What is "panic attack"

n. A sudden period of intense anxiety, mounting physiological arousal, fear, stomach problems and discomfort that are associated with a variety of somatic and cognitive symptoms.

n. a sudden attack of fear [syn: scare]

Panic attacks are periods of intense fear or apprehension of sudden onset accompanied by bodily or cognitive symptoms (such as heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, or feelings of unreality) of variable duration from minutes to hours. For example, if a child becomes extremely anxious over a thunderstorm, they may overreact and isolate themselves from the world. If it becomes too intense with no one to calm them down, it can lead to a panic attack. Panic attacks usually begin abruptly and may reach a peak within 10 to 20 minutes but may continue for hours in some cases. Panic attacks are not dangerous and should not cause any physical harm.

The effects of a panic attack vary. Some, notably first-time sufferers, may call for emergency services. Many who experience a panic attack, mostly for the first time, fear that they are having a heart attack or a nervous breakdown. Common psychological features associated with panic attacks include the fear of impending death or loss of sanity, and depersonalisation is relatively common.

Panic attacks are of acute onset, and acute debilitation (generally severe) may be followed by a period of residually impaired psychological functioning. Repeated panic attacks are considered a symptom of panic disorder. Screening tools such as the Panic Disorder Severity Scale can be used to detect possible cases of disorder and suggest the need for a formal diagnostic assessment.

A panic attack is an episode of intense fear and discomfort.

Panic attack may refer to:

• "Panic Attack" (The Paddingtons song), by The Paddingtons
• "Panic Attack", a song from Dream Theater's 2005 album Octavarium
• "Panic Attack!", a song from The Fall of Troy's 2009 album '' In the Unlikely Event
• Panic Attack (EP), by Grinspoon
• Panic Attack (robot) from TV series Robot Wars
• Ataque de Pánico! (Spanish for Panic Attack!), a 2009 science fiction short film about a robot attack on Montevideo, Uruguay

Panic Attack was a robot that competed in the British television show Robot Wars. In Series 2, it was just a box, with a set of electrically powered lifting forks, powered by a homemade system. It was emblazoned with the image of a spider. The spider was the result of a school competition to come up with a design of something that made you panic. A 12-year-old girl designed the spider. With his prize money from Series 2, Kim built a newer machine. This one had a srimech (self-righting mechanism), a new body shape, and more effective forks, which were capable of completely overturning opposing machines. The top-mounted self-righting mechanism proved to be unreliable, and was eventually removed. Added in Series 4 were a set of side "skirts" to prevent all but the lowest of robots from getting underneath it, as well as sloping sides. The fourth model had improved skirts, and the srimech was updated to a top flipper, which was the favourite with the driver Kim Davies, who stated it was, in his opinion, the best version.

Panic Attack was constructed in Cwmbran, Wales.

The Series 6 version was flatter, with silver forks and painted gold as opposed to yellow, as the team had run out of yellow paint when the time came to paint it. As a result, this model was unofficially, but universally nicknamed Panic Attack Gold. For Series 7, the fourth model was reused, with the addition of a rear skirt, and with the srimech being replaced by an anti-hammer cushioned top.

The robot competed in Series 2-7 of Robot Wars, winning the second series and making the semi-finals in three other wars. It also won the "Sumo Basho" competition in Series 4, meaning that it was the only machine to defeat Shunt in this event twice. Panic Attack was one of the longest appearing robots, appearing in six wars and two extremes. Although the only grand champion never to reach another Grand Final, Panic Attack reached the most Semi-Finals of all Grand Champions at four.

Panic Attack's signature move was to slip beneath a robot, using its forks to get a grip inside the opponent's armour, wheels or other openings, before driving into the pit release button and pushing it down the pit. It achieved this many times, against robots like Axe Awe, S.M.I.D.S.Y., Manta and Kat 3.

The team also entered Panic Attack in one season of Battlebots, losing out to Frenzy. They returned next season with Scallywag, a wedge-shaped lifter with a colour scheme similar to Panic Attack.

As champion of Series 2 and a good contestant in later wars, Panic Attack was one of the competitor robots immortalized in plastic when the Robot Wars toys were released. A 'Minibot' toy plus a working pullback with flipping spikes and a 'Pitstop' toy were released.

Panic Attack is an EP released by the Australian rock band Grinspoon in March 2003. The EP was originally released by itself, but also appeared as a bonus disc with a re-release version of an earlier studio album, New Detention, on 10 March 2003. The EP was developed after Grinspoon recorded a cover of the INXS hit, " Don't Change" for the soundtrack of an Australian film, Danny Deckchair (May 2003). Its recording and release were relatively rushed between New Detentions first appearance in June 2002 and their next studio album Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills in September 2004.

Band member Pat Davern described the four tracks to Greg Lawrence of WHAMMO website: for "Don't Change" he said "We did the cover, basically for Livid", the group had appeared at that festival in the previous October-November; "Off Piste" was "a new track"; while both "Boredom" and "Fall Away" were "B-sides from the New Detention sessions. We decided to hang on to them for whatever we released in the future". The band supported its appearance with their Don't Panic Tour, using 28 Days as a support act. Panic Attack reached No. 13 on the ARIA Singles Chart

"Panic Attack" is a song by British rock band The Paddingtons, released on 4 April 2005. It is the first single to be taken from their début album First Comes First. Overall, it is the band's second single behind " 21", which was released the previous year, and which was re-recorded for First Comes First.

Released on three formats and peaking at #25 on the UK Singles Chart, the single featured three new songs, including a covers of The Vaselines' "Molly's Lips" and Great Big Sea's "Yarmouth Town", as well as an original B-side, "Keep Your Distance".