He said an early diagnosis would have prevented years of hell. Women are about three times more at risk than men. The attack can last from a few minutes to more than 20 minutes. Some patients have attacks several times a day. Some patients self treat with alcohol or sedatives.
Researchers believe there's a genetic component to panic disorder.
Studies show anxiety disorders in general are five times as common in identical twins as nonidentical twins. While the approval of Paxil for panic disorder may heighten awareness about this psychiatric problem, it probably won't noticeably change physician prescribing habits, said Dr. Richard Swinson, head of the anxiety disorder program at The Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, and professor of psychiatry, University of Toronto. Most of his patients recover with only cognitive behavior treatments instead of medication therapy. Pharmaceuticals, such as SSRIs, are prescribed only when a patient suffers from depression as well as panic disorder, or when behavior therapy has failed or been refused by the patients, Dr. Swinson said.