Symptoms of Panic Disorder

With panic disorder, a person has sudden bursts of fear for no reason. Physical symptoms can also happen: Research suggests that symptoms can become worse when a person is under stress. Symptoms include:

• Chest pain or pressure.

• Racing or pounding heart, or skipping heartbeats.

• Difficulty breathing, catching your breath, or a choking feeling.

• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded.

• Sweating a lot.

• Chills or hot flashes.

• Stomach problems, nausea, or feeling like you need to throw up.

• Shaking, trembling, or feeling tingling in parts of your body.

• Feeling out of control.

• Feeling unreal, or detached from your body.

• Fear of death or going crazy.

When a person has a panic attack they can:

• Have the urge to run away, or feel a need to escape.

• Think that something awful might happen like death, heart attack, not being able to breathe, losing control, or becoming embarrassed.

• Worry a lot that the attack will happen again. This may cause a person to avoid places or situations they may have triggered the attack (like an elevator or crowded amusement park).

Panic disorder is not the same as everyday anxiety. This disorder usually doesn't go away by itself. But, with proper treatment, a person with this illness can be helped. If it is not treated, the illness can take over a person's life and affect relationships and work. A person can also become very depressed without treatment, turning to alcohol and drugs for relief.