What Is a Panic Attack?
5. How Common Are These?
A number of related panic and anxiety disorders can affect daily life. Approximately 3% of Americans experience some form of panic disorder. These complaints may include panic attacks or other episodes. Panic attacks are more common in women than in men.
Attacks can last between five and 20 minutes. In rare cases, a single episode can last up to an hour. They typically only occur once or twice a month, but some individuals experience panic attacks multiple times each week. The severity can be linked with the frequency of the cued event. For example, high levels of stress and anxiety at work may increase the risk of panic attacks more than stress that is related to occasional social gatherings.
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