Panic attacks can come anywhere, anytime and with no warning says Bill McClafferty of Butler, who is organizing a peer support group for people who suffer from the disorder. "One of the secrets of this group is that you sit down and talk to people who know what the heck you're talking about," he said.

Most people have felt panic. Your heart and mind race, your stomach clenches into a knot. You break out in a sweat. Events seem to pass by in slow motion.

We've all had a gut-wrenching moment in a time of crisis. But for people with panic disorder, that moment can come anywhere, anytime, with no warning and no reason.

During a panic attack, a person experiences sudden physical symptoms in the most mundane of surroundings — in a store, at the office, even in their own homes.

The attacks can be severe, debilitating and surprisingly common, according to Bill McClafferty of Butler. He is organizing a peer support group for people who have panic disorder.

The group, now in the planning process, will meet at the Mental Health Association of Butler, 124 W. Cunningham St.

"There are so many people who have this ailment," McClafferty said.

According to statistics from the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, based in Baltimore, McClafferty's conclusion is correct. About 6 million people in the United States suffer from panic disorder.When asked if that number is rising, Jerilyn Ross, president and CEO of the ADAA, points to a "huge campaign over the last 15 years raising public awareness," and also educating professionals in the proper diagnosis and treatment this often misunderstood disorder.While many people will have an isolated panic attack at some time during their lifetime, panic disorder is defined by multiple panic attacks along with a life-altering fear of the attacks themselves. Left untreated, the disorder can lead to a number of other serious conditions, including depression and drug or alcohol abuse.Fear of having an attack can cause people to avoid situations where an attack might occur, gradually limiting their activities until, in extreme cases, they are fearful of leaving their homes.

There are two major options for treatment, according to Ross: medication and cognitive behavioral therapy, or learning to change the thought process."Oftentimes they are used together," she said. "One thing that is very important is that we know we can treat panic disorder. We know that cognitive behavioral therapy works."The same with medication ... we don't know which treatment will necessarily work best for which people, so it's important for someone seeking therapy to realize that they have different options."Despite increasing information and public awareness about panic attacks, the disorder has long been misunderstood."There is nothing to be ashamed of," Ross said. "It's nothing they did wrong. It's not because they're weak. It's not because of their childhood. It's just like any other illness like migraines or diabetes. This has biological and psychological roots to it, and they can and should get help."Educating oneself about panic disorder is so important," she added, "because so much of what keeps this illness going is not knowing what's wrong and worrying about what horrible thing is happening to you."In fact, many people end up in an emergency room during a first panic attack, believing they are having a heart attack or other life threatening illness.While people in those instances still need to seek emergency treatment, once panic disorder has been properly diagnosed, knowledge of the disorder helps lessen the symptoms."Once people learn that panic attacks are very frightening, but not dangerous, once they learn this for themselves, then they just seem to dissipate," Ross said.

Frustrating for both the professional community and sufferers alike is that the cause of panic disorder is still unknown. It's linked to a number of factors, including genetics.McClafferty said there is a strong family history of panic disorder in his family tree."I know my father had it," he said. "My brother had it, and my sister, but she functioned well." He said a niece and great-niece also have the condition.For McClafferty, the condition began in childhood."I've had them since I was a child, but I didn't know what they were. I was just considered a nervous kid," said McClafferty, now 80. He said he managed through World War II, serving in the Navy.Through the years, he said he has had periods when the disorder resurfaced. He has been treated with medication, but says the best results for him came from a program that helped him face the fear.During one of his worst periods, he said he would have up to 10 panic attacks a day."I would be watching TV, or sitting at the table and talking to my wife and bam, one comes on," he said. He now says he is nearly attack-free and has learned how to talk himself though the occasional onset."I just say to myself, 'Look, you've had a thousand of these things and you didn't get sick or pass out.' … I change my thought pattern. I think about when my wife and I would go up to Lake Tahoe. I put myself into a pleasant situation instead of an unpleasant situation."Over the years, he says he's learned one of the most effective ways he can help himself is to assist others who are facing the same disorder.

That's why McClafferty is organizing the support group, which will be under the guidelines and program of the ADAA."One of the secrets of this group is that you sit down and talk to people who know what the heck you're talking about," he said.McClafferty said the meetings will focus on successes. "We're keeping it positive," he noted, stressing the peer meetings are not a substitute for a professional therapist or medications. In fact, he noted no professionals will participate in the peer-run meetings."Professionals, they don't have this problem, so they don't 100 percent understand it," McClafferty said."I don't think it's all curable, but I've learned to manage," McClafferty said. "It's almost a selfish program: If I can help someone, I'm also helping myself.""I think that's the way many support groups are done. It's an adjunct to therapy," said Pamela Grabe, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Butler County."It's a way to meet others who understand what you are going through. You don't have to stop and explain everything. They've been there too, and the peer support is extremely helpful.""The most important thing that they need to know is that they are not alone," Ross said. "This isn't something that's just in your head. It's a real disorder. It's a serious disorder that needs to be treated. … The good news is that it's treatable. The only people we can't help are the people who sit back in silence and don't reach out for help."For information on the Butler peer support group for panic disorder, call 724-712-0727.

A panic attack is defined as the abrupt onset of intense fear that reaches a peak within a few minutes. The disorder affects 6 million Americans, or 2.7 percent of the population. Women are twice as likely to be affected as men.Panic attacks include at least four of the following symptoms:• A feeling of imminent danger or doom• The need to escape• Palpitations• Sweating• Trembling• Shortness of breath or a smothering feeling• A feeling of choking• Chest pain or discomfort• Nausea or abdominal discomfort• Dizziness or lightheadedness• A sense of things being unreal, depersonalization• A fear of losing control or "going crazy"• A fear of dying• Tingling sensations, chills or hot flashesSOURCE: The Anxiety Disorders Association of America. For more information on anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, visit the ADAA website at www.adaa.org.