Anxiety or panic attacks are not subjects that people like to discuss. Sometimes, they will confide in their doctors or very close friends. Ever wonder why? The person who is suffering from the anxiety attacks does not always understand why they feel the way they do, and they are afraid they might be going insane. Back in the olden days they might have believed that you actually were insane, because panic and anxiety attacks were little understood in those times.



Thank goodness, our knowledge has come a long way in the field of anxiety, and an individual is more likely to go insane if they don't address the problem. This is what I'd like to talk about.

Here are some tips and facts about Generalized Anxiety Disorder which I hope will be of some help to you.

The physical effects of Generalized Anxiety Disorder are often misinterpreted by the people suffering from them. GAD affects the body as well as the mind. In fact, many people with GAD visit their doctor with problems like sleep troubles or muscle aches without realizing these are common symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

About 5 have it in any given year.

Here are some of the more common symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

In addition to experiencing excessive, uncontrollable anxiety for 6 months or more, people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder have at least three of the symptoms listed below on more days than not.

Review this list of symptoms.

* Restlessness or a feeling of being "keyed up" or "on edge"

* Being easily fatigued

* Difficulty concentrating or a sense of your mind going blank

* Irritability

* Muscle tension

* Difficulty sleeping

Other physical symptoms associated with generalized anxiety disorder include:

* Trembling, twitching, muscle soreness

* Headaches, sweating or chills, nausea, dizziness

* Shortness of breath

* Diarrhea

* Irritable bowel syndrome

* Being easily startled

None of these symptoms are pleasant. As the feelings begin to get worse, one becomes abnormally fearful and the next thing you know...they're in a full blown panic attack.

This country prescribes more drugs like Valium, Xanax and Klonepin than any other country on earth. Most of these pills can become addictive and at best, they act like a band-aid, simply masking the problem and do not contribute to finding a cure. If you get addicted to the pills, then you have an additional problem which is equally as difficult to get rid of without your doctor's help.

If you're just plain tired of the anxiety and the panic attacks because they prevent you from doing the things you'd like to be doing and you want to be panic free, then it's time to act and start doing something about it. I promise you, it won't go away on its own.

Sick and tired of dealing with my own anxiety disorder and bouts of panic attacks, I decided that I wanted my self-esteem back...and I wanted my LIFE back. I'm not scared of everything any more and I've learned to get back into nature, because that's what I really enjoy and it always relaxes me, further easing my stress and anxiety.

I hope that in some way this has been informative...and again...if you suffer from anxiety disorders and/or panic attacks, don't wait to seek help. Remember...no matter how long you wait...this condition will not disappear on it's own.