If you often suffer from panic attacks, you may have a treatable panic disorder. A panic attack is an intense, sudden episode of fear that occurs out of the blue, lasting anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes before fading. This intense fear may even feel like a heart attack and is difficult to calm down from, impacting your sleep and other areas of functioning.
The good news is that it is possible to completely prevent panic attacks from happening—with the right treatment and support.
Concerned you have a panic disorder? A panic disorder involves recurrent panic attacks, which looks like:
Your body may be alerting your fight or flight response, helping you prepare to run or fight in the event of a life-threatening situation. It is not known why panic attacks occur when there is no danger present. However, panic disorder is likely caused by a combination of factors including genetics, stress, and temperament.
Your panic attack may be triggered by a number of risk factors, including:
Panic attacks may leave you feeling limited, debilitated, hopeless, or out of control. You may avoid work, school, and social situations. You may even be struggling with thoughts of suicide. But there is hope.
You can start enjoying life again without the constant fear of having another panic attack through effective treatment. Our specialists use a variety of methods to treat panic disorders, including cognitive behavioral therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.
If you believe that you might have a panic disorder, don’t wait to get help. You don’t have to continue to suffer. Book your first session with one of our therapists and we will help you find the right treatment for your needs. It can get better. We can help.