Halloween is Here: Everybody PANIC (Disorder)!

It’s Halloween and the middle of the season of ghosts and ghouls, witches and monsters under the bed! For some, that’s where it stops, with the candy and the trick-or-treating, with the fun. But for others, there is more to fear. On this spooky day, I want to talk about Panic Disorder. At its core, panic disorder is defined by having experienced more than one panic attack within the last month. Many people have heard of or know someone who struggles with panic attacks, but what does that really mean? A panic attack is when a person experiences a sudden surge of intense fear or intense discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes and during which they experience four or more of the following symptoms:

• palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate

• Sweating

• Trembling or shaking

• Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering

• Feeling of choking

• Chest pain or discomfort

• Nausea or abdominal distress

• Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint

• Derealization (feeling like things aren’t real) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)

• Fear of losing control or “going crazy”

• Fear of dying

• Numbness or tingling sensation

• Chills or heat sensations

People with panic disorder experience persistent concern about having another panic attack or the consequences that come from having another attack. For example, a person might have a panic attack prior to a big work presentation and then fear that they will have another during a key moment at work. In addition, a person with panic disorder will make significant ineffective or unhealthy changes to their behavior related to the attacks, possibly to avoid experiencing them or the consequences of them. Maybe the person with panic attacks around work presentations moves into a new, lower paying job to make sure they won’t have to give presentations.

If you’re a person with Panic Disorder, there is hope! Therapy and/or medication can help you to cope and reduce panic attacks, allowing you to live your life and meet your goals. For Panic Disorder, I usually recommend Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure and Response Prevention. CBT aims to change unhealthy thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that keep a person stuck, usually leading to the person avoiding possible triggers to their panic attacks. Similarly, ERP seeks to support the person in seeking out exposures to their triggers within the safety of therapy to gradually reduce anxiety and avoidance. One thing is certain, like Halloween, this spooky, fear-filled season doesn’t have to last! Give me a call, and we can get started on reducing your panic attacks today.

American Psychiatric Association, issuing body. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders : DSM-5-TR (5th edition, text revision.). American Psychiatric Association Publishing.