Fast Five Quiz: Holidays and Mental Health

Panic attacks are defined as a period of intense fear in which four of the 13 following symptoms develop abruptly and peak rapidly, less than 10 minutes from symptom onset:

• Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate

• Sweating

• Trembling or shaking

• Sense of shortness of breath or smothering

• Feeling of choking

• Chest pain or discomfort

• Nausea or abdominal distress

• Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint

• Derealization or depersonalization (feeling detached from oneself)

• Fear of losing control or going crazy

• Fear of dying

• Numbness or tingling sensations

• Chills or hot flashes

During the episode, patients have the urge to flee or escape and have a sense of impending doom (as though they are dying from a heart attack or suffocation).

Read more about panic disorder.

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Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.

Cite this: Stephen Soreff. Fast Five Quiz: Holidays and Mental Health - Medscape - Dec 14, 2020.