Table 1.

Diagnostic criteria for panic disorder, according to DSM-IV TR (APA 2000)

Recurrent unexpected panic attacks* At least one of the attacks has been followed by 1 month (or more) of one ( or more) of the following: -persistent concern about having additional attacks; -worry about the implication of the attack or its consequences; -a significant change in behaviour related to the attacks. The panic attacks are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance or a general medical condition The panic attacks are not better accounted for by another mental disorder, such as social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, or separation anxiety disorder

^*

A discrete period of intense fear or discomfort, in which four (or more) of the following symptoms developed abruptly and reached a peak within 10 minutes:

1. palpitation, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate;
2. sweating;
3. trembling or shaking;
4. sensation of shortness of breath or smothering;
5. feeling of choking;
6. chest pain or discomfort;
7. nausea or abdominal distress;
8. feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded or faint;
9. derealization or depersonalisation;
10. fear of loosing control or going crazy;
11. fear of dying.