Which anxiety disorder is characterized by recurrent, uncued panic attacks?

Panic disorder is specifically characterized by recurrent and unexpected panic attacks, which are sudden periods of intense fear or discomfort that occur without any obvious trigger. Individuals with panic disorder often experience a range of physical and psychological symptoms during these attacks, such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, and feelings of unreality or fear of losing control. The unpredictability of these attacks contributes significantly to the anxiety experienced by individuals, as they may begin to worry excessively about when the next attack will occur, leading to avoidance behaviors and further exacerbation of anxiety.

In contrast, social anxiety disorder primarily involves anxiety in social situations due to fear of embarrassment or negative evaluation. Separation anxiety disorder is marked by excessive fear or anxiety concerning separation from attachment figures, and phobic disorder involves intense fear of specific objects or situations, typically triggered by exposure to the phobic stimulus. Therefore, panic disorder is uniquely identifiable by its feature of recurrent, uncued panic attacks.