Conditions we treat
Panic Disorder
A panic attack feels like dying — even though it isn’t. Understanding that your brain is misfiring, not your body failing, is the beginning of taking back control.
What is panic disorder?
Panic disorder is characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks — sudden surges of intense fear accompanied by dramatic physical symptoms — along with persistent worry about having more attacks or changes in behavior to avoid them. It’s one of the most distressing but also one of the most treatable anxiety conditions.
At The Psychiatric Center, we treat panic disorder alongside related conditions like generalized anxiety, agoraphobia (fear of situations where escape feels hard), health anxiety, and PTSD. We also commonly evaluate for the medical conditions that can mimic panic — thyroid issues, cardiac arrhythmias, vestibular disorders — to make sure we’re treating the right thing.
People often describe their first panic attack as the moment they thought they were dying. Many end up in the ER before understanding what’s happening. Learning that panic is your nervous system’s alarm going off at the wrong time — not a medical emergency — is often the first step toward calm.
How panic disorder can present
During a panic attack
Sudden, intense fear that peaks within minutes. Racing heart or palpitations, chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling, sweating, tingling, nausea, feelings of unreality or detachment. A sense of impending doom or fear of dying. Attacks usually last 10–20 minutes but feel much longer.
Between attacks
Persistent worry about having another attack — sometimes called “fear of fear.” Avoiding places or situations where attacks have happened. Changes in behavior aimed at preventing panic (carrying medication, avoiding driving, staying close to home) that can shrink your world over time.
The avoidance spiral
Left untreated, panic disorder often leads to agoraphobia — avoiding situations where escape feels difficult or help unavailable. Stores, bridges, elevators, public transit, being alone. The avoidance itself becomes the disability, more than the panic.
Quick facts
- Affects 2–3% of US adults each year
- Peak onset is late teens to mid-30s
- Panic attacks typically peak in 10 minutes
- Highly responsive to therapy and medication
Related conditions
Our approach
How we treat panic disorder
01
Understand
We rule out medical causes that can mimic panic, evaluate triggers and patterns, and look for co-occurring conditions like depression or PTSD. Understanding what fuels the attacks shapes what we recommend.
02
Build a plan
Treatment combines cognitive-behavioral therapy (particularly exposure-based approaches), sometimes medication (SSRIs or, short-term, anxiolytics), and skills to interrupt the panic cycle. CBT has some of the strongest evidence of any anxiety treatment.
03
Support you
We help you gradually rebuild the places and activities panic has taken from you — without pushing faster than your nervous system can follow. Recovery is real, and it’s measured in the world getting bigger again.
Common questions
Frequently asked
Can a panic attack hurt me physically?
No. Panic attacks are frightening but not physically dangerous — your nervous system is misfiring, not failing. The symptoms peak and pass. Understanding this, deeply, is a large part of recovery.
Why do I have attacks for no reason?
Panic attacks often feel like they come out of nowhere, but there are usually subtle triggers — a thought, a physical sensation, a situation reminiscent of past panic. Therapy helps identify these patterns so they lose their power.
Will I be on medication forever?
Not necessarily. Many people use medication temporarily while therapy takes hold, then taper off with guidance. Others benefit from longer-term medication. We’ll talk through what fits your situation.
Why does therapy work better than just avoiding triggers?
Avoidance teaches your brain that the feared situation is genuinely dangerous, which makes panic worse over time. Therapy helps your nervous system learn — at its own pace — that the situation is safe. That’s what creates lasting change.
You can take back your life
Call us to schedule an evaluation. Most new patients are seen within one to two weeks.