Panic disorder (also known as cardiac neurosis or neurosis cordis) is a mental condition that causes the sufferer to experience sporadic panic attacks, which are episodes of intense and extreme anxiety. A panic event may be triggered by an especially stressful situation, or it may occur for no particular reason. These events usually last for several minutes. Some individuals deal with these events on a regular basis—sometimes daily or weekly. Because of the constant fear of having another panic attack, individuals with panic disorder are often extremely uncomfortable in social situations. As a result, as many as 35% of all individuals with panic disorder also have agoraphobia.

DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for Panic Disorder with or without Agoraphobia:

a) Both (i) and (ii):

(i) recurrent unexpected Panic Attacks; and

(ii) at least one of the attacks has been followed by 1 month (or more) of one (or more) of the following:

Persistent concern about having additional attacks

Worry about the implications of the attack or its consequences (e.g., losing control,
having a heart attack, "going crazy")

A significant change in behavior related to the attacks

b) Presence or Absence of Agoraphobia

c) The Panic Attacks are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse,
a medication) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism).

d) The Panic Attacks not better accounted for by another mental disorder, such as:

(i) Social Phobia (on exposure to feared social situations)

(ii) Specific Phobia (on exposure to a specific phobic situation)

(iii) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (on exposure to dirt in someone with a contamination obsession)

(iv) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (in response to stimuli associated with a severe stressor)

(v) Separation Anxiety Disorder (in response to being away from home or close relatives)

It is estimated that 1.7 percent of the adult American population alone has panic disorder. It typically strikes in young adulthood; roughly half of all people who have panic disorder develop the condition before age 24, though some sources say that the majority of young people affected for the first time are between the ages of 25 and 30. Women are twice as likely as men to develop panic disorder.

Panic disorder can continue for months or years, depending on how and when treatment is sought. If left untreated, it may worsen to the point where the person's life is seriously affected by panic attacks and by attempts to avoid or conceal them. People who tend to take on excessive responsibilities may develop a tendency to suffer panic attacks. PTSD patients also show a much higher rate of panic disorder than the general population.

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