13 Things You

7)

Many Americans experience

panic attacks and don't even know

Might Not Have

Known About Panic

it because it easily can go

undiagnosed.
8)

Panic disorder is one of the

Disorder

most easily treated anxiety

1)

9)

Panic disorder is a serious

disorders.
Agoraphobia can develop

mental disorder that can have

when someone suffering from

debilitating effects on a person's

panic attacks becomes so afraid of

life.

triggering an episode that they

2)

Having panic disorder does

can't leave their house.

not make someone weak minded.

10)

3)

attack feeling like a heart attack.

The person afflicted is not

Many describe a panic

faking a mental illness for

11)

attention.

emergency rooms because they

4)

don't have any idea as to what is

Often someone experiencing

Most first time-ers end up in

panic attacks is embarrassed and

happening and believe their life to

ashamed about what they are

be in danger.

going through.

12)

5)

by stress and other negative life

The person cannot control

Attacks can be brought on

when or where they have a panic

conditions or they can arise

attack.

without any apparent cause.

6)

13)

4 million Americans (5% of

People who experience

the adult population) live with

panic and agoraphobia are not

reoccurring panic attacks.

crazy and can lead a normal life

with proper treatment.

Panic Disorder 101

Symptoms of Panic Disorder:
Panic disorder is when debilitating

anxiety and fear emerge often and

without a logical cause. It can be

attacks of fear

characterized by frequent and

recurring panic attacks.

Sudden and repeated

A feeling of being out of

control during a panic attack

An intense worry about

when the next attack will

Common Symptoms of a Panic

Attack Include:

A fear or avoidance of
places where panic attacks

heartbeat

have occurred in the past

dizziness and

inability to catch one's

breath

a racing or thundering

lightheadedness

happen

chest pains or a pressure in

the chest

tingling in the extremities

hot or cold flashes

jumpiness, trembling,
twitching muscles

sweaty palms, flushed face

terror

a fear of losing control, a

stroke or heart attack, dying,
and going crazy

General symptoms of a
panic attack

An attack usually lasts several

activities, like grocery shopping or

minutes long and is extremely

driving, in the hopes of keeping

distressing. In some instances, a

attacks at bay. This can leave a

panic attack can last for longer

persons life severely debilitated.

amounts of time or many could

occur in rapid succession. The

Panic disorder is one of the most

aftermath of the panic attack is

treatable anxiety disorders.

often considered to be even worse

Treatment includes psychotherapy

than the attack itself. Confusion,

or medication, sometimes both.

depression, helplessness and self-

Cognitive behavior therapy is

pity closely follow an episode. The

exceptionally useful for treating

greatest fear of someone with

panic disorder. It teaches the

chronic attacks is that they will

patient new ways of thinking,

keep coming back.

behaving, and reacting to

situations. This helps them to feel

Panic attacks can happen

less anxious and fearful in their

anywhere without warning. The

day to day life. Medication is also

constant fear of an unexpected

used to aid in controlling panic

attack can sometimes cause those

attacks. Most commonly

suffering to withdraw into safe

prescribed are antianxiety and

zone, probably their homes. This

antidepressant medication for

is called agoraphobia and can

panic disorder.

usually be prevented with the

prompt treatment of ones panic
disorder. Someone who has
progressed to agoraphobia will
avoid even the most mundane

Laughter

The Best Medicine

Edvard Munchs

that particular walk, suffered an

episode.

Inspiration for The

He communicated perfectly what

Scream

is felt during a panic attack in his

I was walking along a road one

swirling in confusion and the look

evening on one side lay the city,

of absolute terror on the figures

and below me was the fjord. The

face make the viewer feel a little of

sun went down the clouds were

what Edvard did that day.

stained red, as if with blood. I felt

as though the whole of nature was
screaming it seemed as though I
could hear a scream. - Edvard
Munch

This quote from Edvard Munchs

journal is said to describe the
incident from which he drew his
inspiration for his famous and
beloved work of art, The Scream.
Many speculate over what must
have been going on in the brain of
this great artist. Some say he was
afflicted with panic disorder and on

work of art. The blood red sky

Quotable Quotes

were once unspeakable, still

remains largely silent when it

"At the root of this dilemna is the

comes to mental illness. ~ Glenn

way we view mental health in this

Close

country. Whether an illness affects

your heart, your leg or your brain,
it's still an illness and there should
be no distinction." ~ Michelle
Obama

You are not your illness. You

have an individual story to tell.
You have a name, a history, a
personality. Staying yourself is
part of the battle. ~ Julian Seifer

I think its really important to destigmatize mental illness in any

form. Everybody is going through
something, everybody has had
something that theyve had to

Mental illness is not thing to be

ashamed of, but stigma and bias
shame us all. ~ Bill Clinton

overcome. ~ Mary Lambert

What mental health needs is
Its not a weakness. Its not a
short coming. Its not something
people brought on themselves ~
John F. Greden

It is an odd paradox that a

society, which can now openly and
unabashedly about topics that

more sunlight, more candor, more

unashamed conversation about
illnesses that affect not only
individuals, but their families as
well. ~ Glenn Close

Works Cited
Holmes, Lindsay. "11 Quotes That Perfectly Sum Up The Stigma Surrounding
Mental Illness." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web.
"Panic Disorder." NIMH RSS. N.p., n.d. Web.
Paulson, Dr. Noelle. "Munch, The Scream." Khan Academy. N.p., n.d. Web.
Richards, Thomas A., Ph.D. "Basic Facts About Panic Attacks." The Anxiety
Network. N.p., n.d. Web.