Anxiety is a mental and emotional condition that affects millions of people around the world. The condition is characterized by an intense feeling of panic, dread, or impending doom. The person who is suffering from anxiety will have a variety of feelings and reactions that might not make intellectual sense to them. Yet, for the person who has anxiety, these feelings and reactions that they experience are very real, and can have debilitating consequences.

The most common reaction for a person who has anxiety is panic attacks. Panic attacks are characterized by heavy breathing, dilation of the eyes, and racing in the heart. A person's skin might become clammy, and their blood pressure might rise or drop. They might believe they are going to faint, are having a heart attack, or are about to die.

In fact, many emergency room patients find that the symptoms that they were experiencing were just that of a panic attack, and not a life threatening condition. A panic attack is the body's way of expressing the "flight or fight" reflex. The person with anxiety receives signals in their mind that they are in danger. The danger a lot of times might not be real, or nowhere near as intense as they might perceive. Nonetheless, their minds interpret certain situations as dangerous, and then reacts.

Along with panic attacks, the person might have other physical reactions such as breaking out in hives (a rash), fast and shallow breathing (hyperventilation), racing thoughts, or crying fits. If a person is experiencing these symptoms, they might want to seek out some help in treating anxiety.

Some people either aren't aware, or are resistant to treating anxiety. They find dysfunctional ways of coping with it, such as avoidance. Avoidance become especially dangerous if the person stops socializing, or feels like they can't perform normal everyday functions. Some people hide behind avoidance to the point of refusing to leave their homes.

There are several paths to treating anxiety. The most common path is with medication. In the last 10 years, SSRI medications that treat depression have also been prescribed for anxiety. For some people, this has worked great but for others, not so much. Some people have gone to extremes such as exposure therapy.

They literally expose themselves to situations that they are afraid of little bits at a time, until the thing or event no longer triggers anxiety. Some people have learned simple, but crucial things that they can add to their lives for treating anxiety.

First, a person who suffers from panic attacks can realize that the feeling is what it is. When they are having a panic attack, they can practice self-soothing talk. They can tell themselves that they in fact are not dying. The feeling is common to them, and it will pass. Depending on their situation, they can lie down, sit down, or participate in an activity that will refocus their mind.

Another method of treating anxiety is meditation. The person can again sit or lie down, and imagine themselves in a calm and serene place. They can then chant a calming mantra. This works because the brain reacts to stimulus; it doesn't know for example that what the person is picturing isn't "real". The mind will work according to the input it receives.

The last thing that a person can do for treating anxiety is practice soothing self-talk. Literally, they can examine the situations that cause them anxiety and replace harsh thoughts and expectations with kind, and realistic thoughts.

Anxious people most of the time are perfectionist. While it's good to have high standards, anxious people have unrealistic expectations. They judge themselves harshly and feel that others do the same. The anxious person needs to reframe their view of themselves and the world around them. In short, they need to cut themselves some slack.

Anxiety symptoms can have a negative impact on the lives of the person that suffers with this crippling condition. However, with the right "tools", treating anxiety can be a refreshing journey for the sufferer, and grant them an unimaginable quality of life.