Professor Koen Schruers was set on studying schizophrenia after graduation – until he was asked to participate in PhD research on panic. He was fascinated. One in four people will suffer a panic attack at least once in their lives, and one in thirty will develop a panic disorder. The phenomenon can be studied with experiments: just the kind of research method that suits Koen. In his book Paniek en hoe het aan te pakken (Panic and how to tackle it) he offers some practical tips. One of the most important pieces of advice? Schruers: “Breathing into a paper bag does not work.”

According to Koen Schruers, anyone can get panic disorder – some might just be more prone to it than others. If you’re suffering from a panic attack, symptoms can come on suddenly and reach their peak within a minute: there is no such thing as a slow panic attack. Panic attacks can be the root cause of avoidance behaviours. After all, a panic attack will make you feel like you’re dying, and that’s something we want to avoid as much as possible. But the better we understand panic as a phenomenon, the better we can help patients.

Peaking in your twenties

A panic disorder differs from other psychiatric conditions in that it often emerges acutely. Depression, for example, starts gradually and develops progressively. A panic disorder is not always preceded by a traumatic experience. But panic sufferers often have experienced a long period of stress, for example at work or in a relationship. The straw that breaks the camel's back differs for everyone.

Panic symptoms typically begin when people are in their mid-twenties. At this age, people are still studying or finishing their studies. It does not come as a surprise that this is the peak age for panic: many changes are happening simultaneously. “New social relationships, moving to a new home, a new area of study, the transition to professional life: it’s a lot”, Schruers explains. “It’s a very fun period! But it can also make you vulnerable.” Extended periods of stress can lead to panic disorders for some students, which can hugely impact student life. “Students with regular panic attacks start avoiding social situations – right when meeting new people plays a huge role in this stage of life.”

Schruers himself notices this in his lecture halls as well. “Some students don’t come to lectures anymore because of their anxiety. Plus, students with panic disorders usually sit in the back of the hall, so they can leave quickly if they feel a panic attack coming up.” The pandemic was actually great for this group of students, says Schruers. “They could follow all lectures safely from home. So far, there hasn’t been any evidence of panic disorder rates increasing during COVID. Existing panic disorders don’t seem to have gotten worse either: students with panic disorders didn’t have to do things they were scared of during lockdowns.”