You may have thoughts of impending doom or a fear of dying or of going insane. You also have a series of physical symptoms such as dizziness, shortness of breath, sweatiness, or nausea. If you have panic attacks often or an ongoing fear of having another attack, you probably have panic disorder. People with panic disorder are often unable to predict when they will have panic attacks. They develop a fear of being in places or situations that might trigger an attack.
Some attacks can occur while people are asleep.
People who have panic disorder usually begin having panic attacks in their twenties. Over one million Americans have panic disorder. It is more common in women. The cause of panic disorder is not known. The disorder often runs in families and therefore may be inherited.