Introduction
I. Have you ever had trouble breathing, a tingling sensation in your arms, been really dizzy, and felt as if your heart is about to fly out of your chest? A. You might have had a panic attack. B. I myself suffer from panic attacks frequently.
II. I have learned a lot about my condition over the past three years, and I did additional research for this speech.
III. Today I would like to inform you about the nature of panic attacks, the people affected most often by them, and the options for treatment.

(Transition: Let's start with the nature of panic attacks.)

Body
I. Panic attacks are a severe medical condition with a number of physical and mental symptoms. A. As defined by the National Institute of Mental Health, panic attacks involve “unexpected And repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms." 1. The attacks usually come out of nowhere and strike when least expected. 2. Their length can vary from a few minutes to several hours.

B. There are a number of symptoms common to most panic attacks. 1. Physical symptoms include a pounding heart, shortness of breath, bbbbbbbbbbbbbblightheadedness, and numbness or tingling sensations in the arms and legs. 2. Mental symptoms include acute fear, a sense of disaster or helplessness, and a hhhhhhhhhhhhhhfeeling of being detached from one's own body.

(Transition: Now that you know something about the nature of panic attacks, let's look at how widespread they are.)

II. Panic attacks affect millions of people. A. According to the American Psychiatric Association, six million Americans suffer from hhhhhhhhpanic attacks. B. Some groups have a higher