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Panic disorder is a serious condition that is characterized by the occurrence of panic
attacks, in which a sudden surge of overwhelming fear comes without warning and
without any obvious reason. This disorder may cause lack of sleep and paranoia to the
point that the consumer does not want to go certain places or leave his home at all.
Panic attacks suffered by those with panic disorder may include symptoms such as heart palpitations, chest pain or discomfort, sweating, trembling, tingling sensations, a feeling of choking, a fear of dying, dizziness, fear of losing control, feelings of unreality, or feeling like one is going to die. Symptoms of a panic attack mirror the normal human response to danger, but during a panic attack, these symptoms seem to rise from seemingly harmless situations--they can even occur during sleep. A panic attack is different from normal feelings of being "stressed out," in that it occurs suddenly, without any warning and without any way to stop it, and that the level of fear is way out of proportion to the actual situation. A panic attack is not dangerous, but it can be terrifying, largely sufferers feel they are not fully in control of their actions or emotions. Panic disorder is frightening because it often leads to other complications such as phobias, depression, substance abuse, medical complications, and even suicide. Ironically, people with panic disorder often develop additional phobias that come from fear of the panic attack itself. In these cases, people will avoid certain objects or situations because they fear that these things will trigger another attack. Around one out of every 75 people might experience this strong form of anxiety in their lifetime. Panic disorder usually appears during the teens or early adulthood, and while the exact causes are unclear, there does seem to be a connection with major life transitions that are potentially stressful: graduating from college, getting married, having a first child, and so on. There is also some evidence that a predisposition to this condition may be hereditary; if a family member has suffered from panic disorder, you have an increased risk of suffering from it yourself, especially during a time in your life that is particularly stressful. |
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