According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Panic Disorder is a
"chronic, devastating mental illness that affects
between 3 and 6 million
adult Americans, severely restricting and impairing work, family and social
relationships."
The American Psychiatric Association describes a panic attack as " A
discrete period of intense fear or discomfort in which
four (or more) of the
following symptoms develop abruptly and reach a peak within 10 minutes. The
attacks are often
accompanied by a sense of imminent danger or impending doom
and urge to escape."