Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Anxiety and Panic Attacks

By Jack Collins

Although panic attacks and anxiety can be related to each other, they can also be completely separate entities with their own set of symptoms. Either of these conditions can become problematic if the symptoms escalate beyond the normal range. It is at this point, that treatment will need to be sought.

Anxiety is normal and is simply a reaction to stress. It is something that can help someone deal with tense situations in different areas of one's life, such as at work, school, or just something that requires facing a crowd of people. But if anxiety becomes a fear of everyday situations, it has become a life-changing disorder.

Anxiety attacks and panic attacks are different because a panic attack strikes without warning whilst an anxiety attacks slowly builds up. Unlike anxiety, a panic attack is an irrational fear of something that can't be named. Panic attacks rarely have an obvious reason and are more intense than the feelings of an anxiety attack.

One out of every 75 people in the world will have a panic attack at some point in their lives. The good news is that most of these adults will never have another panic attack. However, these statistics show that panic attacks and anxiety are the most common emotional disorders, even more so than bipolar disorders, ADHD, depression, OCD schizophrenia, phobias, and alcohol abuse. In addition to this, people suffering from panic and anxiety disorders rarely go looking for help with their problem.

There are some similarities between the two disorders as well as the fact that anxiety can lead to panic attacks. If you experience enough anxiety about something, it can easily become serious and intense enough to work into a full blown panic attack. This is why if you notice yourself starting to be overly anxious about something, or just life in general, it is time to seek help in getting it under control before it becomes too much for you to handle.

Panic attacks and anxiety are not pleasant and can actually become quite debilitating. However, anyone who suffers from either or both of these should take heart in knowing that there is help available to enable the person with this disorder to lead a normal life. All it takes is asking for the help you need. - 14915

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