Panic disorder refers to what people know as panic attack.

Panic attack is a period of intense fear accompanied with an extreme physical reaction that includes palpitations, difficulty to breathe, sweating, trembling, chest pains, nausea, dizziness and a feeling of being detached from oneself.

Panic attacks can be very frightening as individuals feel like they are dying.

Panic attacks usually have an abrupt onset and people often experience them as ‘coming out of the blue’.