Panic Attacks
A panic attack is an intense state of fear that occurs for no apparent reason and is characterized by four or more of the following symptoms.
Excerpt from "ANXIETY, PHOBIAS AND PANIC" by: Reneau Z. Peurifoy, M.A., M.F.C.C. Warner Books http://www.twbookmark.com
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An attack with fewer than four of the above symptoms is called a limited symptom attack. Panic attacks can build gradually over a period of several minutes or hours or strike very suddenly. While they can last from a few minutes to several days, most do not last longer than a half hour.
When anxiety or panic is felt regardless of where one is, it is called spontaneous anxiety or spontaneous panic, depending upon the degree of intensity. If the anxiety or panic occurs only in a particular situation, it is called situational or phobic anxiety or panic. If anxiety or panic is triggered simply by thinking of a particular situation it is called anticipatory anxiety or anticipatory panic.
