Many people like yourself suffer with chronic anxiety disorder and you just don’t know it. When the anxiety gets really bad, anxiety can turn into viscious panic attacks. Learning how to deal with chronic anxiety disorder and panic disorder can be very tricky, but it can be overcome.

Here is a great article that you might find very useful…

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How to Deal Effectively with Anxiety By Garrett Coan

Every human feels anxiety on occasion; it is a part of life. All of us know what it is like to feel worry, nervousness, fear, and concern. We feel nervous when we have to give a speech, go for a job interview, or walk into our boss’s office for the annual performance appraisal. We know it’s normal to feel a surge of fear when we unexpectedly see a photo of a snake or look down from the top of a tall building. Most of us manage these kinds of anxious feelings fairly well and are able to carry on with our lives without much difficulty. These feelings don’t disrupt our lives.

But millions of people (an estimated 15% of the population) suffer from devastating and constant anxiety that severely affects their lives, sometimes resulting in living in highly restricted ways. These people experience panic attacks, phobias, extreme shyness, obsessive thoughts, and compulsive behaviors. The feeling of anxiety is a constant and dominating force that disrupts their lives. Some become prisoners in their own homes, unable to leave to work, drive, or visit the grocery store. For these people, anxiety is much more than just an occasional wave of apprehension.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

An anxiety disorder affects a person’s behavior, thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations. The most common anxiety disorders include the following:

Social anxiety or social phobia is a fear of being around other people. People who suffer from this disorder always feel self-conscious around others. They have the feeling that everyone is watching them and staring at them, being critical in some way. Because the anxiety is so painful, they learn to stay away from social situations and avoid other people. Some eventually need to be alone at all times, in a room with the door closed. The feeling is pervasive and constant and even happens with people they know.

People who have social anxiety know that their thoughts and fears are not rational. They are aware that others are not actually judging or evaluating them at every moment. But this knowledge does not make the feelings disappear.

Panic disorder is a condition where a person has panic attacks without warning. According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, about 5% of the adult American population suffers from panic attacks. Some experts say that this number is actually higher, since many people experience panic attacks but never receive treatment.

Common symptoms of panic include:

• Racing or pounding heart
• Trembling
• Sweaty palms
• Feelings of terror
• Chest pains or heaviness in the chest
• Dizziness and lightheadedness
• Fear of dying
• Fear of going crazy
• Fear of losing control
• Feeling unable to catch one’s breath
• Tingling in the hands, feet, legs, or arms

A panic attack typically lasts several minutes and is extremely upsetting and frightening. In some cases, panic attacks last longer than a few minutes or strike several times in a short time period.

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There’s a party coming up. Everyone’s been looking forward to it for weeks. After all, they’re all going to be there, having a good time. But you can’t get excited for the party. While everyone else is expecting to have a great time eating and visiting, you are simply wondering how you might be able to get out of it. It’s not that you don’t like these people, or that you’re stuck up. You would love to be as excited as everyone else. You would love to go to the party and flow effortlessly from one witty conversation to the next. This probably seems pretty unlikely to you, though, and instead of anticipating the social interaction, you are dreading it.

Unfortunately, you suffer from chronic anxiety disorder. The thought of interacting with all of those people leaves you feeling nervous and afraid. Perhaps you just feel a general sense of discomfort when contemplating being around other people. This is very common among those with chronic anxiety disorder. You may even fear that you will suffer a full-blown panic attack. While panic attacks are often the sign of an acute anxiety disorder, they can certainly manifest as symptoms of chronic anxiety disorder as well. For many people, the fear of having a panic attack becomes emotionally entwined with the social situation, and they begin to dread the activity because it may trigger an attack. This is a vicious cycle that keeps thousands of people from enjoying their lives fully.

Chronic anxiety disorder can be compared to having a little monster on your shoulders. This nasty little creature whispers its negative message into your ear and keeps you from doing the things that you want to do. It tells you that you won’t be good enough or funny enough or smart enough. It also fills you with fear that you will experience a panic attack right in the middle of the gathering. In addition to being extremely uncomfortable, you would also be embarrassed and feel trapped. The little monster on your shoulders tells you that it would just be so much easier to stay home. This feeds the monster and makes him even stronger the next time you are presented with an invitation.

Suffering from chronic anxiety disorder affects your quality of life. This can be compounded when you compare your current situation with your past. Looking back, you may see that you used to be a very outgoing, friendly person. You wonder what happened to that younger you and feel as if you have failed. Your friends are probably confused, as well. They remember a time when you were comfortable going out and spending time with them. What they, and you, don’t realize is that this little monster often attacks during your 20s or 30s. While it may appear that you’ve become stuck up or unfriendly, the fact of the matter is that your brain chemistry has been attacked. Once this change has happened, many types of internal and external conflict can trigger an anxiety response.

While there are many suggested ways to combat chronic anxiety disorder, the first step is to recognize that little monster on your shoulders. He may be there as a cause of heredity, trauma, or physiology. Realizing that the monster is telling you lies and feeding on your fear is the best way to get on the path of destroying him for good.