A panic attack is a feeling of overwhelming fear and terror that suddenly hits you without warning and for no apparent reason. Experiencing a panic attack is frightening since it can seem like youre having a heart attack, losing control or even dying! Though panic attacks usually peak in ten minutes, the consequences can be devastating. It can leave you in mortal fear of experiencing another panic episode. Once dismissed as stress or a case of nerves, today panic attacks have thankfully been recognized as a real medical condition. Experts define panic attacks as an intense recurring spasm of panic that starts... below the breastbone and seems to spread like a white hot flame... passing through the chest, up the spine, into the face, down the arms and even down into the groin to the tips of the toes. It can start with a tingling feeling that enters the head, leading to dizziness and nausea. Episodes of panic are sometimes accompanied by lightheadedness and a sensation of fading out from the world.