An anxiety attack can happen to anyone. It is usually sudden and sometimes a very intense occurrence of fear, anxiety and panic. They may have no real triggers and appear pretty random but they are actually the result of a lot of factors. Recurring stresses may be the issue or something traumatic are just a few things that may be causing the attacks. Left untreated it will eventually lead to a devastated person who is afraid of everything and that leaves a foothold for depression to set in. Do you know how many different types of anxiety there are? The following are the most common. Did you know that you can experience more than one of them at the same time?
- Generalized anxiety disorder (excessive worry for a period of over 6 months)
- Social anxiety (anxiety in social situations causing considerable distress)
- Panic disorder (attacks that occur unexpectedly and repeatedly leaving you in fear when the next attack will happen. Most people experience the first attack between 15 and 19yrs old)
- Phobias (exaggerated and unrealistic fear of a non-threatening situation)
- Agoraphobia (when a person feels intensely anxious about being trapped in certain situations from which they can’t easily escape)
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (obsessive thoughts and ritualistic behaviors)
It is estimated that anxiety affects approximately 1 in 10 people and is twice as common in women as in men. It can begin at any age, even childhood but the average age of onset is 31 years old.
So what does Anxiety feel like?
- Sense of dread or panic
- Heart racing
- Difficulty breathing
- Heart palpitations
- Sweating
- Pale
- Body trembles
- Feeling cold or chilled
- Sense of detachment or things not appearing real
- Sleep disturbances
- Feeling nauseous
- Numbness or tingling
- Chest pains
- Dizziness
- Fear of dying
When experiencing anxiety or panic it’s like a violent attack on our body. A key factor in winning your battle with anxiety is learning how to relax. Try meditation tapes, Barry Joe McDonagh’s Panic Away program, pray, listen to soothing music or find a support group. The most important thing to do is to try something different so that you can get a different result. Nothing will EVER change if you keep doing the same thing or nothing at all!
I found Barry Joe McDonagh’s Panic Away program the most effective, and it was extremely beneficial to incorporate the other things mentioned above to help me overcome anxiety! His techniques are simple to add into your daily routine and he provides a lot of useful information – being a long time anxiety sufferer himself, he made me feel very comfortable and reassured that he knew what he was talking about and could really relate to what we are all going through.
You don’t have to go through it alone, take the first step, accept the help and learn how to live an anxiety free life!
