In panic disorder, panic attacks peak within how many minutes?

• A. 5 minutes
• B. 10 minutes
• C. 15 minutes
• D. 20 minutes

Answer: (B)

Panic attacks surge rapidly and reach their maximum intensity within a short, typical window—about 10 minutes. This quick peak is a defining feature of panic symptoms: the body’s fight-or-flight response escalates to a crest during roughly the first ten minutes before gradually diminishing. While individual experiences vary, the standard understanding places the peak around ten minutes, making that timeframe the best estimate among common options.

Five minutes would be a shorter peak than is usually described for a classic panic attack, while fifteen or twenty minutes extend beyond the usual peak period and suggest a different pacing of distress rather than the rapid surge characteristic of panic attacks.