A woman may develop unhealthy coping strategies as a result of an ongoing stress response. Unhealthy coping involves avoidance behavior, self-defeating styles of thinking, and agoraphobia. These can cause a chronic fear of panic attacks themselves, and thus intensify anxiety. Panic disorder is twice as common in women as in men. Approximately 2.4 million people in the US are affected each year.
Women are more likely to seek help for panic disorder than are men.
This is because the symptoms of panic may mimic other medical conditions. Women who have experienced intense panic attacks describe them as feeling like a life-threatening event, such as a heart attack or stroke. Because panic attack symptoms can resemble serious physical problems, women should have a thorough physical exam to be sure they don't have a major heart condition or other health problems. Panic disorder differs from other anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder and social phobia because the attacks are unprovoked and involve extreme fear. Generally both medication and psychotherapy are used in the treatment of panic disorder , as well as generalized anxiety disorder and social phobia .