Anxiety and the Pressure From an Anxiety Attack
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). 40 million adults in the U.S. are affected by anxiety but only one-third receive treatment for the disorder.
Melanie McKinnon is one of those 40 million who suffers from anxiety. In her article “What It’s Like to Have an Anxiety Attack” on Huffington Post, she says that she generally experiences an anxiety attack about once a week. She knows when an attack is coming on because she starts to feel jittery, her hands begin to tingle, and her mind starts to race. Other symptoms of an anxiety attack are:
- overwhelming panic
- feeling of losing control
- chest pain
- trouble breathing
- feeling like you’re going to pass out
- shaking
- nausea
- stomach cramps
- hyperventilation
Melanie has learned how to deal with the pressure from anxiety attacks and is able to calm herself down by taking deep breaths and talking herself out of it by saying things such as “You are OK.”
Click HERE to read her full story.