How the panic attack criteria count works
DSM-5 defines a panic attack as an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort that peaks within minutes, during which four or more of 13 symptoms are present. It can begin from a calm state or from an anxious one. This page lists those 13 as they stand, counts how many you check, and shows the peak timing and past-month criteria alongside the count.
The only arithmetic is counting. Nothing is weighted and nothing is converted into a score. Symptoms that are commonly reported in particular cultures, such as neck soreness or crying, are not counted toward the four. The peak timing question asks only whether the peak came within minutes, which is how the definition words it.
This tally is not a diagnosis. Panic disorder additionally requires recurrent unexpected attacks and, after at least one of them, a month or more of worry about further attacks or a change toward avoidance. That judgement is clinical. Current as of October 2026. Chest pain and a pounding heart also occur in heart disease and only medical care can rule out a cardiac cause, so chest pain you have not had before needs attention without delay.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Four or more defines a single panic attack. A diagnosis of panic disorder further requires recurrent unexpected attacks and a criterion lasting a month or more. This page shows which criteria are met and diagnoses nothing.
The official wording is within minutes. Secondary sources give 10 minutes, but this page keeps the official wording, which is why the question only asks whether the peak came within minutes or built up more slowly.
Turning a symptom count into a score means inventing the weights. No published scoring rule exists for this, so the page stops at the count and at whether each criterion is met.