Which best describes the course of Panic Disorder?

• A. A single episode
• B. Unremitting, with rare spontaneous remissions
• C. Gradual improvement
• D. Rapid fluctuations

Answer: (B)

Panic Disorder typically follows a chronic course rather than a one-and-done event. In many people, panic attacks recur and the symptoms can persist for a long period, with functional impairment and ongoing fear of having another attack. Remissions can occur, but they’re relatively uncommon without treatment. That makes the description of an ongoing condition with rare spontaneous remissions the best fit for how this disorder usually unfolds. The idea of a single episode doesn’t capture the recurrent nature, gradual improvement isn’t the usual natural history, and rapid, unpredictable fluctuations aren’t the standard pattern either.