Since no external danger can be found, the panic sufferer begins to listen to what their body is telling them. My heart is racing. Maybe it's a heart attack. My body is going numb. I must be dying.
Panic disorder is more common among women than men.
For every eight women diagnosed with this disorder, only one man will have it. According to the NMHI, panic and anxiety disorders are the leading mental health problem in women. For men, it is second only to drug and alcohol abuse. For years, I visited doctors in hopes of finding out what my problem was. Each doctor I saw could find nothing wrong with me.