Darcy is sitting at her desk in her office one day when, without warning, her heart begins racing rapidly, she starts sweating profusely, and she is gripped with a terrifying fear that she is about to go crazy. Nothing she is doing seems to have caused such an episode. Her symptoms most resemble

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Darcy's sudden onset of symptoms, including racing heart, sweating, and a feeling of impending doom, are characteristic of a panic attack. Phobic disorders involve a persistent and excessive fear of a specific object or situation, while post-traumatic stress involves symptoms such as intrusive memories, avoidance, and hyperarousal following exposure to a traumatic event. Compulsions involve repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed in response to obsessions. None of these descriptions fit Darcy's experience as well as a panic attack.

Darcy Is Sitting at Her Desk in Her Office One