What is a Panic Disorder?

Panic disorder is diagnosed when a person has four or more panic attacks in one month, or one panic attack followed by a month or more of fear of having another attack.

Many people with panic disorder show 'situational avoidance' associated with their panic attacks. For example, you might have an attack while driving, and start to avoid driving until you develop an actual phobia towards it. In worst case scenarios, people with panic disorder develop agoraphobia -- fear of going outdoors -- because they believe that by staying inside, they can avoid all situations that might provoke an attack, or where they might not be able to get help. The fear of an attack is so debilitating, they prefer to spend their lives locked inside their homes.

Many people experience occasional panic attacks, and if you have had one or two such attacks, there probably isn't any reason to assume you have Panic Disorder. The key symptom of panic disorder is the persistent fear of having future panic attacks. If you suffer from repeated panic attacks, and especially if you have had a panic attack and are in continued fear of having another, these are signs that you should further investigate the possibility of Panic Disorder.