By Dr LYM

I've heard about panic disorders. What are they? Does it mean a disorder where one panics easily all the time?

First of all, we must understand what a panic attack is. A panic attack is what you experience in a period of intense fear or discomfort. It comes on suddenly, and you don't really understand why, because it is often in a place you are familiar with and there seems to be nothing threatening around.

But when the panic attack comes, it is as though you are really being threatened by something. So your body's adrenaline starts flowing. In a panic attack, you may experience:

• Sweating
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Feeling of a rapid or pounding pulse/heart beat (palpitations)
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Feeling unsteady
• Choking sensation
• Numbness or tingling in your hands, feet or legs
• Chills or hot flashes
• Faintness
• Trembling or shaking
• Nausea or abdominal pains, cramping
• Feeling unreal or disconnected
• Fear of losing control, going crazy, or dying

It's of course rare to experience all of these at one go. But people who have panic attacks sometimes think they have a heart attack.