Individuals with panic disorder experience sudden fear without warning and for no apparent reason. They fear something awful is going to happen. It is an irrational fear. They think they’re going nuts or having a heart attack, and as a matter of fact, many end up in the emergency room with this misdiagnosis.
Panic attacks can be so disabling that they sometimes prevent people from leaving their homes. This is considered having a panic disorder with agoraphobia, which is a fear of open spaces.
