Panic and Anxiety attacks can be horrifying experiences and are much more common place than the person who suffers from them thinks. Depending on what research you read they either strike more than 10 million people or affect as many as 15% of all adults. Whichever number is looked at. I am sure you will agree with me that this problem that effects women more than men is massive.

Anxiety and Panic disorders becomes classified as a mental illness when the condition causes enough distress to reduce ones ability to function socially, occupationally, or psychologically. During a panic attack, unless you were medically educated, you might think you were having a heart attack, or some other form of medical crisis. Although when they get to this level they are both considered psychiatric conditions, they can be the easiest of all to treat and in most cases are highly treatable. Anxiety and panic attacks are an emotional and physical reaction to a threat, whether that threat is real or perceived. The attacks are often associated with shallow, rapid patterns of breathing and can respond to muscle relaxation techniques and breathing exercises that form a part of many complementary therapies.

It doesn't matter from what walk of life you come from anxiety and panic attacks are non discriminatory and they appear in situations where your usual skills and talents seem to make no difference, so telling yourself to calm down, doesn't work that well. The attacks seem to be self-perpetuating and they need prompt and effective intervention. Although anxiety and panic attacks are similar, panic attacks are more high pitched than anxiety.

Anxiety and panic attacks are very frightening and very real to the person suffering the attack and no matter what anybody says they are medical conditions as real to the person as if they were suffering from heart disease. Although they are very scary once you stop letting the fears take over, you'll feel more in control. Which is the first step in recovery. You may be particularly vulnerable to anxiety and panic attacks if you are suffering from medical conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, severe pain or medical obesity.

Symptoms can include but are not limited to are: Rapid heart beat, palpitations (awareness of your heart beating), raised blood pressure feeling of tightness in the chest, breathlessness and hyperventilation (rapid, shallow breathing) sweating, pallor, chest pains, feelings of light-headedness and dizziness. Shaking and trembling pins and needles (caused by hyperventilation) usually in hands or feet. Feeling of intense fear and/or impending doom headaches and muscular aches and pains. Insomnia, irritability, nightmares fatigue digestive disturbances, e.g.nausea and/or vomiting, abdominal pain anddiarrhoea. Feeling cut off from yourself and other people, fear of dying, desensitization, depersonalization, feeling of unreality, depression, numbness and difficulty falling or staying asleep. symptoms of panic attacks, feelings of unreality, bodily sensations, body muscles, nausea and diarrhoea, natural instinct, flight reaction, derealisation, muscle tension, abdominal distress, tightness in chest, pounding heart,

Anxiety and panic attacks are a relatively short period of very intense fear and can start with an unpleasant feeling in the throat and a sudden shortness of breath. Anxiety and panic attacks usually last for 10 minutes but more severe attacks may last up to two hours. They may be part of an underlying anxiety disorder such as phobias (irrational fear of, for example, crowds or open spaces), obsessive compulsive disorder (recurrent thoughts and repetitive behaviour), post-traumatic stress, depression or other psychological problems. Or anxiety can come about as a result of pressure at work, in school, at home or even when having a major event or change in your life like death of loved one or divorce.

Anxiety and panic attacks are disorders and although you might be able to put a quick fix together during attacks it is important that you find treatment to free yourself from this disorder and eliminate anxiety and panic attacks permanently. Anxiety medication may not work as it may mask the symptoms and when you stop taking the medication the attacks generally flare back up again. Ultimately because anxiety medication is superficial, it doesn't treat the root cause of your anxiety.