Why Would I Ever Need A Cure For Panic Attacks

Many people who first experience panic attacks are not aware of what the term is, nor the meaning of anxiety and panic disorder. When I actually became aware of panic disorders, it was quite inadvertent. I had one myself, in the middle of the night. 

I was an EMT back then, and was quite body-conscious, I understood heart rate and certain other factors, and I just knew I was having a heart attack. I woke my husband to say good-bye to him, and called 911. I felt that all my internal organs were shutting down, and felt as though I was falling, as in a nightmare. I found myself weeping, completely terrified, sweating profusely, and even sudden diarrhea. I just felt like I was really dying. 

My personal experience with anxiety and panic disorder was one of the most traumatic moments of my life. I continued to have them, and after a few more visits to the hospital, a kindly doctor took pity on me, and spent a moment explaining what a panic attack was. To say the least I was relieved. At least I could put a name on these experiences. Anxiety and panic attack disorder. OK. What do I do to stop panic attacks, then? 

The first thing I did was to call a psychiatrist and made an appointment to get panic attack treatment…I just knew there was something seriously wrong with me. When I went in to see her, she asked me if I had ever had any sort of traumatic situation in my life. Well, actually, yes I did. It was in my younger days, and being a 42 year-old woman, it amazed me that my mind would go back that far, and I would have this issue to face. 

My doctor explained that there were millions of people out there who experience the same thing, that I was not alone. I was so relieved to know that. I wanted at that point to find out what I needed to do to stop panic attacks, then. She began with some relaxation exercises, deep-breathing, meditation, and other exercises. Also, listening to Relaxation CDs and that began to put me on the road to recovery. (Somebody needs to find a real cure for panic attacks)

I will admit that it took me a while to understand that I could control the anxiety and panic disorder, and to be able to put them into effect. I knew that it was up to me to begin to stop panic attacks and be able to live without them altogether. I was on the way to recovery. 

My panic attack treatment was a success. I feel so much more in control, now, and I know that if I ever begin to have the symptoms, I can control and eliminate it from the instant it begins. What a relief! A cure for panic attacks is in my grasp.

-Jenny Walsh

Prevalence of Anxiety disorder: approximately 2.4 million Americans (NIMH)
Prevalence Rate: approx 1 in 113 or 0.88% or 2.4 million people in USA
Incidence (annual) of Panic disorder: 1.7% of US adults annually (NIMH)
Incidence Rate: approx 1 in 58 or 1.70% or 4.6 million people in USA
Incidence extrapolations for USA for Anxiety disorder: 4,624,000 per year,
385,333 per month, 88,923 per week, 12,668 per day, 527 per hour, 8 per minute, 0 per second.
Lifetime risk for Panic disorder: 3 million Americans (NIMH); 1.6% adults (USSG)
Prevalence of Anxiety disorder: Anxiety disorder strikes between 3 and 6 million Americans, and is twice as common in women as in men.1
Incidence of Panic disorder: About 1.7% of the adult U.S. population ages
18 to 54 – approximately 2.4 million Americans – has anxiety panic disorder in a given year. 2
Prevalence of Anxiety disorder discussion: Approximately 2.4 million American adults
ages 18 to 54, or about 1.7 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have anxiety disorder. 3

In the United States, 1.6 percent of the adult population, or more than 3 million people, will have anxiety panic disorder at some time in their lives.4

Prevalence statistics about Anxiety Panic disorder: The following statistics relate to the prevalence of Anxiety Panic disorder:

3 million American adults (NIMH)

1.7% of the adult U.S. population ages 18 to 54 (NIMH) 

1. excerpt from Panic Disorder: NWHIC
2. excerpt from Facts about Panic Disorder: NIMH
3. excerpt from The Numbers Count: NIMH
4. excerpt from Understanding Panic Disorder: NIMH

All of this information underscores our need for a real cure for panic attacks.

Great Tips to Overcome Shyness

Shyness is a feeling of low self worth, and will lead to lost opportunities and social connections. More than 50% of adults identify themselves as shy when surveyed, and overcoming this takes time and persistence.

If you have identified yourself as being a shy person, you have already taken the first step towards overcoming this problem. Below are a few great tips to overcome shyness.

1. Identify your Strengths and Weaknesses
This is something that everyone should do, but especially so for shy people. Whilst some people are only shy when they are the focus of all attention, others may feel shy even when meeting new people. Learn to make use of your strengths, and avoid putting yourself in situations where you will feel exposed.

2. Smile, Smile and Smile
Keep smiling so that it becomes second nature to you. Practice smiling in front of the mirror, and at your neighbors, until you are comfortable with yourself. This will help to diffuse any potentially tricky situations when meeting new people if you are shy. Often a smile will work wonders in helping you and the other party to relax, and allows for the conversation to flow from there.

3. Confidence
It is an oxymoron to ask someone who is shy to have greater confidence. However, this is not that difficult to do! Keep in mind that you are not alone in feeling shy; more than 50% of the people in the room are probably just as shy, if not more than, as you are. Think confident and you will look confident. Remember that you may be shy and nervous underneath it all, but so is everyone else in the room, and that will help you to keep your act together.

4. Prepare
If you know that you are shy and that you tend to freeze up in a conversation, prepare for it. Go through a list of topics which you are familiar with, or are comfortable talking about. If it is a social function, come prepared to talk about anything ranging from politics to dogs. If it is a business function, make sure you know all about the different companies and their representatives, or find some common business topic. The key here is to be prepared, so that you will always have something to say or add in to the conversation to keep it flowing and avoid those nasty pauses that can be fatal for shy people.

Although it is possible to overcome being shy, it is difficult to completely eradicate it. After all, even the most confident people have moments where they feel shy. Focus on one aspect of your shy persona and work on overcoming it one step at a time.

I hope this helps until a cure for panic attacks is found.