Panic disorder is highly treatable

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Although panic disorder is traumatic and hard to diagnose, treatment is usually successful.
The symptoms of panic disorder are distressing - chest and abdominal pain, pounding heart, and shortness of breath. Those affected often go to the doctor's to be screened for heart disease and other serious physical problems. This leads to delay in diagnosis and more anxiety.

Doctors at the University of Washington point out that once it is diagnosed, panic disorder can be treated and cured within just a few weeks. Antidepressants, behavioral therapy, or a combination of the two are usually effective. If mental health professionals work with physicians, this may prevent delay in the diagnosis of panic disorder, which will clearly help the patient. This may seem to cost a bit more in the short term but money will be saved if panic disorder is detected as soon as possible. And the patient will be saved from unnecessary tests for heart disease and other health problems.

Source
New England Journal of Medicine 1st June 2006

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