DSM-5 Case Studies Practice Test

Panic disorder is defined by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks and a lasting concern about having more attacks, often with a change in behavior to avoid situations that might trigger them. In this case, the woman experiences sudden surges of fear with physical symptoms such as sweating, trembling, and shortness of breath, and she worries about experiencing another attack. That worry leads her to avoid places or situations where attacks have occurred, producing impairment. This pattern—episodic panic plus anticipatory anxiety and avoidance that disrupts functioning—fits panic disorder. Generalized Anxiety Disorder would involve chronic, broad worry across many areas rather than discrete panic episodes. Agoraphobia would center on fear of being in places where escape might be difficult, often with broader avoidance of multiple settings, whereas the core feature here is the panic attacks themselves and the fear of future attacks. Specific phobia involves a fear of a specific object or situation unrelated to panic attacks.