Panic attacks can happen to almost anyone at anytime. These attacks can come on without warning and last anywhere from a few minutes to almost 1/2 an hour. It's important to be able to recognize the symptoms of a panic attack.
A panic attacks is usually both physical and mental. mental in the sense that you have the panic and it's uncontrolled, while physical symptoms are real and present. Panic has often been associated with depression and anxiety but in reality can be both a symptom of other mental disorders or a disorder all it's own. Anxiety panic disorders are not uncommon and affect literally millions of people each year.
Specific phobia -- A type of phobia characterized by extreme fear of an object or situation that is not harmful under normal conditions.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy -- A method of treating psychiatric disorders based on the idea that the way we think about the world and ourselves (our cognitions) affects our emotions and behavior.
Chronic -- A term used to describe long-term persistence. In some mental health disorders, chronic is specified as persisting for six months or longer.