Bungee jumping Point out differences in the participants responses, thank them and allow them to return to their seats. Everyone experiences periods of anxiety from time to time. These feelings of anxiety are perfectly natural and normal. However, sometimes this normal physiological and psychological response can become a disorder with far-reaching consequences. This can best be described as a feeling of sudden intense fear without any apparent cause.
Some theorists view panic attacks as the 'fight or flight' response gone haywire.
Sometimes a panic or anxiety disorder leads to avoidance. The person becomes afraid of having panic attacks in certain situations, so they avoid those situations. Some people avoid crowded places while others are afraid to drive. In its most severe form, agoraphobia sufferers become house-bound because they are afraid to leave their homes. It has only been in the last few years that the American Psychiatric Association has recognized anxiety or panic attacks as a separate malady, and now several studies have been undertaken to investigate causes, symptoms and treatment.