In Brief:
It was David Clarke who coined the phrase ?catastrophic misinterpretations? in order to describe the bodily sensations experienced by people who panic. Clarke suggests the misinterpretation of bodily sensations is the cause of panic events and that changes in bodily sensations usually preceded an episode of panic. Critics argue that Clarke's model requires some active awareness of bodily sensation that cannot occur during sleep. Barlow's model shares many similarities with Clarke's as to the manner in which bodily sensations are interpreted. One characteristic of panic disorder is high levels of anxiety sensitivity, characterized by high levels of vigilance to one's own bodily sensations that signal a threat.
