Why is panic disorder such an epidemic?

I have heard everything from you are born with it to because you have sinned too much to its from processed foods to its from the hormones in the milk! Why is it so common! If you are going to tell me that it isnt a real disorder, I will beg to differ with you! If you have some helpful info, then I would be greatly appreciative. Has anyone here suffered extreme dibilitating panic, been on meds, and successing found a way to come off? I'm sorry there are sooo many unanswered Q's here.

Nicole,
Yes I am suffering from panic attacks. Its been close to 4 yrs since the first debilitating one, and they still sneak up quite often. I take 12.5 mg Paxil daily, and am considering Xanax for those debilitating attacks. I believe that my attacks surfaced due to the amount of stress I was under. I was 20 y/o, married w/ a stepson, and just gave birth to my second son, (3 sons total- at that time). My baby was very ill, and was deaf. We were getting ready for him to have cranial surgery. I was very weak from a traumatic birth,(he was born in the car during a thunder storm), and was having to travel 300 miles to the childrens hospital frequently. I lost my pregnancy weight in about 3 weeks. Then the attacks hit me hard. It was a nightmare! I deal with them very well now, but the trembling is unbearable! Thank all of you who have taken the time to leave an answer.

NO ONE knows what causes panic disorder and that is a fact. There are many idea's but there is no proof about what causes the disorder nor what brings upon the attacks. It is a real disorder.

I've been diagnosed with panic disorder since I was about 13. I have been on zoloft, inderall (no idea why my doctor prescribed it- found out it wasn't for panic disorder), prozac, lexapro, and one that starts with a c. All of them gave me terrible morning sickness and didn't help with the attacks at all. So... currently, I take no medication daily to help with them but my doctor prescribed me .5 mg of xanax to take when needed. I take this when I feel an attack coming on, if you've had the attacks, you know what that feels like. Surprisingly enough, it works EVERY time!

Like the majority of people, I was also apprehensive about all the talk of addictive and dependence but I have been on xanax as needed for about 5 years now and I have only increased the dosage once. I take a pill about once a week. It works great.

I definitely had a few terrible attacks. The majority of the time they occurred I would end up on the floor in the fetal position crying. How embarrassing!

Are you suffering from this??? Best of luck to you if you are. It's a terrible thing. Either way, hope this helps!

Panic disorder is actually a fear of unbearable emotions breaking through from subconscious to conscious. It results from our society of non-acknowledgement or dealing with feelings. Meds don't help in any meaningful way, they just pospone it 24 hours. THe only real relief is self awareness.

Hmmm.. well, it's so debilitating because you never know when a panic attack is going to come on. I know a few people who are panic disordered and they wont leave their houses because they're afraid of having an attack while they're out in public or while driving. That's panic disorder with agoraphobia though.

It's not sin induced nor is it caused by a poor diet. Personally I think it has a lot to do with the fact that there is just so much going on all the time, so much external stimuli, so much stress that some people overload and panic. As far as "fight or flight" goes... they fly.

I've had panic attacks before, nothing severe enough to be diagnosed with panic disorder though.

It is a real disorder. I find that by doing a lot of different things helps me. I limit my sugar intake. If in a panic state I stay clear of it for weeks as sugar eats up your vitamin B.

I take vitamin B complex and tell my self, "you know it takes a week to feel better" after a week I say, "you know it usually take two". All the time limiting my sugar and white bread and taking my vitamin B Complex.

Mine will start from a disappointment. Or a really sad movie that was touching to my heart.

I believe my childhood caused a lot of these problems, neglect and unwanted. Yes I lived with my birth parent until I was 18. I like to say if you get stuck in the wrong family God has another one out there that wants you.

Most of the time I'm okay though. And I HATE them so much.

Best of luck and feel better soon.

I have been there. I never went on meds though; it just kind of like went away by itself for now. Most likely it is going to come back. I have had three attacks last year; one of them was really strong, I couldn't function AT ALL.
I think in my case I got it because of the stress. I went through an extremely stressful period of my life that lasted years, and as a result of that I lost my eyesight at first. Then after few months, my eyesight came back (thank God!); but now these panick attacks. I don't know what to do; I don't want to go on meds.

i wish i could quote more accurately from an article I read but from what I remember it's because our society now puts alot more pressure on people now than it used to. Media, peer pressure, lots of other causes and they all expect us to be 'perfect' or have this or that. A study done somewhere (again, very sorry but can't remember where) showed that 10 yr olds in 2005 had the same stress levels as a psych patient with anxiety disorder aged mid 40's in 1957. Just think about the differences in society and how much we are expected to be 'like the Joneses'!!