Panic disorder is characterized by unexpected and repeated
episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms that
may include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath,
dizziness, or abdominal distress. These sensations often mimic
symptoms of a heart attack or other life-threatening medical
conditions. As a result, the diagnosis of panic disorder is
frequently not made until extensive and costly medical
procedures fail to provide a correct diagnosis or relief. Many
people with panic disorder develop intense anxiety between
episodes, worrying when and where the next one will strike.
Fortunately, effective treatments have been developed to help
people with panic disorder. Heredity, other biological factors,
stressful life events, and thinking in a way that exaggerates
relatively normal bodily reactions are all believed to play a
role in the onset of panic disorder. Some research suggests
panic attacks occur when a “suffocation alarm mechanism” in the
brain is activated, falsely reporting that