What Are the Current Treatments for Panic Disorder?
We asked Mark H. Pollack, M.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, and Director of the Anxiety Disorders Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. The chief symptom of panic disorder is repeated bouts of intense fear or anxiety that come on suddenly and peak within 10 minutes. The episodes are accompanied by symptoms of physiological arousal a racing heart, heavy breathing, and an urge to flee. Patients often say that it is the most distressing experience they have ever had. One common result is anticipatory anxiety intense fear of further attacks or concern about the implications of the symptoms. Many patients also develop agoraphobia, a tendency to avoid situations in which they have suffered panic attacks and eventually any situation, such as traffic or a crowded room, in which help might be unavailable or escape difficult in the event of an attack. Panic disorder is common, affecting 3% to 4% of Americans (two-thirds to three-quarters of them wo
