Whats up with anxiety?

For a really long time, people labeled me as "moody" or a "worry-wort". Today all of that seems funny to me, because I know its true, but I also know something else about myself:
I have anxiety and panic disorder.

I feel fortunate because within my journey of discovering what makes me tick, I have had a ton of support from family and friends. I know that, unfortunetly, a lot of people don't have this. That is why i decided to start this blog.

Anxiety disorders and panic disorder are very common today. The sad thing is that most people that have it go undiagnosed, or worse, misdiagnosed. This is hard to understand for me, with an estimate of something like 40 million Americans actually having the problem. For people who have "been there", it surprises us that some people still can't get the info they need about what is going on with them.

The hardest thing for me was and still is understanding that there is nothing wrong with me. Despite the emotional stress I go through with my anxiety, what I experience is relatively normal and common. Over time, it becomes more apparent that there is a whole network of people out there willing to lend a hand and give support to people going through similar issues.

I keep talking about my "issues" and anxiety, but what exactly do I mean by all this? Anxiety is felt both physically and mentally. In my opinion, and the opinion of a few Dr's i've spoken with, it's sympoms are caused by your mental state, which has an effect on your physical state more than any person can really imagine. According to webmd.com, common symptoms of anxiety disorder are

"Trembling, twitching, or shaking.
Feeling of fullness in the throat or chest
Breathlessness or rapid heartbeat.
Lightheadedness or dizziness.
Sweating or cold, clammy hands.
Feeling jumpy.
Muscle tension, aches, or soreness (myalgias).
Extreme tiredness.
Sleep problems, such as the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, early waking, or restlessness."
(http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/tc/anxiety-topic-overview for more...)

Reading and reviewing this sounds all to familiar for me! Symptoms of anxiety can be completely different from person to person. Perhaps this is why most people go undiagnosed. In my case, my symptoms are extreme, and I also experience things like muscle aches and soreness, hot flashes, mood swings, constant worrying about the worst possible thing happening, and a deep ache in my chest that I can't seem to shake off. These symptoms are quite alarming and for me, and can trigger panic attacks, which are in fact, even more frightening than their best friend- anxiety. (I will write more about panic disorder in my next post!)

In writing, the symptoms and issue itself may sound simple, and to those without the problem, it is often brushed off as nothing. I'm tired of this notion, and I am here to say that I won't have that viewpoint pushed at me any longer! I know now that I am not simply an "overreacting type of person", a "moody" person, or a "basket case". There is way more to anxiety than anyone without the disorder can imagine, and for a long time I felt hopeless to a solution. Through this blog I hope to connect with other people who are going through what I've gone through, and to help bring a new light on the subject - or maybe turn the light on completely!