Anxiety and Panic Attacks
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It helps one deal with tense situations in the office, study harder for an exam, keep focused on an important speech. In general, it helps one cope. But when anxiety becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it has become a disabling disorder.
Panic attacks are sudden surges of overwhelming fear that that comes without warning and without any obvious reason. It is far more intense than having anxiety or the feeling of being \'stressed out\' that most people experience. One out of every 75 people worldwide will experience a panic attack at one time in their lives.
In any given year, about 1/3 of American adults have at least one panic attack; most of these adults never develop repeated panic attacks. This startling data means that anxiety attacks and panic attacks are the most common emotional disorders and are more common than bipolar disorder, OCD schizophrenia, PTSD, ADHD, phobias, alcohol abuse or depression. Anxiety and panic attacks also has the lowest rates - about 21% - for seeking help and finding it. Sadly these numbers are on the rise every day.