Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder: When the Body Sounds an Alarm With No Danger, and How Integrated Psychiatric Care Helps

A panic attack is one of the most physically frightening experiences a person can have while being in no actual danger. The heart pounds, the chest tightens, breathing feels impossible, the hands go numb, and a wave of dread arrives that many people describe as feeling like they are dying or losing control. The attack peaks within minutes and passes, but the fear of the next one often does not. For many people, that fear becomes its own condition.

Panic disorder is treatable, and it responds well to the combination of medication and focused psychotherapy. The difficulty is that most care available for it separates those two things across different providers, or offers medication alone with no therapeutic component at all.

At Empathy Therapy, Dr. Mark Chofla provides both. One board-certified psychiatrist evaluates what is happening, manages any medication, and provides the therapy, for patients across seven states via telehealth.

Empathy Therapy is a telehealth psychiatry and psychotherapy practice built around empathic therapy, where genuine connection, careful listening, and integrated care are the foundation of every patient relationship. Dr. Mark Chofla, DO, is a board-certified psychiatrist who completed his undergraduate education at the University of California, Davis, his medical training at Midwestern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, and his psychiatry residency and internship at the University of Southern California (USC). He has also served as a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, Davis Medical Center and School of Medicine. Dr. Chofla provides psychiatric medication management and formal psychotherapy for adults, adolescents, and children, and executive life coaching for adults, across California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Alaska, New York, and Florida via telehealth. New patient intakes are 75 minutes. Follow-up appointments are 45 minutes. New patients are typically seen within days, not weeks.

What a Panic Attack Is and What Panic Disorder Is

A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms: a racing or pounding heart, chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling, sweating, numbness or tingling, nausea, and a feeling of unreality or detachment. The symptoms are real and the physical response is real, but the danger the body is reacting to is not present. The alarm system fires without a threat.

Isolated panic attacks are common and do not by themselves constitute a disorder. Panic disorder is the condition that develops when panic attacks recur and the person begins to live in anticipation of the next one. That anticipatory fear is central to the diagnosis. People with panic disorder often start avoiding places, situations, or activities they associate with previous attacks, and that avoidance can narrow a life considerably. For some, it develops into agoraphobia, where the avoidance extends to leaving home or being in situations that feel difficult to escape.

Panic attacks also frequently accompany other conditions. They occur alongside generalized anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other disorders. Part of a thorough evaluation is determining whether panic is the primary problem or a symptom of something else, because that distinction changes the treatment.

One patient described the relief of being understood by a provider who took the time on WebMD: 

"He was kind, professional, and really listened. Even online, I felt supported and understood. He explained things clearly and made treatment easy to follow." — Patient on WebMD

Why Panic Disorder Is Often Misunderstood and Mistreated

Panic attacks send many people to the emergency room first, convinced they are having a heart attack. After tests come back normal, they are frequently told it was "just anxiety" and sent home without a treatment plan. That framing understates the problem. Panic disorder is not a character weakness or an overreaction. It is a recognized condition with a biological and psychological basis, and it does not resolve on its own for many people.

The care that follows is often incomplete. A primary care physician may prescribe a medication without the time or specialization to address the psychological side. A telehealth service may offer a fast prescription with no therapy at all. A group practice may provide medication through one provider and refer therapy to another, leaving the patient to coordinate the two.

The problem with fragmented care for panic disorder specifically is that the condition responds best to a coordinated combination of medication and focused psychotherapy. When those two are handled separately, the coordination that makes them effective together is exactly what goes missing.

One patient described what thorough, attentive care produced on Healthgrades:

"My first appointment made me feel treated with dignity and respect. It was obvious that Dr. Chofla was making a sincere effort to understand me as a person." — Patient on Healthgrades

Why Integrated Care Fits Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is one of the conditions where the combination of medication and psychotherapy is most established, and where having one provider deliver both offers a specific advantage.

Medication can reduce the frequency and intensity of panic attacks and lower the baseline anxiety that fuels them. Psychotherapy, particularly cognitive behavioral approaches, addresses the fear of the attacks themselves, the catastrophic interpretations of physical sensations, and the avoidance patterns that keep panic disorder going. Each does something the other cannot, and together they are more effective than either alone for many people.

When one provider handles both, the treatment is coordinated by design. The medication is adjusted with full knowledge of how the therapeutic work is progressing. The therapy accounts for what the medication is doing to the person's baseline anxiety and physical symptoms. The provider sees the whole arc of treatment rather than one piece of it.

At Empathy Therapy, Dr. Chofla provides both the medication management and the formal psychotherapy. The 75-minute intake allows a complete evaluation of the panic itself, what may be driving it, and what else may be present. Follow-up appointments are 45 minutes, which gives the therapeutic work room to happen rather than compressing it into a brief medication check.

One patient described that integrated understanding on Healthgrades:

"I have had a hard time finding a psychiatrist. Dr. Chofla challenges me when it is needed, but it always feels respectful and grounded in a real understanding of what I am going through." — Patient on Healthgrades

Who Dr. Chofla Works With

Empathy Therapy serves adults, adolescents, and children across seven states via telehealth. Patients come from California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Alaska, New York, and Florida, including many communities where in-person psychiatric care is limited.

Panic disorder responds well to telehealth care. For someone whose panic has led to avoidance of leaving home or of specific situations, receiving care from a familiar, safe environment removes a barrier that in-person appointments can present. The person does not have to travel to a clinic, sit in a waiting room, or manage a commute that may itself trigger anticipatory anxiety.

Alongside panic disorder, Dr. Chofla treats the full range of psychiatric conditions, including generalized anxiety, depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, PTSD and trauma, insomnia, grief, and burnout. Because panic frequently occurs alongside these, the integrated model allows one provider to address the panic and whatever accompanies it together.

One patient described the experience on Vitals:

"Dr. Chofla listens carefully and truly cares. His approach makes healing feel possible again." — Patient on Vitals

Private Pay, Superbills, and How Costs Work

Empathy Therapy is a private-pay, fee-for-service practice. Insurance is not accepted. Appointments are as long as the clinical situation requires, the same provider delivers both medication management and therapy, and the provider relationship stays consistent from the first appointment forward.

Patients receive a detailed superbill after each appointment, which can be submitted to insurance for potential out-of-network reimbursement. Many patients with PPO plans recover a portion of their costs this way. Dr. Chofla's office can provide guidance on that process.

One patient described the value of that model on Vitals:

"This is a place you go to get better. Dr. Chofla was so very helpful. He got me stable. He seems expensive and you get what you pay for here." — Patient on Vitals

Dr. Chofla provides telehealth psychiatry and psychotherapy for patients across California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Alaska, New York, and Florida.

The information in this article is intended for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Dr. Chofla treat panic disorder and panic attacks? Yes. Dr. Chofla evaluates and treats panic disorder, including determining whether panic is the primary condition or a symptom of something else. The 75-minute intake assesses the full picture before any treatment recommendation is made.

Is panic disorder treated with medication, therapy, or both? Panic disorder often responds best to a combination of medication and focused psychotherapy. Because Dr. Chofla provides both, one provider can deliver and coordinate the combination rather than splitting it across two.

Can panic disorder be treated through telehealth? Yes. Panic disorder responds well to telehealth care, which can be especially helpful for people whose panic has led to avoidance of leaving home or of specific situations.

Does the same provider handle both medication and therapy? Yes. At Empathy Therapy, Dr. Chofla personally provides both, so treatment decisions across medication and therapy are made by the same clinician with the complete clinical picture.

How long are appointments? New patient intakes are 75 minutes. Follow-up appointments are 45 minutes.

How quickly can I be seen? New patients are typically seen within days, not weeks.

Does Empathy Therapy accept insurance? No. Empathy Therapy is a private-pay, fee-for-service practice. Patients receive a superbill after each appointment for potential out-of-network reimbursement.

Which states does Empathy Therapy serve? Empathy Therapy serves adults, adolescents, and children across California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Alaska, New York, and Florida via telehealth.

How do I get started? New patient appointments can be booked directly at www.empathytherapy.com. You can also review frequently asked questions at www.empathytherapy.com/faqs or call 888-832-9635 with any questions before booking.