There are a lot of things in life that can cause anxiety attacks. Being stressed over money, your relationship, a death of a loved one or a multitude of other issues can contribute to anxiety and panic attacks. Anxiety is like any other type of illness though, in that several contributing factors may be the reason that you feel so stressed and anxious.

If you haven't been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder but you feel that you may have one, it is crucial for you to make an appointment to see your doctor. You should be prepared to discuss what has been going on in your life, such as if you have been under any recent stress that is new to you.

You may also need to take some various tests to make sure that there is nothing medically wrong with you. You can be prepared to have your thyroid checked, along with a few blood tests to rule out other illnesses that have similar traits as anxiety for some people.

Once your doctor has made the diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder, you may be put on a medication to help you deal with your symptoms. Some medications work long-term for anxiety, while some are only designed to work on a short-term basis. Your doctor may want to get some of your symptoms under control with a fast-acting medication while you wait for the longer acting ones to work in your body.

In addition to medication, you will want to change some of the things in your life if possible to control your panic attacks. While avoiding certain situations is not the best idea for anxiety sufferers because it does not solve the problem, avoiding some types of situations may be of a benefit to you.

If you are finding unwanted and unneeded stress in specific areas of life, it will be a good idea to avoid those situations for at least a short time. While you are getting used to how your body behaves while anxious there is no need to put it through any additional stress if not absolutely necessary.

Finding the right balance between the stressors in life and things that you enjoy is key to reducing stress in your life. Anxieties have more trouble thriving if you continue to live a normal life full of things that do relax you. If you enjoy watching movies or reading a book now and then, you need to continue doing these things so that your anxiety doesn't get a stronghold on your way of living.