Occurence of Anxiety Disorders

Here is some basic information from the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research to help you understand what anxiety and panic attacks are all about.

OVERVIEW
Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric conditions, affecting between 15% and 20% of the adult population at some time in their lives. They often result in severe emotional distress and impairment in social, occupational, academic, and leisure functioning. Anxiety disorders are also associated with increased medical problems. For these reasons understanding the nature of anxiety problems, and how best to treat them, is very important.

Anxiety Disorders Clinic (Abramowitz Lab)

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The Difference Between 'Panic Attack' and 'Anxiety Attack'

One definition to try and tease out the distinctions is From "Anxiety Disorders and Phobias - a Cognitive Perspective" by Aaron T. Beck. M.D. and Gary Emery, Ph.D. with Ruth L. Greenberg, Ph.D. (1985):

"When a person has anxiety he experiences a subjectively unpleasant emotional state characterized by unpleasant subjective feelings, such as tension or nervousness, and by physiological symptoms like heart palpitations, tremor, nausea, and dizziness... Panic is an acute state of anxiety associated with other dramatic physiological, motor, and cognitive symptoms. The physiological correlations of panic are an intensified version of those of anxiety - that is, rapid pulse, dizziness, cold and profuse sweating, and tremor. In addition, one has a sense of impending catastrophe, pervasive inhibitions, and an overwhelming desire to flee or get help."

(pp. 9-10).

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