The first sign that your anxiety has reached an unmanageable stage and is slowly sliding into psychological disorder category is when your anxiety makes normal day to day functioning difficult. If you can’t get out of your house because of some underlying fears, if you get choked and feel nauseated and claustrophobic when you are in a public space, then you know that your anxiety disorder needs some serious help.

Of course, a lot of people go through their lives feeling anxious at different intervals of time. In such a case, it does not necessarily have to be an anxiety disorder. However, when such a feeling persists for days to months on end without any forseeable solution, then you have to question if you are suffering from a psychological disorder.

Usually, a patient suffering from an anxiety disorder will display certain physical symptoms too. Digestive problems and muscular pain for no particular reason are two of the most common physical symptoms of a panic disorder. If you have trouble sleeping, it can be read as another symptom.

Recognizing these symptoms early and seeking an effective treatment for the same is one of the best ways to combat an anxiety disorder.

The symptoms of a panic attack might vary from person to person, but there are a few common characteristics shared by most sufferers (including me). These include:

1. Excessive sweating
2. Trembling or shaking, especially in the extremities (hands, feet)
3. Excessive palpitation; increased heart rate
4. Shortness of breath
5. Pain in the chest, discomfort while breathing.
6. Nausea
7. A sense of loss of control, or fear of losing sanity
8. Feeling of impending doom
9. Light-headedness

If you suffer from any one of these, it doesn’t necessarily have to be because of an underlying anxiety/panic disorder. Many times, because of easily explainable factors such as worplace related stress, financial distress, an impending college exam, an important job interview, the body might display certain conditions that match the symptoms listed above. In such a scenario, don’t lose too much sleep over it.

When your body displays these symptoms without any apparent, logical and comprehensible reason, you should consider it a serious medical issue and consult a doctor. You may be suffering from a panic/anxiety disorder issue.