People suffering from panic disorder experience frequent panic attacks and worry about finding themselves in situations where they risk having another panic attack. This may cause you to start avoiding certain places and situations in an attempt to avoid having panic attacks. If you have panic disorder, help and support are available to improve your wellbeing.
When anxiety comes on suddenly and is felt both physically and strongly, this is called a panic attack. Some people have panic attacks when they feel stressed or have anxiety while other people have attacks out of nowhere.
You may experience palpitations, dizziness, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, tingling or numbness in your body and nausea, and you may even feel either hot or cold. Feelings of disconnection from reality and being in a bubble are also common. A panic attack often lasts for a few minutes and then passes. Although the experience can be extremely unpleasant, panic attacks aren’t dangerous.
During a panic attack, it’s common to be convinced that some serious physical illness is unfolding – because the anxiety manifests itself that strongly in the body. However, these physical reactions are the result of your nervous system reacting to a situation you perceive to be a threat. In turn, the fear that something is seriously wrong amplifies your body’s reaction.
Panic attacks are especially common in situations where you feel trapped and unable to escape or withdraw. This could be, say, while in a queue or sitting on a train or a bus.
If you have frequent panic attacks, it may be a case of panic disorder. Having the odd panic attack doesn’t mean that you have panic disorder.
If you have panic disorder, your fear of panic attacks is so strong that it affects your daily life. The fear of having a panic attack is known as anticipatory anxiety. The more anticipatory anxiety you have, the more it can affect and limit your life.
For example, you may start avoiding crowds and not take the metro or bus for fear of ending up somewhere you can’t easily get out of. It’s also common to start avoiding things that produce similar bodily reactions to a panic attack. You may, for example, stop exercising because you don’t want to raise your pulse.
While avoiding difficult situations may offer short-term relief, in the longer term it worsens your anxiety. The more space you give your anxiety, the less room you have to live the life you actually want to live.
If your anxiety is limiting and governing your life, don’t hesitate to seek help. This also applies if you self-medicate with alcohol or sedatives to cope with everyday situations.
There are many things you can do to improve your wellbeing, and the first step is to seek help. If you don’t know where to seek help, you can find local healthcare centres at 1177.se. If you find it difficult to contact healthcare services, ask someone close to you to do so for you.
Treatment can help improve your wellbeing. It’s common to be treated with medication alongside CBT, a form of short-term therapy that you can receive as either face-to-face talking therapy or online treatment. Treatment involves learning to manage your anxiety so that it doesn’t affect or limit your life.
Reviewed by: Jacqueline Levi, registered psychologist at Psykologpartners.
Last edited 2024-02-13