PANIC ATTACKS

A panic attack is characterized by the abrupt onset of apprehension or fear, accompanied by symptoms such as dyspnea, palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, sweating, the feeling of going mad or the fear of dying. The feeling of anxiety often recedes into the background and such patients present to nonpsychiatric physicians with mainly somatic symptoms. The consequences of frequent panic attacks, named panic disorder, are agoraphobia with impairment of psychic and social functioning, increased prevalence of alcohol abuse, depression and, in particular, suicidal attempts. It is of the utmost importance that physicians recognize the somatic symptoms of panic anxiety and plan integrated treatment. The main therapeutic resources at present include antidepressants, selected benzodiazepines and behavioral treatments and are very successful in improving panic attacks and their consequences, which may long go undiagnosed.