Treating Panic Disorder
Panic disorder involves recurrent, unexpected panic attacks: sudden episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness, and a feeling of losing control. Between attacks, the fear of having another one can become its own problem, leading to avoidance of situations, places, or activities where an attack might occur.
Many patients arrive having already been to an emergency room or urgent care, convinced they were having a heart attack or a medical crisis. Others have been managing panic quietly for years, rearranging their lives around it. In both cases, treatment starts with an accurate diagnosis and a clear plan.
We treat panic disorder in adults, children, and adolescents.
How We Evaluate Panic Disorder
Every patient at Everhealth begins with a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation. The core process is the same for every condition: a clinical interview, validated assessments completed before your visit, a review of your personal and family history, and a collaborative discussion about findings and next steps.
For panic disorder specifically, the evaluation focuses on the frequency and nature of panic attacks, what triggers them (if anything identifiable), the avoidance patterns that have developed in response, and the important task of differentiating panic disorder from other anxiety disorders or medical conditions that can produce similar symptoms.
Your pre-visit assessments are tailored based on what you share in your intake. If panic or anxiety is a concern, you will receive screening tools designed to help your provider assess the pattern and severity of your symptoms.
How We Treat Panic Disorder
Treatment for panic disorder targets both the attacks themselves and the anticipatory anxiety and avoidance that often develop around them.
Medication Management
Medication can be effective in reducing the frequency and intensity of panic attacks. Your provider will discuss options based on your symptoms and history. Some medications work quickly to manage acute episodes, while others are taken consistently to prevent attacks over time. Your provider will explain the role of each and set clear expectations about what medication can and cannot do.
Psychoeducation
Understanding what a panic attack actually is, physiologically, can be one of the most powerful parts of treatment. Your provider helps you understand why your body responds the way it does, why the symptoms feel so alarming, and why the attacks are not dangerous despite feeling that way. This knowledge does not eliminate panic, but it changes your relationship to it.
Lifestyle and Coping Strategies
For panic disorder, specific strategies matter. Your provider works with you on breathing techniques, grounding exercises, sleep habits, and approaches to gradually re-engaging with situations you have been avoiding. Caffeine, sleep deprivation, and other lifestyle factors that can lower the threshold for attacks are discussed as well.
Ongoing Monitoring
Panic disorder can improve significantly with treatment, but monitoring is important. Follow-up visits track your progress, assess whether attacks are decreasing in frequency and intensity, and adjust the plan as needed.
Coordination of Care
When therapy would benefit your treatment, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for panic, we help coordinate that. We do not provide standalone psychotherapy, but we recommend the type of therapy most appropriate for your situation, point you toward resources to find a therapist, and provide referrals when needed. If you already have a therapist, we coordinate care with them directly.
Who We Treat
In addition to adults, we treat panic disorder in the following age groups, each of which requires a tailored approach.
Children and Adolescents
Panic disorder in children and adolescents can affect school attendance, social participation, and overall functioning. Evaluation includes developmental context and, where appropriate, input from parents or guardians.
Learn more about care for children and adolescents →Not Sure Where You Stand?
The GAD-7 is a validated screening tool that measures generalized anxiety symptoms. While it is not specific to panic disorder, elevated scores can indicate the need for a clinical evaluation. It is not a diagnosis, and only a qualified provider can make a clinical determination.
Take the GAD-7 Anxiety Screening →If your results concern you, we are here to help.
Common Questions
Panic attacks feel alarming, but they are not physically dangerous. The symptoms, including rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and dizziness, are the body's fight-or-flight response activating inappropriately. Understanding this is an important part of treatment.
Panic disorder is characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks and ongoing worry about having another one. Generalized anxiety tends to be a persistent, low-level worry rather than sudden intense episodes. The evaluation process helps clarify which you are dealing with.
Medication can significantly reduce the frequency and intensity of panic attacks for many patients. Some patients experience a substantial decrease within weeks of starting treatment. Your provider will set realistic expectations based on your specific situation.
We do not provide standalone psychotherapy. When therapy, particularly CBT for panic, would benefit your treatment, we recommend the appropriate type of therapy, point you toward resources to find a therapist, and provide referrals when needed. If you already have a therapist, we coordinate care with them directly.
Avoidance is one of the most common responses to panic disorder, and it is also one of the things that keeps the condition going. Treatment addresses avoidance directly, and coordination with a therapist can support the process of gradually re-engaging with avoided situations.
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If panic attacks are affecting your daily life, the first step is a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation. It is where we determine what is going on and build a plan to help you regain control.