Ataque de Pânico

Abstract

A panic attack is, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) (2016), a sudden outbreak of fear or intense discomfort, during which the individual presents 4 or more physical and/or cognitive symptoms that are listed in table 1. Panic attack is not a mental disorder, in fact it is a specifier and can accompany several psychiatric conditions such as panic disorder, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and clinical conditions such as cardiac, respiratory and gastrointestinal involvement. The attack can happen from an anxious or calm state and can be classified as an expected panic attack, when there is an obvious or expected trigger, while an unexpected attack happens when there is no obvious trigger. According to Sadock, Sadock and Ruiz (2017), the 6-month prevalence of panic attacks varies in the general population from 3 to 6%, with the average age of onset being 25 years and is more prevalent in women, the only factor that presented significance for the event is a recent history of divorce.