Anxiety Symptoms

Anxiety symptoms are meant to help our bodies detect danger and prepare us for what is coming our way.  Some people may experience chronic anxiety symptoms, which get in the way of their lives.  You may experience anxiety when you are in an unfamiliar situation, asked to do something uncomfortable or are being evaluated by someone. 

Panic attacks, on the other hand, are sudden, severe bursts of overwhelming panic and anxiety, which usually give the sufferer little or no warning that they are coming.  Panic attacks are more serious than regular anxiety attacks and do more than just give the sufferer the feeling of being really stressed out.

In the United States, about one third of American adults had at least one panic attack in the past year.  The good news about this surprising statistic is that the majority of adults that suffer from these panic attacks never see the problem develop into a pattern of regular panic attacks.  Because about 33% of Americans are affected or have been affected by panic attacks, anxiety and panic attacks are two of the most common emotional disorders in the United States.

Some of the symptoms of panic attacks are a raging heartbeat, dizziness, nausea, light-headedness, trembling, sweating, shaking, choking, being fearful of immediate death, having a paralyzing terror about something, and having difficulty breathing.

Around the world, Americans suffer from more panic disorder, on average, than people from other countries.  Worldwide the statistics for anxiety attacks are that about 1 in every 75 people will be diagnosed with having a panic disorder.  In the United States about 1 in 58 people will have the same diagnosis. 

Another not so surprising fact is that more women than men are affected by panic attacks and anxiety symptoms that are related to them.  The majority of anxiety symptoms and disorders are unfortunately more prevalent in women, and panic attacks are no different.

Those who suffer from panic attacks and anxiety symptoms are not very likely to seek medical help.  Of those who experience regular anxiety symptoms and occasional or regular panic attacks, less than one quarter seek help from a professional. 

Unfortunately, about 1.7% of the population in the United States will be diagnosed with a panic disorder.  Panic disorders are more than just having anxiety symptoms, they are anxiety symptoms to an unfortunate extreme.  Anxiety symptoms are often unpredictable to a degree, and panic attacks are even more unpredictable and can occur anywhere and at any time.