A large number of Americans (40 million) suffer from anxiety disorders, according to NIMH (the National Institute of Mental Health).
This is 18% of the population!
If you suffer from anxiety, the things to take away from this statistic are: anxiety is a real disease and you are not alone.
There are actually 5 types of anxiety disorders, and the symptoms with all of them are all about irrational fear, ie, fear, where there is actually nothing to really be afraid of:
* panic disorder,
* obsessive compulsive disorder,
* post-traumatic stress disorder – PTSD,
* social phobia,
* specific phobias, and
* generalized anxiety disorder
We will focus on panic or anxiety attacks, which the doctors call panic disorder.
6 million Americans suffer from anxiety attacks, affecting all ages and genders, but the highest risk is for women who are between childhood and middle age. While some people experience a single panic attack and never see another one, for most people the problem lasts 6 months to several years.
Anxiety attacks are sudden attacks of terror, where you lose touch with reality, and feel an impending sense of doom. Panic attacks can occur when you are sleeping or awake. While some symptoms can last several hours, the intense feelings usually peak in about 10 minutes.
Physical symptoms include:
* a very rapid heart rate
* overall sweatiness
* weakness
* feeling faint
* feeling dizzy
* feeling chilled or flush
* tingling or numbing feelings
* feeling nausea
* chest pain
* feeling smothered.
Being scared of ones own physical symptoms is very common with anxiety attacks. People having panic attacks sometimes believe they are losing their minds, having heart attacks, minds, or on the verge of death. They can worry intensely about when the next attack will come.
Panic attacks often are accompanied by other problems, such as depression. Symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness or hopelessness, alcoholism and drug abuse, changes in appetite or sleep patterns, low energy, and difficulty concentrating.
People who have several repeated anxiety attacks often avoid situations or places where such attacks have occurred.
For example, if an anxiety attack happened in a social situation, someone with panic disorder can develop a strong aversion to social situations.
Some peoples lives become so restricted that they avoid normal activities, such as driving or grocery shopping. About one-third become housebound, and are only able to confront what they fear when with someone else. This extreme condition is called agoraphobia, or fear of open spaces.
Early treatment can prevent agoraphobia. Unfortunately, many people with panic disorder are not diagnosed. They can sometimes go from doctor to doctor for years and visit the emergency room repeatedly before someone correctly understands their condition.
I had a similar experience with panic attacks:
My first anxiety attack was at age 21 and continued for several years. I felt this impending disaster coming but did not know what. My physical symptoms included feeling dizzy and smothering sensations.
My doctor started me on drugs, and while they made me feel temporarily better, they didn’t stop the attacks. Because of the nasty side effects (and the huge expenses), I eventually stopped using the tranquilizers.
I then tried deep breathing and exercise, but neither stopped my panic attacks.
I then stopped flying, driving, and social encounters for about 3 years.
I finally found a way to stop these anxiety attacks. I am eternally grateful that they have stopped. I hope to help other so they don’t have to suffer as I did.
