A large percentage of those with anxiety disorders have had a good deal of anxiety for quite some time. Then something traumatic happens in their lives and the anxiety just goes through the roof. All of a sudden they have a panic attack and they have no clue as to what is wrong with them. They think they're going crazy, dyeing, or having a heart attack. Some people just know they feel really 'funny' and can't even describe it. Trauma, in many cases, brings on the panic attacks because their bodies can only deal with just so much anxiety. After the trauma hits our anxiety is in over-load.

Like everyone else, when I had my first panic attack I thought I was going crazy. It was the most frightening experience I'd ever had. I felt disconnected, foggy, my heart was racing, I was shaking and I could hardly breath. It was really hard. I'm pretty sure most of you had some of the same feelings.

I didn't say anything to anyone as I feared they would think I was crazy. I was also embarrassed. At that time the medical community had not even placed a name on it, to my knowledge. If they had they sure wasn't sharing it with the public like they should have. So I kept it to myself, feeling as if I were keeping some dirty little secret that I didn't want anyone to know about. I felt very much alone and isolated. I couldn't let anyone know because I didn't want to be ridiculed or talked about behind my back. I had a husband(now my 'ex') who wouldn't have understood and who would have just told me "You'll get over it. It's all in your head. Just think about something else." and a family who would judge rather than feel compassion. Or at least that's what I thought at the time.

Trauma can bring on the anxiety attacks and negative thinking keeps them coming. That's why I keep writing about positive thinking as opposed to negative thinking. Breathing correctly is also key to overcoming panic attacks and anxiety.

I had gotten so sick of negative thoughts I wanted to scream. I decided that enough was enough and I promised myself that I was going to do my level best to replace each negative thought with a positive thought. Having negative feelings and thoughts can come from other places other than just yourself. The news on TV, radio, and magazines are a wonderful source of negativity. You may have some people in your life that are negative people and it rubs off on you. Negativity is contagious. It really is. My mother and ex-husband are two of the most negative people I know. No wonder I had a problem with negativity and anxiety. Hmmmm. In fact, my mother created anxiety the entire time I lived at home, while I was growing-up.

We didn't just wake-up one morning and say to ourself "I think I'm going to be negative and I think I'm going to have panic attacks and fight anxiety." This anxiety disorder crept up on us little by little. Of course we didn't really have a clue it was happening, but it was. And we certainly didn't ask for it. No one wants it, but we do the best we can to deal with it and the best we can to beat it. It's an ongoing precess. Others may be pre-disposed to anxiety. Some may have a chemical imbalance in the brain. The anxiety and panic feels the same regardless of what causes it.

Focusing on your breathing helps so much. If we're focusing on the 'breath' we aren't focusing on the anxiety/fear. Our minds cannot really focus on more than one thing at a time. Breathing into the abdomen is the only correct way to breath whether you have anxiety or not. Taking those deeper breaths keeps us calmer. When you're anxious simply breath deeper and slower and release the breath slower. It's very calming. We're suposed to breath through the abdomen. Watch how a little baby breaths. It's stress that causes us to breath into the chest instead of the abdomen.

Don't forget about meditation, imagery, affirmations, and positive thinking. All those things, combined, will help so much. For those of you who are not sure how to do imagery or meditation just write to me and I will teach you. We have to change our way of thinking. That's vital. Thinking in the positive makes us feel better. It helps us feel better about ourselves, others, the world, and life in general. Another bonus is that people enjoy being around those who are positive. Positive people make others feel better, too.

Fall is here! I love Fall. I really enjoy the smell of the damp leaves on the ground and the crisp air. The multi-colored leaves are a blessing. They look like a painters pallet. Enjoy Fall this year and get outside and experience it. I like to fill a large basket with the different colored leaves and place the basket on a table. It's very pretty. Bring some nature inside your home. Go grab some leaves when they turn color and fill your own basket with them.