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Myth
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Fact
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Anxiety conditions are rare.
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About 19 million Americans have an anxiety condition.
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Myth
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Fact
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Anxiety conditions aren't real illnesses.
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Anxiety conditions are real and serious medical conditions, just like diabetes.
They might develop from many factors. These could include your genes, the makeup
of your brain, and upsetting events in your life.
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Myth
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Fact
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There is only one type of anxiety condition.
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In fact, there are many types of anxiety conditions. Some of them are social anxiety
disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder,
and generalized anxiety condition.
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Myth
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Fact
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Anxiety conditions are part of your personality. They can't be changed.
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Anxiety conditions can be treated with medication, therapy, or a combination of
both.
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Myth
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Fact
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Women and men are affected by anxiety conditions at the same rates.
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For four of the many anxiety conditions, women are twice as likely to be affected
as men. These conditions include generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive
disorder, panic disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder.
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Myth
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Fact
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Feeling extreme anxiety means you've lost control of yourself.
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You might not be controlling your reaction to the anxiety, but you're still in control
of your actions.
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Myth
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Fact
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Avoiding certain situations can prevent anxiety attacks.
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Staying away from situations only makes people feel more helpless and anxious in
the long run.
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Myth
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Fact
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To get rid of anxiety attacks, you need to know how and why they started.
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It's more helpful to learn how to respond to feelings of anxiety in ways that reduce
it, like thinking and acting in a clear-headed way.
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