Okuzeka
Psychology vocabulary · Mental Health Conditions

Panic attack

Meaning in psychology, with examples

nounCore term

In psychology, panic attack means: A sudden wave of intense fear that peaks within minutes, with physical symptoms such as a pounding heart, breathlessness and dizziness, and a fear of dying or losing control.

In Turkish: panik atak

How it is used

People have or experience panic attacks. Panic attacks can occur in many conditions; panic disorder is diagnosed when they are recurrent and unexpected and are followed by persistent worry about further attacks.

Example sentences

  1. Her first panic attack happened on a crowded train, and she thought she was having a heart attack.

  2. We drew a diagram of how his panic attacks build up from a single body sensation.

Common collocations

  • have a panic attack
  • panic disorder
  • recurrent panic attacks
  • trigger a panic attack
  • anxietyA feeling of worry, tension or fear about something that might happen, often with physical signs such as a fast heartbeat; when intense and lasting, it can be part of a disorder.
  • phobiaAn intense, lasting and out-of-proportion fear of a specific object or situation, such as spiders, heights or flying, that leads to avoidance.
  • cognitive behavioural therapyA structured, time-limited form of psychotherapy that helps people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours that keep their problems going.
  • symptomA change in thinking, feeling, behaviour or the body that a person experiences and reports, and that may point to a health problem.

More terms: Mental Health Conditions

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.