Panic attack

Panic attacks are periods of intense fear or apprehension of sudden onset accompanied by bodily or cognitive symptoms (such as heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, or feelings of unreality) of variable duration from minutes to hours. For example, if a child becomes extremely anxious over a thunderstorm, they may overreact and isolate themselves from the world. If it becomes too intense with no one to calm them down, it can lead to a panic attack. Panic attacks usually begin abruptly and may reach a peak within 10 to 20 minutes but may continue for hours in some cases. Panic attacks are not dangerous and should not cause any physical harm.