Anxiety or Panic disorders can occur from teenage years, and it is one of the most common mental health problems in the United States. It is characterized by brief episodes of panic, often without an obvious cause, as well as physical discomforts. Whilst panic disorders can severely curtail your ability to function and perform day to day tasks, it can be coped with if you can identify the symptoms and put a halt to it from developing.

There are many causes of panic disorders, ranging from stress to major life transitions. It has been known to lead to depression. A person suffering from panic disorders is susceptible to panic attacks that are not due to existing medical conditions or substance abuse. However, people who suffer from it are rarely diagnosed accurately as it is easily attributed to social phobia. However, panic disorder is a real illness that needs medication or treatment. Learn how to identify if you are suffering from panic disorders by checking the following symptoms.

Panic Episodes
These come on suddenly and can occur in the middle of your sleep. It is often confused with a heart attack due to breath shortness and chest pains, a sense of fear and dizziness. These can be triggered by doing any new activities which are stressful or where you fear losing control.

Other Symptoms
If you suffer from panic disorder, the following symptoms are a likely clue as well. These include a racing heart or accelerated heartbeat, excessive sweating, chest pains, lightheadedness, nausea, chills or heat flushes, fear, tunnel vision, crying fits and extreme fatigue.

It is often difficult to correct diagnose panic disorder as there are certain criteria that must match. These include having serious concerns about the cause of the attacks, or concerns of it being an indicator of something more serious. This should be a prolonged and considered thought process, and not an easily dismissed offhand concern. The patient must also have some indication of a significant change in his routine or behavior following the panic attack.

If you are unsure of whether you suffer from panic disorder, or you have doubts on your doctors prescription, read through the symptoms and criteria, and make another appointment with your therapist. It is crucial that the problem is identified accurately first before any treatment can be effective in curing your problem.