But when it actually blacks out, and you can't see anything, that's probably the scariest thing. These episodes can last for a few minutes or days, Murphy said. Sometimes Murphy even panicked at home. She didn't like to be alone, she said. It's almost like you'd been hit by lightning before, and knew you were going to be hit again, but never knew where or when.
Panic disorder strikes twice as many women as men.
This was no consolation for Dyer, however. At 6 feet 4 inches and 215 pounds, the car salesman in Annapolis, Md., also in his 20s, doesn't seem like the panicky type. Dyer was also confined by his fears. He dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player. But in high school he actually turned down a shot at a college scholarship.