If the same feelings of fear and horror come along with no logical reasons and when they occur in a completely secure situation (while walking on the street or enjoying a football game at the local stadium) you do not have to be an expert to realize that something is happening with your health. Experiencing a few of such episodes in a short period of time (a few days or weeks) might be an indication that the person has developed panic disorder.

At the very early stages the sufferers become very scared and confused. The physical signs of panic disorder that can include palpitations, nausea, shortness of breath, dizziness, excessive sweating, jelly legs etc. make the sufferer to think that something entirely different is happening inside their bodies. Patients usually seek help at the wrong places. They visit a whole range of various medical practitioners undergoing countless examinations because they are almost certain that the problem is with their heart, lungs, blood pressure and so on. The mental health expert is usually last on their list to visit.

While going through the panic attack patients could believe that they have some kind of the life threatening disease, they are going to faint on the spot, going insane or to lose their mind. Panic attack might occur every time when the sufferers find themselves in a specific environment or it can just strike without a clear cause regardless of the situation. A fair number of individuals suffering from panic disorder also develop agoraphobia (fright of open or jammed places from which in a case of panic attack would be hard to run away or to seek and receive help.)

Panic attacks can even hit during the sleep. Hot weather also has an affect on panic disorder because sufferers experience more panic attacks during the warm summer months. The main reasons for this are that warm weather accelerates heart beats, induces dizziness and dehydration. Also, during these months people are more likely to spend their time outdoors so there is a much higher possibility of running into unfamiliar and unpleasant situations and places.

Although the real causes of panic disorder are not known, some studies have concluded that certain kinds of people are more likely to develop this disorder than the rest of the population. This group includes people who are shy by nature and whose tendency is to be worried and over concerned about every aspect of their lives. They constantly question their own abilities and are never sure if they are good enough to complete their tasks and responsibilities. The signs of their insecurity and fears are usually noticeable from their early years (blushing, palm sweating, palpitations, not feeling comfortable in front of older, unfamiliar people or when confronted by authorities.) Those kids spend a lot of time daydreaming and imagining things and possess no agonistic spirit and behavior. During their sleep they may also experience dreadful dreams and have accidents with urinating in bed. Their perception of other persons is kind of naive because they cannot estimate the hidden intentions of mean people. Even after repetitive and numerous disappointments they do not change their behavior.

It is important to point out that panic disorder is very common medical condition in our population. Although persons that show some of the above mentioned symptoms in the early stages of their lives are in greater risk of being affected by panic disorder in their mature years, not everyone will. On the other hand, some very confident people that are energetic and have no obvious difficulties in their lives might be struck by this disorder with no warnings or a reasonable explanation.