Panic Attack

The principal difficulty of patients who experience panic attacks is that they sense an abrupt and fearful change in their body functioning during which at least four somatic symptoms may occur. The sensation of intense fear may initiate from a state of calm or a state of anxiety and can reach its maximum intensity within minutes. The symptoms of a panic attack are:

1. Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate.
2. Sweating.
3. Trembling or shaking.
4. Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering.
5. Feelings of choking.
6. Chest pain or discomfort.
7. Nausea or abdominal distress.
8. Feeling dizzy, unsteady, light-headed, or faint.
9. Chills or hot flashes.
10. Paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations).
11. Derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself).
12. Fear of losing control or "going crazy."
13. Fear of dying.

Important notice: You should not reach the decision that you or the person you have in mind, when reading the above clinical description, necessarily suffers from an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of a panic attack may be part of the clinical picture of many different medical conditions. We encourage you to seek professional advice, if you feel that you or the persons you care about meet one or more of the clinical criteria.