Sudden overwhelming feelings of fear or anxiety, often occurring without apparent cause. Can refer to individual episodes or mass hysteria affecting groups of people.
From Greek 'panikos' meaning 'of Pan', the god whose sudden appearance was believed to cause irrational fear. The term entered English in the 17th century, initially describing terror without obvious cause.
The connection to Pan, the Greek god of the wild, reflects ancient understanding that some fears are primal and inexplicable - what we now call panic attacks were once attributed to divine intervention. Modern psychology recognizes that panic often serves an evolutionary purpose, preparing the body for immediate flight from danger, even when that danger is imaginary.
Panic has been historically coded as emotional, feminine weakness (contrasting with masculine 'reason'); mass panics blamed on women's 'hysteria.'
Use neutrally to describe crowd behavior or financial crises. Avoid stereotyping panic responses by gender.
["crises","surges","rushes"]
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