Anxiety Disorders - How Common Are Anxiety Attacks?

Anxiety disorders are suffered by more people than you might imagine. Many are unwilling to admit to having suffered attacks as it tends to be embarrassing and they feel that it carries a certain stigma in the eyes of some. But it is a fact that approximately 40 million adult Americans suffer from some form of anxiety or panic disorder according to NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health). It is also the number one mental health disorder treated in America, affecting more women than men.

Interestingly, anxiety attacks don't just happen when a person is awake. They often occur while sleeping which only adds to the fear of the situation and experience. Imagine waking up with tightness in your throat, your heart racing, dizziness and a feeling as though you are going to die but not knowing why. Could it have been a nightmare? But why is it happening night after night?

There are many types of disorder fitting under the umbrella term of anxiety disorder, such as panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and phobias.

In most documented cases of anxiety attacks, the sufferer seldom reports any particular event that would have triggered the onset of the attack. However, returning to the same spot where a previous attack occurred could trigger another attack. The greatest fear of a person suffering an anxiety disorder is having another attack thus making it a cruel cycle of fear.

When you experience fear it is usually aimed at a specific situation or event such as writing an exam, giving a speech, being in danger etc. However, when you experience anxiety attacks you may not be aware of what is causing your anxiety. The focal point of the attack is more internal than external making it more confusing and adding to the anxiety. This is a common theme running through each anxiety disorder.

Having an anxiety disorder need not rule your life. As you have seen by the figures from NIMH it is far more prevalent than you may have thought -- there is no need to feel shame or embarrassment.

Apart from medication there are many non-traditional forms of treatment you may like to try for your anxiety disorder. For some people anxiety attacks may be able to be controlled by learning meditation and doing yoga -- or even trying acupuncture and acupressure to deal with physical problems. Hypnosis tends to work well for phobias. Whatever your anxiety disorder there is a way to turn your life around. Take action and get some help to combat your anxiety attacks.