What do we mean by Panic?

Almost everyone feels anxious at some time in their lives; it is common to become anxious in situations such as a job interview, an examination or a public speaking engagement and mild anxiety of this type is so common it is not usually a cause for concern.  For some people, however, anxiety symptoms are so severe and persistent that they can become disabling; people with such intense anxiety are often suffering from an anxiety disorder.  In some cases, people can develop episodes of sudden and overwhelming anxiety, known as panic attacks, with physical symptoms so severe that the sufferer may feel they are having a heart attack or losing their mind.  When a person experiences repeated panic attacks, or when the fear of panic attacks becomes an extreme preoccupation, they are suffering from panic disorder.