Panic attacks usually last about 10 to 20 minutes. They can be so intense that the person having one feels that she may be having a heart attack. Patients have reported to me that, during the most intense part of a panic attack, they have thought of death or suicide.
Between panic attacks, the person may have "anticipatory anxiety" - a fear that she will have another attack. This is especially true if there are no apparent triggers for the panic attacks.
Benzodiazepines are commonly used for people who have infrequent panic attacks. The person takes one as soon as she feels an attack beginning. However, if she has frequent panic attacks (several a week), SSRI's are prescribed.
As with GAD, the "talking" therapy of choice is cognitive-behavioral.
Anxiety disorders are being diagnosed more frequently nowadays, and they often complicate depression. If an anxiety disorder is diagnosed along with depression, an SSRI may work well for both maladies. But this is not always the case and, frequently, both a benzodiazepine and an antidepressant are prescribed.
Like depression, the anxiety disorders can be treated with some success - and often with a great deal of success - with both medication and "talking" therapies.
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