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Most panic attacks last for between 5 and 20 minutes, although they can be as brief as a few seconds. Some people report them lasting for up to an hour, but this is very rare. What people might be experiencing is a wave of one attack after another, or they may confuse a feeling of continued anxiety or agitation with the initial attack. However long yours last, they probably leave you feeling rather jittery, ill at ease and also quite exhausted.

The number of attacks and the frequency varies from person to person. A lot of people have just one or two attacks and no more, while others have several in a week or even in a day. Mine, for example, happened every week or so and were limited to a relatively brief period of about six months with just one recurrence some time afterwards. Others have panic attacks for years before finding a treatment which helps send them into full remission.

There tends to be no regularity to the pattern of attacks; in fact, their irregularity is one of their features. It’s not like having a toothache which is exacerbated by eating ice-cream. How often they strike for you will depend partly on how anxious you are in general, but you might like to start keeping a note of just how many you have; the time of day; where you were and what you were doing. You might find you have far fewer than you imagined.

Panic Disorder

Not all people who have panic attacks can be said to have what is called panic disorder, as classified in DSM-III-R. You only have it if the attacks are particularly regular and frequent. You must have had at least four panic attacks in a four-week period. They must have been spontaneous and separate from each other.

Or, if after one attack there is then a significantly high level of anxiety for at least a month afterwards about having the next one, this also meets the criteria for panic disorder. DSM-III-R also specifies that at least four of the symptoms listed above must have occurred during at least one of the attacks, for them to be classified in this way.

This book is for anyone who has had a panic attack, regardless of whether they have been told by their doctor that they have panic disorder or not. But it’s important that you know what is meant by the term, to avoid confusion when it is referred to later on. Whether the doctors want to give you the label of panic disorder or just simple panic attacks is up to them. What’s important for you is to understand as much as you can about what you experience, and find ways in which to move towards a panic-free life.

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