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If You Have Experienced Panic Disorder Near Gangbuk·Suyuryeok — Three Essential Things to Know First
Have you experienced the sudden feeling of your heart sinking, a sense of suffocation, and overwhelming fear of death? If such symptoms repeat without any particular reason, it may not be just a simple stress response.
According to Seoul National University Hospital Medical Information, panic disorder is an anxiety disorder in which extreme fear and various physical symptoms appear simultaneously without warning. It differs in nature from simple tension or temporary anxiety, and early appropriate intervention is more favorable for recovery of daily life.
According to National Health Insurance Service Statistics, based on 2021 data, approximately 860,000 patients in Korea received treatment for anxiety disorders, and according to the Korean Clinical Psychology Association, the global prevalence rate of panic disorder is known to reach 1-4%. This means more people than expected are having similar experiences.
The three essential things to understand first can be summarized as follows:
▪ Panic disorder is not due to 'lack of willpower' or 'excessive personality,' but is a condition related to autonomic nervous system response. ▪ Simple stress and physical causes such as thyroid disease can have symptoms similar to panic disorder, so self-diagnosis alone has limitations. ▪ Professional diagnosis and evaluation must be performed first to establish an appropriate treatment direction.
What is Panic Disorder — Understanding Symptom Mechanisms and Diagnostic Criteria
To understand panic disorder, it is important to first understand what a 'panic attack' is.
According to the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association) introduced by Seoul National University Hospital Medical Information, a panic attack refers to a state in which 4 or more of the following 13 symptoms appear simultaneously within 10 minutes.
| Physical Symptoms | Mental·Sensory Symptoms |
|---|---|
| Palpitations (chest pounding or beating rapidly) | Derealization or depersonalization (feeling that you are not yourself) |
| Perspiration (cold sweating) | Fear of losing control or going mad |
| Trembling or shaking | Fear of death |
| Shortness of breath or sense of suffocation | Sensory disturbances (tingling, numbness) |
| Sensation of choking | — |
| Chest pain or chest discomfort | — |
| Nausea or abdominal discomfort | — |
| Dizziness, instability, or lightheadedness | — |
| Chills or hot flashes | — |
Panic disorder is not diagnosed based on a single attack. According to related pharmaceutical data, when unexpected attacks repeat and anticipatory anxiety of 'what if another attack occurs' persists for 1 month or longer, or when behavioral changes (such as avoidance of specific places) appear, panic disorder is diagnosed.
Cases with accompanying agoraphobia (fear of specific places or situations) and cases without it show different clinical presentations, so evaluation that comprehensively understands accompanying symptoms is important.
Gangbuk Anjeong Korean Medicine Clinic's Approach to Panic Disorder Treatment — Acupuncture·Herbal Medicine·Constitutional Management
How does Korean medicine view and approach panic disorder?
The Ministry of Health and Welfare Korean Medicine Standard Clinical Practice Guidelines (Anxiety Disorder) recommends combined herbal medicine treatment for symptom improvement in adult panic disorder patients. Additionally, a meta-analysis of RCTs published in Annals of General Psychiatry (2021, Springer Nature) reported that acupuncture treatment for anxiety disorders shows positive signals. A systematic review in Journal of Clinical Psychology (2025, Wiley) also confirms that evidence for acupuncture's anxiety-reducing effects is accumulating. However, as acupuncture and herbal medicine treatment evidence is currently continuing to accumulate in the panic disorder field, a collaborative approach with psychiatry and other clinical departments may need to be considered depending on symptom severity.
A clinical case reported in the Journal of Korean Medicine for Neurology and Psychiatry (2025) also draws attention to Korean medicine combined treatment (acupuncture and herbal medicine combination) for panic disorder.
The general flow of Korean medicine treatment can be summarized as follows:
▪ Step 1 — Korean Medicine Evaluation and Constitutional Assessment: Comprehensively examines symptom patterns, physical condition, and constitution. ▪ Step 2 — Acupuncture Treatment: Proceeds primarily with acupoints aimed at stabilizing the autonomic nervous system. ▪ Step 3 — Herbal Medicine Prescription: Formulations are constructed according to individual conditions and adjusted according to progress. ▪ Step 4 — Constitution-Specific Lifestyle Management Guidance: Provides direction for dietary habits, sleep, and daily stress management.
Gangbuk Anjeong Korean Medicine Clinic conducts treatment focused on autonomic nervous system stabilization through constitutional assessment based on Eight-Constitution Medicine, precise weekly herbal medicine prescriptions, and acupuncture treatment. Rather than long-term prescriptions in 2-week or 4-week units, it flexibly responds to changing symptoms by confirming progress weekly and adjusting prescriptions.
Results may vary depending on individual conditions.
Before Treating Panic Disorder, These Individuals Should Check First
Symptoms similar to panic attacks can also appear in other physical illnesses. As Seoul National University Hospital Medical Information emphasizes, a prerequisite for diagnosing panic disorder is differentiation of physical causes that trigger similar symptoms.
Please check the following items first:
▪ Have you confirmed the possibility of palpitations and anxiety due to thyroid dysfunction (hyperthyroidism)? ▪ Have you ever had basic tests for cardiovascular disease (arrhythmia, etc.)? ▪ Have you ruled out metabolic causes such as hypoglycemia or anemia? ▪ Do you understand whether attacks occur only in specific situations or places, or develop unpredictably? ▪ Have you started avoiding specific places or situations because of anxiety about 'what if another attack occurs'? ▪ Do you feel a significant drop in sleep quality, or a sense of withdrawal from daily activities?
Physical cause differentiation first, followed by parallel Korean medicine approach, becomes the starting point for more systematic management.
Residents near Gangbuk, Mia-sageori, Dobong, and Nowon can also receive Korean medicine evaluation and consultation at Gangbuk Anjeong Korean Medicine Clinic near Suyuryeok. It is located close to Exit 3 of Suyuryeok Station and offers free use of a large parking lot in Garden Tower (328 Dobongno) for convenient access by vehicle.
If You Are Concerned About Panic Disorder in Gangbuk·Suyuryeok, Let's Explore Together
Gangbuk Anjeong Korean Medicine Clinic (formerly Gwangdeok Anjeong Korean Medicine Clinic Gangbuk Suyuryeok branch) is located near Exit 3 of Suyuryeok Station and begins consultations from 8 AM, 365 days a year. You can conveniently schedule your first consultation through Naver Reservations.
Panic disorder is not a condition you must endure alone. According to relevant clinical data, when appropriate therapeutic approaches are implemented, many patients improve to a state where they maintain daily life without panic attacks. Even if symptoms are not severe, if repeated anxiety and physical symptoms are disrupting your daily life, it is important to receive professional evaluation.
During your first consultation with Dr. Lee Mun-young, we will examine the current symptom patterns, constitution, and lifestyle habits together to establish a direction. Depending on symptom severity, we will also honestly advise you if a collaborative approach with other departments such as psychiatry is necessary.
Before anxiety and fatigue from panic disorder accumulate, we encourage you to explore this step by step together.
Panic Disorder Korean Medicine Treatment, Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How is panic disorder distinguished from simple anxiety?
Simple anxiety is a reaction that has a specific cause (exam, presentation, etc.) and subsides when the cause disappears. In contrast, a panic attack is characterized by sudden extreme palpitations, shortness of breath, fear of death, and other symptoms overwhelming you within approximately 10 minutes without any particular reason. If you experience persistent anxiety about 'will another attack occur' or behavioral changes such as avoiding specific places, it is good to seek professional evaluation.
Q2. Is it possible to manage panic disorder with only Korean medicine treatment?
Korean medicine treatment (acupuncture, herbal medicine, and constitutional management) can help with autonomic nervous system stabilization and anticipatory anxiety relief, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare Korean Medicine Standard Clinical Practice Guidelines also recommends combined herbal medicine treatment. However, when symptoms are severe or significantly interfere with daily life, a more collaborative approach with psychiatric diagnosis and pharmacotherapy is safer. Results may vary depending on individual conditions.
Q3. How long does panic disorder treatment take?
There are differences depending on individual symptom severity, duration of illness, and presence of comorbidities, making it difficult to provide a uniform answer. Rather than short-term intensive treatment, a long-term management perspective that continuously observes and adjusts symptom changes is important. Gangbuk Anjeong Korean Medicine Clinic proceeds by confirming progress on a weekly basis and finely adjusting prescriptions.
Results may vary depending on individual conditions