Panic disorder is often a chronic, relapsing illness, meaning panic attacks can keep happening for a long time. For many people, it gets better at some times and worse at others. If a person gets treatment and appears to have largely overcome the problem, it can still worsen later for no apparent reason. These recurrences should not cause a person to despair or consider himself or herself a "treatment failure." Recurrences can be treated effectively, just like an initial episode. In fact, the skills that a person learns in dealing with the initial episode can be helpful in coping with any setbacks. Many people who have overcome panic disorder once or a few times find that, although they still have an occasional panic attack, they are now much better able to deal with the problem. Even though it is not fully cured, it no longer dominates their lives, or the lives of those around them. Before undergoing any treatment for panic disorder, you should undergo a thorough medical examination to rule out other possible causes of the distressing symptoms. This is necessary because a number of other conditions, such as excessive levels of thyroid hormone, certain types of epilepsy, or cardiac arrhythmias, which are disturbances in the rhythm of the heartbeat, can cause symptoms resembling those of panic disorder. In this section, you can find information on different treatments available, choosing the treatment that is right for you, and how to become active in your journey to overcome your panic disorder. Please click on the links below to find more information:
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