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Research has found that in the USA alone over 20 million people suffer the debilitating effects of anxiety and panic attacks. Many of these people are sadly phobbed off with that old cliche 'it's all in your mind' when they broach the subject with friends and colleagues.

Let's have a look at the most commonly asked questions concerning anxiety and panic attacks. Reading through these will help you to sort the fact from the fiction if you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks yourself, or you know someone who does.

Does the medical profession fully recognise how serious anxiety and panic attacks can be?

Generally, yes. There will always be differences of opinion amongst medical professionals, but anxiety attacks are now classified as mental disorders and doctors do recognise how debilitating and life-affecting these can be for sufferers.

What causes anxiety and panic attacks?

The two major causes are fear and stress. It is generally accepted that our lives are becoming more and more stressful. Home environment and the pressures of the workplace are two of the major anxiety and panic inducers that most of us are subject to in our daily lives. How your mind handles this stress will determine whether you suffer from anxiety and panic attacks.

Is there a cure for anxiety and panic attacks?

It is certainly true that you can change the way you react to the stressful situations you are subject to. Changing the way you react to stress is the key to controlling your anxiety and panic attacks. Re-programming your mind to deal with stress in a different way is how you learn to deal with anxiety and panic.

What is the main symptom most anxiety sufferers experience?

A tightness in the chest and associated breathing difficulty is a general symptom experienced by large numbers of panic attack sufferers. The key to getting through it is to take back control. The feeling of not being in control is the catalyst that leads to an ever-downward spiral into anxiety and panic. How do you take back control? Begin by getting your breathing under control. Take deep breaths, breathe deeply in, hold it for a few seconds and then breathe slowly out. Repeat this for about five minutes. Doing this gently and slowly will slow your heart rate down which in turn will lead to your feeling calmer.

What can you do to find a solution longterm?

Longterm, if you genuinely want to find a solution to your anxiety, you need to work out what your major fears are and learn to face them. When you successfully do this these fears will cease to have the kind of hold over you that they currently do. This in turn will ensure that when once-fearful situations arise in the future you will no longer experience the feelings of anxiety and panic that you once did.

Let's face it, all of us face stress daily as we live our lives. You're never going to get rid of that. The good news is that you can learn to cope with stress by changing the way you react to it and when you do this successfully you'll find your anxiety and panic attacks gradually become a thing of the past.