The key symptom of panic disorder is the persistent fear of having future panic attacks. If one suffers from repeated (four or more) panic attacks, and especially if he or she have had a panic attack and are in continued fear of having another, these are signs that you should consider finding a mental health professional who specializes in panic or anxiety disorders.

Relaxation techniques can further help someone go through an attack. Techniques include breathing retraining and positive visualization. Some experts have found that people with panic disorder tend to have slightly higher than average breathing rates. Learning to slow the breathing rates can help someone deal with a panic attack and can also prevent future attacks. Anti-anxiety medications may be prescribed, as well as antidepressants, and sometimes even heart medications such as beta blockers that are used to control irregular heartbeats. A support group with others who suffer from panic disorder can as well be very helpful to some people. It can't take the place of therapy, but it can be useful and comforting.

Experts believe that the great scientist Charles Darwin might not have revolutionized biology if not for the disorder he dealt with. He became a scholarly hermit that produced a very controversial theory while he was then under a "mysterious" condition. The symptoms of panic disorder arose shortly after he started a secret notebook that, 22 years later, would become his book-length elaboration of one of the greatest contributions ever made to science.

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