Have you ever become extremely nervous, to the point where you stuttered and shook just by the thought of doing something that you didn't want to do? Maybe you were thinking about getting on an elevator, maybe it was looking at a spider or maybe it was being in a social situation.

Have you ever felt the need to continually wash your hands even though you knew that they were clean? Have you ever felt really uneasy about something that other people around you didn't even notice?

Did you contribute to the problem by asking yourself "what's wrong with me" and begin to feel self conscious? Did you repeatedly question why others were able to do this and you found it so difficult?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, what you were experiencing was anxiety and if you have ever experienced these feelings be assured you are not alone. When faced with the same types of challenges an estimated 18 million people go through the same kinds of emotions.

In fact, medical professionals agree that anxiety is one of the most common medical problems today. And anxiety is more than just emotions, anxiety can result in very limiting behaviors that affect a person's entire life.

As you probably noticed in my examples, there are many types of anxiety. Here are some of the most common types:

1.Panic Attacks are an intense fear for a very short period of time, usually about 15 minutes. They come on without warning or reason and are far more intense than any other form of anxiety.

2.Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, also know as, OCD is a very common type of anxiety. The person who suffers from OCD experiences impulsive thoughts and they deal with these thoughts by engaging in actions that are repeated over and over again.

3.Post Traumatic Stress Disorders are caused by a person witnessing a terrifying event. After the event the person is subject to worry, often unjustified that the event will take place again.

4.Phobias are the most common type of anxiety in which the person has unjustified fear of either certain things or doing certain things. This would include things like irrational fears to elevators or even going outside.

The Symptoms

There are many symptoms of anxiety and they vary widely depending on the severity of the condition. Also, certain people will experience anxiety one way while the next person will experience the same type of anxiety with completely different symptoms. Here I have listed some of the symptoms.

Depression

Unrealistic expectations

Difficulty sleeping

Dizziness

Extreme fear

Back pain

Difficulty in concentrating

Fatigue

Physical symptoms

Treatments for anxiety

The first thing to do is to find a qualified professional. Make sure that you find someone that you can relate to because openness and honesty are the keys to recovery.

Cognitive therapy which is talk therapy that changes the meaning that something has to someone and medication are the most common treatments for those who suffer from anxiety. The two are usually used in combination, although each can be used alone.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is also very successful. This is the same as cognitive therapy only behavioral techniques such as deep breathing are added. Another therapy that works well is modeling. Hypnotherapy has also been used with varying degrees of success.

Medication, can be difficult in finding the proper one, but don't give up! Not all medications work for all people. Often finding the right medication can be a long period of trial and error. If you are shy about talking to someone face to face begin with the internet. There are many online forums and a lot of good information available.

One thing that is very important to understand is that you need to be motivated because overcoming anxiety takes a lot of hard work.

Conclusion

Anxiety is a very broad subject that affects many people to various degrees. While some have anxiety rule their entire life, other people only feel minor effects. Different people are affected differently by a wide range of symptoms. The important thing is that if you do feel anxiety, get professional help. Don't let your anxiety take over your life.