Everyone experiences them at one time or another. Anxiety generally occurs as an occasional temporary reaction to the stresses of everyday life. FEAR Fear can be described as an unpleasant emotion that occurs in response to a consciously recognized source of danger, real or imaginary. The physical symptoms that occur during fear are rapid pulse rate and breathing, raised blood pressure and increased muscle tension. Physical symptoms include shortness of breath, dizziness, a sinking feeling in the stomach and rapid heart beat.
Panic attacks are sudden spells of intense anxiety that usually come on without warning.
Several million Americans are affected by panic attacks. The attacks usually begin during late teens or early 20's but many people also experience them later on in life. Seventy-five percent of those affected are women, probably because of some chemical or biological factors that are not yet fully understood. Phobias A phobia is an excessive fear of an object, activity or situation that disturbs a person's functioning by leading them to avoid the cause of that fear. Some of the more common simple phobias are fears of animals, insects, heights, enclosed spaces and flying.