This Information Could Save Your Life - How Long Does a Panic Attack Last?

By Trevor Mosley

Many people and more so victims of panic attacks have often been puzzled by this question. Whenever they are seeking for information on panic attacks, this is often one of the most frequently asked questions. Most anxiety therapists who are normally involved in treating cases of panic attacks have often been barraged with this question from many people. So how long does a panic attack last?

1. No Straight Answer to the Question

Much as we would like it, the answer to this perennial question is not straightforward. The duration of each panic attack varies from one individual to another. In some cases, the panic attacks last only a few minutes. Others are more extreme in nature and they can go up to hours. There are some victims are able to wield their minds and fight their anxiety attacks, keeping the duration of the episodes short.

2. The Answer is Very Much Dependent on the Person

Of course what all this translates to be the very simple logic that we are all different identities and would therefore exhibit either slightly varying symptoms or varying intensities of such symptoms if we were all suffering from panic attack. The reason why not everybody suffers from panic attack is because those who do not suffer from it are so well equipped that the disorder does not attack them. If you apply the same logic and combine it with the fact that the capacity to deal with panic attacks varies in different strengths across all people then you begin to get an idea of the answer to that question.

In essence, however long the panic attack lasts is dependent on the victim's capacity to fight it. To the victim, the experience often feels like eternity, even if it only lasted a couple of minutes in reality. It is imperative that the victim does not compare his episodes with fellow sufferers but to focus only his own.

3. Is the Condition or Disorder Chronic?

It should be emphasized that this article discusses the duration of a single panic attack. Victims of panic attacks often experience recurring episodes; it is rarely just a one-off maniacal experience. Thus, the question "How long does a panic attack last" only applies to the duration of a single panic attack. A panic attack disorder refers to the medical condition where the victim suffers a series of panic attacks.

Just like the attacks, how long a person has to live with the disorder depends on him. Some people suffer the disorder for weeks or a couple of months at most. There are reported cases where the victim has to live with the disorder for up to years. Panic attack cases are especially high in teenagers, young adults and women.

4. Finding a Cure

Finally, remember that if you are a victim, the most important thing is to seek immediate help from a therapist. This is because the disorder is known to degenerate into more intensive attacks and which might affect the symptoms you exhibit. So how long does a panic attack last? It depends on you as the victim. - 32513

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