Panic Attacks
Know the Symptoms

The sudden rush of a racing heartbeat, accompanied by chest pains, and a sense of unexplained and overwhelming terror are marks of a condition most of its sufferers find difficult to define. Panic disorder, according to the National Institute for Mental Health, is a "chronic, devastating mental illness that affects between 3 and 6 million adult Americans, severely restricting and impairing work, family and social relationships." If it is properly diagnosed, however, there are effective treatments with medication or behavioral therapy, so consult your doctor if you think you may be suffering from the symptoms.

For more information, contact the National Institute for Mental Health's anxiety hotline at 1-888-8-ANXIETY. In addition, National Anxiety Disorder Screening Day was Wednesday, May 7, 1997. Call 1-888-442-2022 to find out more information about next year's event.

If you think you've experienced an attack, use this interactive checklist from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to help identify the symptoms of panic disorder. The APA describes a panic attack as: "A discrete period of intense fear or discomfort in which four (or more) of the following symptoms develop abruptly and reach a peak within 10 minutes. The attacks are often accompanied by a sense of imminent danger or impending doom and an urge to escape."