Case Study 6: A 28-year-old woman was walking through her local shopping mall when she began to feel intensely anxious. The anxiety was accompanied by sensations of choking, smothering, and a sudden sense that the people and stores around her were unreal. She began to fear that she was going crazy and the more she worried about this the more anxious she became. A guard, seeing that she was in distress, brought her to the mall office where she was able to lie down. A few minutes later the symptoms began to subside. She went home after leaving the mall but she did not tell her husband what happened. A week later she had a similar attack while she was walking down the street. She was able to reach her house where she lay down until the attack ended. In the following three weeks she had two or more attacks. Between attacks she was constantly worried about having another attack. The patient was finally forced to tell her husband about the problem because she was so fearful of not being able to get help if an attack
occurred that she would not leave her house alone or travel on public transportation.

I would diagnose this patient with a case of Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia. due to the recurrent unexpected panic attacks, persistent concern about having additional attacks and worrying about telling her husband. She also displays the physical symptoms of choking, smothering as well as feeling as if the store around her was unreal. 

The patient should try to take her panic one step at a time. Panic attacks are often consist of multiple sensations and scary thoughts tat are overwhelming if taken together, but if dealt with separately the attack can be dealt with far easier. The patient should also consider receiving professional help.