Anxiety is the most common mental health condition, on average one in four people will experience the illness at some stage in their life.

Yet a common myth is that anxiety disorders are rare.
Despite the prevalence there are many myths surrounding anxiety.
These myths can create stigma and prevent help seeking.

So it's important to know the facts.
Here are the most common myths about anxiety disorders, and the facts to counter them.

 

Anxiety is not a real illness

Some anxiety is natural, it can even be helpful.
We might experience it before exams, presentations, or during job interviews.
We might experience it when we try something new.

It can also motivate us.
This natural anxiety is considered a disorder when it starts to cause impairment in everyday life.
Not only can anxiety cause behavioural and psychological symptoms, it can produce physical symptoms.
These include stomach problems, dizziness, chills, increased heartbeat, chest pain, trouble breathing, headaches, muscle tension, and insomnia.

 

 

Real anxiety is having panic attacks!

 

Panic attacks can be part of anxiety, but not always.

There are many anxiety disorders, including generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety.
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
A person living with any of these disorders may or may not experience a panic attack.
Statistics show that about 35–50% of adults will experience at least one panic attack in their lifetime.
But this does not mean they are living with an anxiety disorder.
It's estimated that 6.8% of adults will experience panic attacks that are frequent enough to meet the criteria for panic disorder.
A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause.
Panic attacks can be very frightening.
When panic attacks occur, people often feel they are losing control, having a heart attack or even dying.
Conversely people with panic disorder have sudden and repeated panic attacks.
If untreated, panic attacks can occur several times a week or even daily.
Recurrent attacks may continue for several weeks to several years.
During this time there may be periods of full or partial remission (no panic attacks or only mild attacks with few symptoms).

 

Social anxiety is the same as being shy!

 

It can seem similar.

However having social anxiety and being shy are very different.

Shyness and introversion are personality traits.
People with these traits may have difficulty talking to people they don't know or value their time away from others.
However they do not experience the excessive, persistent anxiety and discomfort associated with social anxiety.
In contrast social anxiety disorder is a mental illness affecting 3% of the population.
People can experience a significant amount of fear, embarrassment or humiliation in social performance-based situations, to the point where the person avoids the situations entirely, or endures them with a high level of distress.
While many people with social anxiety disorder are shy, shyness is not a pre-requisite for social anxiety disorder.
Being able to separate myth from reality is an important part of understanding mental illness, like anxiety.
Knowledge helps break down stigma, which enables help seeking and tolerance.

 

Myths about anxiety

 

Myth1. Feeling anxious - having anxiety.
We've all felt anxious but there’s a big difference between everyday stress and an anxiety disorder.
People with anxiety disorders have constant fears or thoughts that get in the way of their daily life.

They can also have physical symptoms like panic attacks, trembling, sweating, a racing heart, trouble breathing, and nausea – and some will go to great lengths to avoid situations they fear.

 

Myth2. Real anxiety means having panic attacks.
Many think anxiety is all about panic attacks and while panic attacks can be part of anxiety, there are actually different types of anxiety disorders, each with different symptoms.

 

Myth3. Avoidance is always the best policy.
When it comes to life threatening situations yes, avoidance is a good approach to take.
But for those with an anxiety disorder, avoiding fears can actually strengthen and reinforce the anxiety.
Remember the saying 'you need to face your fears'?
Well, when it comes to anxiety, this can be true although it of course needs to be done safely.

 

Myth4. Dig deep and there'll be a logical reason you have anxiety.
We like to believe everything can be explained by logic and that anxiety is due to some reason deeply rooted in our past.
By definition anxiety disorders are irrational.
While past experiences do play a part, the true 'cause' may be very complex and can involve things like a family history of mental health, substance abuse, challenging life experiences, physical health, personality, and genetics.

 

Myth5. If all else fails, there's always the good ol paper bag trick.
Ever seen a movie where someone's hyperventilating, and manages to calm down by breathing madly into a paper bag?
This is because when you are having a panic attack you can hyperventilate .

 

Myth6. Just wait it out it'll pass.
This one's important if you have an anxiety disorder, please don't ignore it.
People with anxiety often think it will go away on it's own, but without help, it can often worsen.
Although anxiety and depression can be as debilitating as a serious physical illness, less than half of the people experiencing these conditions seek help.