A Study Finds that Panic attacks do not Cause PTSD

Research suggests that panic attacks do not significantly increase the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The general belief has been that panic and stress at the time of an incident is a large factor in the development of PTSD. This research shows that other factors are stronger indicators, including depression before the event, emotional support and self esteem.

The study used the 9/11 plane crashes at the World Trade Center as the traumatic events and looked at panic attacks among people who experienced the event first-hand. Panic attacks are characterized by irregular or pounding heartbeat, shortness of breath, chills, hot flashes or sweating, shaking, and losing sense of reality. Panic attacks occur among roughly 10 percent of Americans, but those involved in traumatic events have a much higher rate of panic attacks.

The researchers found that most panic attacks where among 30-44 year olds, Hispanics had higher occurrence of panic attacks than other ethic groups, those with higher levels of education had lower occurrences of panic, and 30% experiencing panic attacks after the event had depression before it.

Overall the study suggests that panic during a traumatic event is just one of many factors that raise the risk of developing PTSD. Therefore, anyone experiencing a traumatic event should seek immediate counseling to avoid developing mental health issues like PTSD.







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