You may be suffering from panic disorder if you:

1.  Experience frequent, unexpected panic attacks that aren’t tied to a specific situation.

2.  Worry a lot about having another panic attack.

3.  Are behaving differently because of the panic attacks, such as avoiding places where you’ve previously panicked.

While a single panic attack may only last a few minutes, the effects of the experience can leave a lasting imprint. If you have panic disorder, the recurrent panic attacks take an emotional toll. The memory of the intense fear and terror that you felt during the attacks can negatively impact your self-confidence and cause serious disruption to your everyday life. Eventually, this leads to the following panic disorder symptoms:

1.  Anticipatory anxiety – Instead of feeling relaxed and normal in between panic attacks, you feel anxious and tense. This anxiety stems from a fear of having future panic attacks. This “fear of fear” is present most of the time, and can be extremely disabling.

2.  Phobic avoidance – You begin to avoid certain situations or environments. This avoidance may be based on the belief that the situation you’re avoiding caused a previous panic attack. Or you may avoid places where escape would be difficult or help would be unavailable if you had a panic attack. Taken to its extreme, phobic avoidance becomes agoraphobia.
If you feel that you have panic disorder, speak to your doctor first to eliminate any physical problems.   The good news is that panic attacks and panic disorder can be treated by a qualified therapist.   Have a look at this link for an effective online programme.

Related reading:

Panic disorder – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurring severe panic attacks. It may also include significant behavioral changes lasting at least a month and …