In order to be diagnosed with panic disorder in the dsm system, panic sufferers must experience repeated unexpected attacks and at least of the attacks must be followed by at least a month of persistent fear of future attacks or of the consequences of an attack.

One of the attacks must have a persistent fear. This will then lead to a DSM-V diagnosis of panic disorder. These fears can lead to agoraphobia, whereby the sufferer has a fear of leaving one's house due to the unease and embarrassment that they feel a panic episode may entail.