Relationship between substance abuse and panic attacks

This study was done to determine the strength of association between substa nce abuse and panic states, including subsyndromal panic, its temporal rela tionship, and self-medication for panic using abusable substances. A commun ity-based sample was screened for panic using DSM-III-R criteria. Panic and matched control groups participated in a structured interview concerning t he presence of substance abuse, use of substances to treat panic symptoms, and the age-of-onset of panic and substance abuse. Of 97 individuals with p anic, 39% had abused at least one substance. None of the panic disorder-sub syndromal panic differences reached significance. Only 10% of subjects repo rted using alcohol and 6% reported ever using illicit drugs to treat their panic. The majority (63%) of those abusing alcohol reported that alcohol us e began prior to onset of panic, and the majority (59%) of those abusing il licit drugs reported that drug use began first. This study documents the pa nic-substance abuse relationship even in those with subsyndromal panic. Sub stance abuse began prior to onset of panic and substances were used to self -medicate for panic attacks by only a few subjects. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scien ce Ltd.