Panic Disorder affects billions worldwide. Anxiety and panic attacks take their toll on the lives of everyone they touch, making it difficult to perform the simplest of life’s tasks. Do you think you have this disorder? Find out below with the symptom checker:

The Symptoms of a Panic Attack:

- Flushed feelings, skin is hot

- Clammy hands and cold sweat

- Choking sensation or inability to swallow

- Tightness around ribs and chest

- Racing heart beat

- Feeling of impending doom or derealization

One of the number one misconceptions about panic disorder is that there is always a trigger like stress at work, anger, or nervousness about a specific task or person. This could not be further from the truth. Panic attacks can occur at random, without warning, thus making it a pervasive element in the life of those experiencing it. The cycle usually begins with one panic attack, and continues with many more based solely on the fear of recurrence.

When someone suffers panic in their daily life, it can lead to Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD. GAD is different from panic disorder, but usually goes hand in hand. GAD renders its victim helpless leaving the sufferer in a constant state of anxiety. The symptoms of a panic attack can often be felt constantly, but in a milder form than a full blown panic attack. GAD usually occurs after someone has suffered panic disorder, and can sometimes be more crippling, while generally be more subtle.

Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

- Constant feelings of edginess - A feeling of separation from reality - Constant fear of a panic attack that keeps you from living your life - Fear of the unknown or new situations - Constant physical symptoms (lump in throat, breathing difficulties) - Constant fear of having a medical problem regardless of a clean bill of health - Depression and a feeling that the disorder will never end

I know more than I ever wanted to about these disorders, having suffered from them for five years of my life. It is hard for friends and family to understand the fear and loneliness a sufferer feels, and can often react with anger and frustration. These reactions only serve to make the problem worse instead of improving matters.

The most important thing a sufferer should know is that they are not alone, and that their feelings of panic started because of certain mental patterns unique to the sufferer that were learned throughout their entire lives. The upside to this fact is that what was learned can be UNLEARNED. By recognizing the underlying causes, even when it seems like there is no reason at all, we can begin the process of healing our damaged psyche.

You are not losing your mind, and you are going to be just fine. The first step is to seek the help of a medical care professional to rule out any physical cause for your symptoms. The treatment for anxiety varies from person to person, and there are no “one size fits all” treatments. The ultimate elixir will come from within. When you are equipped with the skills necessary to defeat anxiety once and for all, you can rid yourself of the affliction feeling empowered with the knowledge that you helped yourself. I hope this article has given you the encouragement you need to take back your life, and finally be free of panic and anxiety! The time to LIVE is now!

If you live in constant fear, with high anxiety, you may experiencing one of the following: panic attacks, anxiety disorder, or another mental health issue. You probably live the symptoms every day and you know that when you are suffering an attack, you feel like you are going to die. You think that you are going crazy, your heart is racing, you feel light headed, like someone is choking you, you cannot get enough breath, and you have chest pains and wonder if you are having a heart attack.

About 1 in 10 people have some sort of an anxiety disorder. Some have severe panic attacks, anxiety disorder, or other conditions, and the biggest indication of this disorder is the extreme fear that a person lives. They fear that another attack could occur at any time without warning. Many hospital emergency personnel see the same people repeatedly who are sure that they are suffering from a heart attack. The symptoms of an attack can be strikingly similar, but there are important differences.

Panic attacks are part of our brain’s response to danger; however, most of us feel a small amount of anxiety that is appropriate to the situation. People who have attacks have an extreme response that is extremely out of proportion to the situation at hand. The extreme response can be brought on by intense stress or life changing events. Most of us get through the stressful times in our lives without a hitch while others will develop a full-blown disorder. The problem with this intense reaction to a perceived danger is that a person may develop a phobia around that event, place, activity or person.

If left untreated, panic attack disorder can isolate people. They no longer wish to participate in society because they do not feel safe to leave their home. They begin to draw on their immediate family and friends for support, both financial and emotional and this can take a heavy toll on those who are involved in their lives. It can be emotionally draining to be called by a person day or night, constantly seeking reassurance that they are not going to die or that everything is okay. Sometimes people who suffer panic attacks get to the point where they have to quit their jobs. This means that they are no longer economically self-sufficient and may have to apply for disability benefits. Once they are receiving disability benefits, it seems they may have little need to ever leave their home again. With today’s technology, anything can be purchased on the internet and delivered to your door from clothing to groceries. Bills can be paid online through online banking.

You can imagine how a person with absolutely no family or friends as support would fare. Even though panic attacks, anxiety disorder and similar conditions can be scary, it is very treatable and there are so many options that people should consider. If one treatment does not work, there are others that they can try and they should never stop trying until they find one that works to alleviate their suffering.

The panic attacks are a particularly frightening experience for anyone to live. Especially the first time they appear, because it’s something unprecedented. Such episodes occur suddenly and don’t last very long. Equally difficult is the period between the episodes, when people live in constant fear about when they will reappear.

The panic attacks can occur for many reasons. They are usually a symptom that occurs after a difficult period of our life. The accumulation of stress and pressure play a role. Often guilt, perfectionism and the need to please others are behind these attacks.

This disorder affects dramatically the functions of the main glands, heart, lungs, stomach, kidneys, bladder, eyes, intestines, pancreas, and large muscle groups. Hormones and other stimulants, such as adrenaline and epinephrine, fill the cells through the blood circulation. The impulse of man is to run, to get out, to escape or hide.

Symptoms of a panic attack may include:

• Rapid heartbeat
• Shortness of breath, or feeling of suffocation
• Almost paralyzing horror
• Dizziness, vertigo, or nausea
• Severe sweating
• Trembling, shaking, seizures
• Chest pain
• Hot flashes or sudden chills
• Numbness or tingling in the body
• Fear that the sufferer will “go crazy” or “die”

The characteristics of a panic attack are very specific:

• It occurs suddenly without any warning and without any way to end it.
• The level of fear is irrelevant or too disproportionate to the objective reality. It is completely independent of any external threat. It can happen even during sleep.
• It disappears within a few minutes by itself.

An anxiety attack is not really life-threatening, but can be terrifying. The panic disorder often leads to other complications such as phobias, depression, substance abuse, even suicide.

How to stop an anxiety attack:

1. Rate your fear on a scale of zero to ten and watch it go up and down. Don’t identify with the feeling of fear.
2. Notice that when you stop adding your thoughts to the panic attack, it begins to fade.
3. Do breathing exercises during the day. They can prevent the excessive hyperventilation or rapid breathing that often accompanies an attack.
4. Keep a diary of your progress and successes, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem to you. A written record can show proof of your progress. Awareness of what you have achieved will strengthen your self-confidence and create an incentive for you to continue.
5. Express yourself! Talk to a friend or write your thoughts and feelings. Be careful, however, of who you talk to. It is important that the person will listen, but not judge you. It’s a fact that communication reduces stress.
6. Find ways to have fun! Anxiety absorbs too much energy, making people forget how to have fun.
7. Find a phrase that will help you relax and repeat it, taking deep breaths.