Prescribing for panic disorder

Deteriorating mental health has been widely reported as an outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic—not only through the death and losses caused by the virus, but also commonly as a result of the restrictions and lockdowns placed on people's lives. The latest research in the British Medical Journal reports on panic disorder and agoraphobia, exploring drug treatment for these disorders.

When a person has a panic disorder, it is useful to be able to spot it when they first mention their symptoms. Not only is there a role for prescribing but there may be other options to keep the patient from deteriorating into a full-blown panic disorder in the first place. First, it is important to know there are many symptoms of panic attacks. Not everyone appears panicked in an immediately obvious way – their breathing may increase but while effects may feel debilitating to the person, this may not be noticeable to others as it is often portrayed in popular media. However, the experience for the person suffering the panic attack will be frightening and distressing nonetheless.