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Panic Disorder (Psychology)
A psychiatric condition defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fourth edition; DSM-IV) and characterized by chronic, recurrent, and unexpected panic attacks, which are accompanied by either significant behavioral changes, such as rapid heartbeat, dizziness, dyspnea (shortness of breath), and trembling, or at least one month of continuous worry about having other attacks. Attacks on average last a short period, typically 10 minutes or less. For more information, see Reiter, Rifkin, Garssen, and Van Schawk (1989).