Panic Disorder — Korean Medicine Treatment for Sudden Anxiety Attacks
Table of Contents
A fear of dying that comes out of nowhere
A panic attack is a state in which intense anxiety, palpitations, breathing difficulty, dizziness, and tingling in the hands and feet all rush in at once without an obvious cause. Symptoms peak within 10 to 20 minutes and bring on fear so severe that it feels like "this might be a heart attack." Afterward, anticipatory anxiety — the fear that "another attack might come" — comes to dominate everyday life.
Korean medicine diagnosis: Heart-Gallbladder Deficiency Timidity (心膽虛怯)
Korean medicine sees panic disorder as a state in which the qi of the Heart (心) and Gallbladder (膽) is so deficient that even small stimuli trigger an exaggerated alarm response.
- Heart qi deficiency (心氣虛): A weak Heart easily produces palpitations and anxiety
- Gallbladder deficiency (膽虛): The Gallbladder, the organ of decisiveness, is weak, so trivial stimuli cause startle
- Phlegm-fluid rising (痰飮上逆): Phlegm-fluid surges upward, bringing dizziness and nausea
Treatment direction
- Modified Ondam-tang (溫膽湯): A core formula that clears phlegm and stabilizes Heart and Gallbladder qi
- Acupuncture: Neiguan (PC6) — relieves palpitations; Shenmen (HT7) — calms the Heart; Baihui (GV20) — clears the mind
- Auricular acupuncture: Press needles applied to the Heart and Shenmen points on the ear maintain stability throughout the day
Combining with conventional treatment
Korean medicine treatment can safely run alongside conventional medications such as SSRIs and benzodiazepines. A strategy of stabilizing the patient's constitution with Korean medicine while gradually tapering conventional medication is effective. Any reduction in dosage must be discussed in advance with the prescribing physician.