1. People between the ages of 35 and 59 are more likely to suffer from anxiety than any other age group in the UK.
2. 4 in every 10 people that suffers with anxiety claim that work or education triggered their condition.
3. Anxiety can affect balance. Studies have found that those who have problems with balance or find themselves swaying or having 'dizzy spells' usually correlate positively to suffering with anxiety. It has also been found that treating the balance problem helps the individuals anxiety!
4. Unless there is an underlying heart problem, it is very very unlikely that a panic attack will lead to a heart attack. Even though the symptoms are very similar and those of you who have suffered from any form of panic attack will know you do feel like you are dying, the responses are purely caused by hormones being released into your blood stream, not a dysfunction in your heart.
5. Anxiety is considered a genetic condition and can be passed down to children or grandchildren, however you can develop it without your relatives having suffered from it and you don't necessarily inherit it if your parents suffered with it.
6. Your body suffers physiologically as well as psychologically from having anxiety. Aside from a panic attack where your body is literally attacked in all senses by itself, on a day to day basis, anxiety can leave a person tired, feeling sick or nauseous for no reason,with aching muscles from unconscious tensing, loss of appetite, ground down teeth, a permanently fast heart rate, random shaking or shivering and experiencing smells and tastes differently. (I personally suffer from all of these things and until reading up on it didn't put two and two together.)
7. Despite there being many different forms of treatment for anxiety and panic disorder, nearly 2 out of 3 people who suffer actually seek or accept treatment and help for it.
8. Medication is not the only way! Treatment such as meditation, exercise, eating healthily, cognitive behavioral therapy, counselling and psychotherapy are all non-pharmaceutical ways of helping people to cope with anxiety and panic disorder. Studies show that just 20 minutes of meditation can reduce anxiety by 40%. (I was personally told this fact by my own doctor. He explained that medication is the last option of treatment to be able to tackle the hormone imbalance head on, and strategies that don't involve medication are usually favoured.)
9. 5 in every 100 people suffer from anxiety as a mental health condition, and 10 in every 100 people suffer with mixed anxiety and depression. There are a lot more people that you think.
10. 1 in 10 children aged 5-16 suffer from some form of treatable anxiety but this usually goes unrecognised and untreated due to their age, mental development and perceived influence of peer groups or 'phases'.
Some of these facts really shocked me. Before I told people about my condition, I knew people suffered too but I didn't realise how many and I didn't realise how complex it really was. I've learnt a lot just by doing this research for myself and I hope these facts have helped you understand and learn a bit more too.
Love Luce xo
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