Panic Disorder

Panic disorder (PD) is one of the anxiety disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). According to the DSM, the hallmark feature of PD is the occurrence of panic attacks. These attacks typically consist of a minimum of four physiological (e.g., heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, choking sensations, dizziness) and cognitive (e.g., fear of dying, losing control, “going crazy”) symptoms of anxiety. Typically, these attacks have a sudden onset and are short-lived (many times lasting 10 minutes or less). According to the DSM, these attacks must be unexpected, or appear without an obvious trigger. In addition, to receive a diagnosis of PD, there must be a period of at least 1 month when the person is fearful about ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles