When referring to panic disorder, it is important to distinguish it from the usual low to moderate anxiety and fear, that most people experience under stressful situations.

The main feature of panic disorder is sudden, recurrent anxiety attacks that occur over a long period of time (1 month or more). During this time the individual usually remains anxious and afraid of having another panic attack.

thermore, the person feels that he/she is suffering from some kind of heart disease while his/her fear of losing his/her mind is also intense. The changes observed in his/her behavior due to the crises are also frequent (resigning from his/her job, not attending classes, withdrawing from groups, etc).

Panic attacks are usually sudden and last from 5-30 minutes and their frequency varies (daily, weekly, a few times a year).

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is commonly used to treat panic disorder. CBT teaches you different ways of thinking, behaving and reacting to the emotions that occur during or before a panic attack. Attacks can become less frequent, less intense, last longer, and even stop once you learn to react differently to the physical sensations of anxiety and fear during a panic attack.