awful. The experience can be different for different people, but common symptoms can include difficulty breathing, pounding heart, sweating, dizziness, shaking, and thoughts that you’re going crazy or having a heart attack.
Other people may experience dissociative panic attacks—this can include derealization (feeling disconnected from reality) or depersonalization (feeling disconnected from yourself).
Although panic attacks happen quickly, these symptoms often start small and build up to a peak within minutes. Gaining a deeper understanding and awareness of what panic attacks feel like for you can help you to identify your early warning signs and gain more control over what happens.
Panic disorder treatments: How can you feel better?
Dealing with panic attacks is not easy. Often, our instinct is to remove ourselves from, or totally avoid, triggering situations. We may rely on safety behaviours—things that make us feel safer in potentially triggering situations, like staying close to an exit.
The thing is, avoidance or reliance on safety behaviors further reinforces the idea that we are not safe, which makes panic attacks more likely to occur in the future. This is why getting some help to go against our instincts can help to interrupt the cycle and prevent panic attacks.
Thankfully, there are some panic disorder treatments that have been shown in research to be super effective for most people. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most common treatment. CBT can help you deepen your understanding of what is happening for you and why, change the way you think about panic attacks, and learn to master your fears without avoidance.
Exposure therapy is a key element of CBT for panic. Exposure therapy helps you to face triggers gently and gradually, or experience the sensations of panic attacks, without trying to escape them. This may sound unpleasant, but it’s an effective way to teach your brain that you are safe—panic attacks will not harm you and you’ll find that calming down from a panic attack happens naturally with time.
Repeated exposure eventually reduces the fight or flight response, and panic attacks will become less and less intense until they don’t occur at all anymore.
Another important element of CBT is the cognitive part—challenging the thoughts and beliefs that you may have about panic. It might be that, instead of thinking “I’m going to pass out” you practice thinking “I’m okay, panic attacks cannot harm me, and it will pass”, or instead of “I can’t cope with this situation” you practice thinking “this is challenging for me, but I can get through it”. It’s different for everyone, but changing our thoughts can have a profound impact on how we feel.
For panic attack treatment at home, you can practice cognitive therapy and learn other panic attack coping skills using the Mind Ease app. Try it for free today!
