![\"A](\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/902\/2015\/02\/23225111\/CNX_Psych_15_04_Panic.jpg\")
Figure 1<\/strong>. Some of the physical manifestations of a panic attack are shown. People may also experience sweating, trembling, feelings of faintness, or a fear of losing control, among other symptoms.[\/caption]\r\n<\/figure>\r\npanic disorder and panic attacks<\/h3>\r\n
Panic disorder<\/b> involves:<\/span><\/p>\r\n recurrent, unexpected panic attacks<\/b>, <\/span>and<\/b><\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t at least 1 month<\/b><\/span> of persistent concern about having more attacks, worry about their consequences, and\/or behavior changes meant to avoid attacks (e.g., avoiding exercise, unfamiliar places).\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n A panic attack<\/b><\/span> is an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort that peaks within minutes<\/b><\/span> and includes physical and cognitive symptoms such as racing heart, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, dizziness, chills\/hot flashes, nausea, and fears of losing control or dying. Because panic attacks can mimic medical emergencies (especially heart-related symptoms), they sometimes lead to urgent care or ER visits\u2014particularly the first time they happen.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n Panic attacks themselves are not mental disorders. Indeed, around 23% of Americans experience isolated panic attacks in their lives without meeting the criteria for panic disorder (Kessler et al., 2006), indicating that panic attacks are fairly common.<\/p>\r\n According to the most recent nationally representative diagnostic survey (NCS-R, 2001-2003), approximately 2.7% of U.S. adults experience panic disorder in any given year, with a lifetime prevalence of 4.7% Researchers are not entirely sure what causes panic disorder. Children are at a higher risk of developing panic disorder if their parents have the disorder (Biederman et al., 2001), and family and twins studies indicate that the heritability of panic disorder is around 43% (Hettema, Neale, & Kendler, 2001). The exact genes and gene functions involved in this disorder, however, are not well-understood.<\/p>\r\n Neurobiological theories of panic disorder suggest that a region of the brain called the locus coeruleus may play a role in this disorder. Located in the brainstem, the locus coeruleus<\/strong> is the brain\u2019s major source of norepinephrine<\/strong>, a neurotransmitter that triggers the body\u2019s fight-or-flight response. Activation of the locus coeruleus is associated with anxiety and fear, and research with nonhuman primates has shown that stimulating the locus coeruleus either electrically or through drugs produces panic-like symptoms (Charney et al., 1990). Such findings have led to the theory that panic disorder may be caused by abnormal norepinephrine activity in the locus coeruleus (Bremner, Krystal, Southwick, & Charney, 1996).<\/p>\r\n Conditioning theories of panic disorder propose that panic attacks are classical conditioning<\/strong> responses to subtle bodily sensations resembling those normally occurring when one is anxious or frightened (Bouton, Mineka, & Barlow, 2001).<\/p>\r\n For example, consider a child who has asthma. An acute asthma attack produces sensations, such as shortness of breath, coughing, and chest tightness, that typically elicit fear and anxiety. Later, when the child experiences subtle symptoms that resemble the frightening symptoms of earlier asthma attacks (such as shortness of breath after climbing stairs), he may become anxious, fearful, and then experience a panic attack. In this situation, the subtle symptoms would represent a conditioned stimulus, and the panic attack would be a conditioned response. The finding that panic disorder is nearly three times as frequent among people with asthma as it is among people without asthma (Weiser, 2007) supports the possibility that panic disorder has the potential to develop through classical conditioning.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n Cognitive models emphasize catastrophic misinterpretation<\/b><\/span> of normal bodily sensations (e.g., \u201cMy heart is racing\u2014this must be a heart attack\u201d), which increases fear, intensifies symptoms, and can spiral into a full panic attack.<\/p>\r\n Imagine you\u2019re our with friends and\u2014suddenly, with no obvious trigger\u2014you begin sweating and trembling. Your heart pounds, your breathing feels shallow, and you feel dizzy and nauseous. For several minutes, it can feel like something catastrophic<\/i> is happening (like dying or \u201cgoing crazy\u201d). This kind of episode is called a panic attack<\/b><\/span>.<\/p>\n Panic disorder<\/b> involves:<\/span><\/p>\n recurrent, unexpected panic attacks<\/b>, <\/span>and<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n<\/li>\n at least 1 month<\/b><\/span> of persistent concern about having more attacks, worry about their consequences, and\/or behavior changes meant to avoid attacks (e.g., avoiding exercise, unfamiliar places).\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n A panic attack<\/b><\/span> is an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort that peaks within minutes<\/b><\/span> and includes physical and cognitive symptoms such as racing heart, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, dizziness, chills\/hot flashes, nausea, and fears of losing control or dying.<\/p>\n Because panic attacks can mimic medical emergencies (especially heart-related symptoms), they sometimes lead to urgent care or ER visits\u2014particularly the first time they happen.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Panic attacks themselves are not mental disorders. Indeed, around 23% of Americans experience isolated panic attacks in their lives without meeting the criteria for panic disorder (Kessler et al., 2006), indicating that panic attacks are fairly common.<\/p>\n According to the most recent nationally representative diagnostic survey (NCS-R, 2001-2003), approximately 2.7% of U.S. adults experience panic disorder in any given year, with a lifetime prevalence of 4.7%<\/p>\n Many people with panic disorder also experience agoraphobia (avoidance of situations where escape\/help might be difficult if panic symptoms occur), and panic disorder often co-occurs with other anxiety disorders or major depressive disorder.\u00a0<\/p>\n\r\n\t
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\r\n<\/p>\r\nHow common is panic disorder?<\/h3>\r\n
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\r\nMany people with panic disorder also experience agoraphobia (avoidance of situations where escape\/help might be difficult if panic symptoms occur), and panic disorder often co-occurs with other anxiety disorders or major depressive disorder.\u00a0<\/p>\r\nCauses of Panic Disorder<\/h2>\r\n
Genetic Causes<\/h3>\r\n
Biological Causes<\/h3>\r\n
Conditioning<\/h3>\r\n
Cognitive Factors<\/h3>\r\n
Panic Disorder<\/h2>\n
panic disorder and panic attacks<\/h3>\n
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How common is panic disorder?<\/h3>\n