People can experience panic attacks with any of the above disorders. Panic disorder is the fear of having a spontaneous panic attack. This attack comes without any warning day or night irrespective of what the person is doing. The spontaneous attack is not related to and is not induced by any particular situation or place. Many people can be waken from sleep with this type of attack.
Many people fear they are dying, having a heart attack or going insane or losing control.
Specific or 'cued' panic attacks These occur in relation to specific feared situations or places. For example social situations for people with Social Phobia. Revisiting the scene or scenes reminiscent of the traumatic events in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or exposure to a particular anxiety producing situation in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as in being 'exposed' to germs. Situationally predisposed panic attacks People with Panic Disorder may experience this type of attack. Some people with Panic Disorder can be predisposed to having panic attacks in certain situations or places, although they are not frightened of the situation or place.