Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by a negative interpretation or appraisal of uncomfortable physical sensations such as heart beating fast, hyperventilation, hot flushes, shaky legs, to name a few of them.”
People often feel as if they are losing control of that situation and may think that they’re going crazy,having a heart attack, or are going to die. Physical symptoms may include: a fast heartbeat, chest or stomach pain, breathing difficulty, weakness or dizziness, sweating, feeling hot or a cold chill, tingly or numb hands.
When experiencing a panic attack, it is not uncommon for individuals to go to the Emergency Room to seek medical help, only to be told that there is no medical concern.
As a result, you may develop a fear of experiencing another panic attack in other situations, so you start avoiding places that are similar to the one in which you had an attack.
You may also change behaviors to avoid having a panic attack such as avoiding things that raise your heart race, or make you sweat.
Let’s think for a moment of Peter who avoids going to the grocery store near his house due to fear of experiencing another panic attack like he did 4 months ago. He will drive across town to go to a different store to try and ensure he does not have another panic attack. When going to other places, Peter will take alternate routes to avoid driving past the grocery store where he once had a panic attack. When having a panic attack, Peter becomes warm and sweaty, his heart races and his mind tells him things like: “It feels like I am going to die”, “ I have to get away from here”, “am I going crazy?”
