The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR)
includes panic disorder (PD) with agoraphobia among its list of anxiety disorders. This disorder is characterized by frequent, recurrent and acute attacks of anxiety. Panic attacks are described as a period of intense fear or anxiety accompanied by somatic and psychological symptoms. These symptoms include a lack of breath, tachy-
cardia, fainting, perspiration and trembling. Agoraphobia is associated with psychological anxieties including a fear of
losing control, fainting, dying, being in crowded areas, travel, and feeling ill in public places.