Dealing With Anxiety Disorder Symptoms
Dealing With Anxiety Disorder Symptoms
How do you know you are experiencing an anxiety disorder? Your heart rate is increased, you are sweating, you feel extreme fear and vulnerability…but are you sure it’s just a panic attack? We say “just” because a panic attack can’t harm you, but there exists other ailments which might have some of these same anxiety disorder symptoms, and they could. These other ailments might be very serious, so it’s important right at the start to determine exactly what it is you have.
It is imperative that you check with your physician before deciding to take any action to determine exactly what may be going on. Anxiety disorder symptoms usually start slowly and then build up over time and become more intense. Eventually, it will become an obsessive part of your life.
Since it will tend to feed upon itself and grow, it will also create an increased sensitivity in the sufferer to the point where the expectations themselves feed the growth and a terrible cycle is born. The best solution would be if the individual were capable of developing enough self awareness to separate themselves from the panic attack (“I am not that panic attack.”). Then, by having become the observer and not the attack itself, they can proceed to calm down the effects it has had on the body with slow breathing, Yoga, meditation, or many other techniques.
The bottom line for dealing with many anxiety disorders is, after all, just that; becoming more aware of your thinking patterns and thoughts. Learning to separate yourself from your thoughts is made easier if you stop for a moment to consider that if you are thinking about something, then that something has to be something “else,” not you.
It’s a little like the trick of an eyeball not being able to see itself, but through a reflection can. Similarly, the mind can “reflect” a thought and thereby see that they and the thought are indeed not the same. Once this is done, the mind has great potential power over what to do with that thought without any consideration or confusion of the self.
All of this has been discussed for ages. It is nothing “new.” Philosophers and great religious leaders have discussed this phenomena in many different ways and it all comes down to the same thing: awareness and honesty. It is important to awaken, open your eyes, and be totally honest with yourself.
A common response to an anxiety is to “tough it out,” repress it, deny it and it will go away. The truth is just the opposite. Doing these things only give the anxiety more strength, not less. It is better here, as elsewhere in life, to deal head on directly with them. Another technique to gain power over these anxieties or obsessions is to name them. Put a face on them. By separating yourself from them you can gain the upper hand, and if they are defined more clearly it makes it easier for you to do that.
Certainly there are many situations where some individuals will just not be capable of approaching their distress in this way, for whatever reasons. So for that as well as the possibilities that something more serious than an anxiety attack is what’s happening, the first course of action should be to seek professional help. Medication with therapy is usually the best recourse for those who are most in need, while medication alone is never a good idea.
Keep your eye on the ball. Even when you can’t see the ball.
What IsThe Hidden Danger of Sleep Panic Attacks?
Why Sleep Panic Attacks Can Be Harmful
Sleep panic attacks, when they occur, are extremely intense and frightening. The sense of helplessness, surprise and raw fear that accompanies these episodes can be more intense than when experienced during the hours you are awake, partly out of the added element of surprise which frequently is part of it.
The most common, immediate symptoms of sleep panic attacks is an accelerated heart rate, sweating and breathlessness. Being awakened by these symptoms, often with heart palpitations as well, is extremely frightening and will cause many to believe they are having a heart attack.
Most sleep panic attacks are symptomatic of a form of anxiety disorder and are not related to any physical anomaly or cause. When this disorder is experienced during wakefulness, it generally comes on progressively, perhaps starting with a sense of general unease. It can then escalate until it becomes a full fledged panic attack with all the irrationalities, fears and physical discomforts which are associated.
But when it occurs while you are sleeping, you are suddenly awakened after it has reached full throttle and this suddenness intensifies the feelings, making a totally awful situation even worse. And that is isn’t the worst part of it.
Panic attack disorders generally are repetitive in nature; that is they will reoccur without much notice. One of the most insidious aspects of the disease is that part of its persistence depends on it becoming habitual. This habitualization is further strengthened by the individual’s fear of the panic attack itself reoccurring. There is an unfortunate irony in this, but it just makes it more difficult to overcome.
Sleep panic attacks can worsen this situation because once one occurs an individual may well fear sleep and consequently deprive themselves of required rest while adding force and substance to the attacks. What the individual does to deal with the attacks is extremely important and a misstep at the start can lead to a worsening of the situation instead of its improvement.
Medications, for example, can be very dangerous and a poor choice unless prescribed by a competent physician. There is a wide range of choices from beta blockers to narcotics and anti-depressants, but choosing the wrong one by yourself can be very dangerous. All drugs will have side effects, including addiction, and ultimately these may make the condition more intractable. Seeing a licensed practitioner immediately after having a sleep panic attack or any, for that matter, is a primary recommendation.
The sleep panic attack will occur during the early stage of REM (Rapid Eye Movement). Dreams occur during the later stages, Therefore, dreams are not what precipitates these attacks, as many people will believe. In fact, once these episodes begin, it will be the fear of their repetition which will most likely pave the way for their continuation.
It is very important to understand some basic premises concerning panic attacks, in general. First, although we could call it a disease, the fact is that having them does not mean you are physically or even mentally ill. It’s like the difference between not being able to breathe (inability), and simply not breathing (incapability) even though you are actually able. It is not a mental illness which is causing the incapability but a combination of habitualized reactions usually derived from poor coping mechanisms of one’s daily life.
Of course this is not the case for all people. Some people have physiological problems and others have serious psychological conditions. But just based on the numbers, most sufferers of panic disorders today will not fall into those categories. That means that in order to recover from having these attacks, most people will need to approach it from the viewpoint of breaking the habitual supports and of looking squarely at what the attack really is, not letting it fool you into thinking it can actually harm you, and thereby weakening it until it no longer is an issue.
This can be accomplished with a combination of medication and therapy, or just therapy, but not just medication. While lessening the power of these sleep panic attacks and making them disappear, one can find immediate improvement, even while still experiencing them, by simply remembering that they (the person) are not the panic attack; that the attack is a lie, that they are not sick or dying.
Practicing and developing some mind control will have additional benefits. Not only will it eventually relieve one of this particular anxiety disorder, but it will strengthen your self confidence and enable you to learn better how to cope with other aspects of your life that need you to take firmer control
What is Anxiety Disorder?
What is Anxiety Disorder?
What is anxiety disorder? Anxiety disorder is really nothing more than a set of reactions and habits which may have very real merit in certain situations but which are experienced in situations in which they have no use or merit. When one is in a dark parking garage and feels that they are being followed, the reflexes that lend our muscles the strength to run or fight like an animal and the psychological condition that transforms us from rational creatures to beings driven by our most primal desire to survive are useful things. Those reflexes, however, are wholly inappropriate in most other situations.
Where our brains are concerned, the question “what is anxiety disorder?” begins at the amygdala. This part of the brain is responsible for setting into motion the responses to danger designed to keep us alive in dire situations. Unfortunately, this response, like all emergency responses, tends to override all others. “Thinking” one’s way out of a panic attack is a laborious activity that is oftentimes ineffective. Oftentimes, the best solution is just to ride it out and acknowledge it for what it is. Sometimes, catering to it—having a good, healthy jog, for instance—is the best remedy.
In our bodies, “what is a panic disorder?” is a very complex question. There are a host of substances secreted into the blood, principally adrenaline and related substances, which enable us to move faster, with more purpose and to focus with an incredible intensity on our surroundings. Unfortunately, when one has no real reason to run or fight, the sensation is one of utter fear. Without an outlet, these substances still stimulate our bodies but cannot be “burnt off” in the normal fashion. A common characteristic of a panic attack is, unlike real danger, there is no real indicator as to when the danger has been outrun or outfought.
Anxiety disorder, above all other things, is not a rarified condition. Many individuals feel varying degrees of this condition at different times in their life. When one loses their job or suffers a medical condition, for instance, this disorder is fairly common. Understanding the causes of it make it much more manageable. However, there are some causes of this disorder that are poorly understood. The good news is: there is one answer to this question that should lessen the fears of any sufferer.
The most accurate answer to the question “what is anxiety disorder?” is: Anxiety disorder is treatable. This disorder can be successfully treated and overcome and is no cause to, well, panic. Psychotherapy offers several treatments, both with medications and without, and regular doctors can help patients to develop healthy eating and exercise habits that can lessen the frequency and severity of symptoms such as panic attacks. No matter how horrible these symptoms become, there is no reason to feel that one is fighting them alone or in the dark. Medical science has invested a great deal of study into the mechanisms behind this disorder and help is readily available.
Treating Anxiety Disorder Effectively
Treating Anxiety Disorder Effectively
There are numerous ways of treating anxiety disorder on the market at present. Some of them involve treating the body with exercise, good nutrition and other healthy habits. Some treatments involve drugs such as SSRI reuptake inhibitors. Others involve traditional psychotherapy. Like any treatment, the success rate is largely dependent upon the individual’s attitude and commitment to overcoming their disorder. Successful treatment can take time and effort and, sometimes, it may involve engaging in some activities that are a bit uncomfortable to lessen the fear that one associates with them.
Treating anxiety disorder oftentimes starts with determining the underlying cause. Provided that one’s panic attacks and other symptoms aren’t the result of a physical cause such as a thyroid disorder, psychologists and other professionals will oftentimes wish to work with the patient to find out the starting point of their anxiety. Oftentimes, seemingly complex problems have very simple origins and it is part of the science of psychological treatment to root-out these problems and to help the patient find a healthy way of addressing those issues. Be prepared for this to be somewhat difficult at times.
Some methods of treating anxiety disorder involve exposing a phobia or other psychological condition. Social anxiety, for instance, is the cause for many a panic attack and treating this particular manifestation of anxiety may result in some reduction of the other symptoms one experiences. Other phobias, such as those related to public speaking, leaving the house or certain disorders such as hypochondria oftentimes prove to be the root causes of many anxiety problems. A psychotherapist may use several different methods to root out these problems and to defang them as much as possible with the client which can, sometimes, result in a significant reduction of anxiety-related symptoms.
Treating anxiety disorder can be done, to a certain degree, by the affected individual but with some serious caveats. There is a type of home remedy for certain phobias which is a layman’s version of desensitization or exposure therapy. For instance, if one happens to have a pervasive fear of insects, this therapy would hold that the affected individual should expose themselves to insects wherever possible to “get over it”. This is, oftentimes, a very bad idea. Undertaking this type of therapy without the assistance of a qualified professional can be far more damaging than helpful and can make the problem much worse.
Treating anxiety disorder may involve getting more exercise. When one sits all day, they fail to allow themselves a physical outlet for their emotions. This can become a pronounced problem for those who have stressful jobs where physical stagnation is the norm. It’s surprising to many individuals how much a good run, ride on a bike or walk out in a wild place can do to eliminate their anxiety. Sometimes treatment doesn’t involve drugs or therapy but simply taking the responsibility to attend to one’s mental health, and their physical, in a way that improves their overall health at the same time.
The Sensations That Panic Attacks Cause
The Sensations that Panic Attacks Cause
The sensations that panic attacks cause are universally horrid. There is no other way to state this fact. There is the sensation of one’s heart pounding far too fast. The sensation of one’s head screaming a thousand different thoughts that make no sense save for the universal terror they encompass.
There is the overly-sharp appearance of the world, the tingling and numbness of the lips and limbs, the fear that one will embarrass themselves by fainting or falling over, the rapid breathing that still leaves one breathless and the feeling that one is suffocating at the same time. For all their power, these symptoms have one weakness: predictability.
Panic attacks cause a host of sensations that are very similar from one individual to the next. This is because these symptoms are actually rooted in totally normal bodily functions.
These sensations are what happens when a person’s body essentially empowers them to survive the most dire of situations but when there is no dire situation that needs to be survived. This is all the power in the world in the absence of an outlet through which to distribute that power. Understanding this can make the attacks much more tolerable.
Panic attacks cause a sense of breathlessness. This is one of the most terrifying parts of these episodes. The reason for this, however, is not that one cannot breathe but because they are breathing too much. Hyperventilation causes a buildup of oxygen in the blood which is necessary if one is running or fighting.
However, if one is at rest—sitting at their work desk in a raw panic, for instance—this causes there to be an imbalance of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the body which causes the feeling of suffocation. Breathing into a paper bag can lessen this effect.
Panic attacks also cause a feeling that something is going horribly wrong with one’s body and, oftentimes, a sense that one is about to die, usually from a heart attack. Checking one’s pulse is a frequent sign that one is having a panic attack. The heart begins beating rapidly due to the presence of adrenaline and other stimulants in the blood.
Like the accelerated breathing, this is a great asset if one needs to outrun a predator but a horrible feeling if one is blindsided by the experience. A strongly and regularly beating heart, incidentally, is the opposite of the symptoms of a heart attack.
Panic attacks cause a very overwhelming mental distress. This is characterized by racing thoughts. Oftentimes, it is a race to determine the origin of the panic itself, thus all the worry about a heart attack, a stroke, a collapsed lung, and so forth.
Recognizing the progression of these symptoms of these attacks can reduce them from terror-inducing to wholly manageable. Once one understands that it’s only a panic attack and that, aside from the mental distress, that it’s entirely harmless one is on the road to recovery from anxiety problems
The Panic Attack and Anxiety Disorder
The Panic Attack and Anxiety Disorder
The panic attack and anxiety disorder are related in the same way as are the sore throat and the common cold: the first is a symptom of the latter. There are several reasons, however, why one may experience a panic attack. Disorders of the thyroid, the heart and other causes may be the root and one must consult with a doctor rather than simply dismissing these episodes as an anxiety symptom. Once one knows for certain that anxiety is the root of their issues, however, understanding the panic will help to understand the rest of the disorder.
Of all the other symptoms associated with it, the panic attack is the anxiety disorder symptom that is the most distressing, in the majority of cases. However, what many individuals don’t realize is that the panic attack really does have value, in the right circumstances. The roots of the panic attack are found in the less-civilized lives of our ancestors when the ability of the body to instantly raise the heart rate, the respiration rate and to demand a razor-sharp focus of the consciousness oftentimes meant the difference between life and death. Consider the value of this reflex.
A panic attack from a anxiety disorder is defined by its uselessness. However, if one were in the forest and a grizzly bear suddenly took enough of an interest to give pursuit, the reality of there being such a thing as a constructive panic attack becomes apparent. The increased heart rate and breathing mean more oxygen, and thus strength and endurance, to the muscles. The focus one experiences means the ability to concentrate all of one’s efforts on survival. The panic attack, in reality, is our primitive brain at its run-or-be-run-down, kill-or-be-killed finest. In everyday life, however, it’s a bit much and therein lays the problem.
When a panic attack and other anxiety disorder symptoms manifest, they’re often so distressing because there is simply no way to burn off the energy they produce. One cannot begin running through the halls of their bank because having their loan approved caused in them a very real panic! From this unfortunate situation come the most frequent symptoms of the panic attack: sweating, shaking, racing thoughts, hyperventilation and the fear of dying. It all makes sense when one thinks of its origins. A panic attack is not a disease; it’s an inappropriate reaction.
Once the panic attack and other anxiety disorder symptoms are understood for what they are, they’re often much more easy to control. They become a nuisance after a while—“There I go again!”—rather than an occasion to be in very real fear for one’s life. The first step in overcoming this disorder and having it dominate one’s life is simple understanding of the origins. The anxiety causes a reaction that fuels itself and gradually tips toward panic. This may happen over and over again as one learns how to control it but the fear will oftentimes dissipate with better understanding.
The Connection between Anxiety and Depression Disorders
Anxiety and Depression Disorders
Anxiety and depression disorders are very much part and parcel of one another. Understanding why this is the case is really not too difficult provided one engages in a bit of thought about the matter. Both of these disorders are characterized by a pervasive sense that one’s situation will never change or that, if the situation does change, that the change will inevitably be negative. If one truly takes a look at these disorders, there is oftentimes a bit of magical thinking involved, as well, that is common between the two conditions.
Anxiety and depression disorders are oftentimes characterized by the individual feeling powerless to change their life. To that end, they sometimes develop a habit of engaging in feeling sorrowful or stressed out about their problems instead of addressing them; sometimes thinking that this may result in some real change coming about. Of course, feelings seldom change one’s situation and oftentimes provide the obstacles to action that actually would make one’s life different. Understanding that depression and anxiety, aside from their medical implications, have real habitual causes that can be changed is oftentimes the first step in coping.
Anxiety and depression disorders are oftentimes treated by mental health professionals by providing the patient with a new set of coping skills for the trials and tribulations that characterize everybody’s lives. This oftentimes means taking a hard look at some negative habits. Depressive individuals are famous for throwing up their hands and falling into a pit of despair over the smallest of issues. Anxiety disorder sufferers oftentimes obsess over minor issues and inflate them into life-changing affairs that are far more fictions than fact. Meeting, and defeating, these habits head-on is oftentimes the first courageous act in a series of such acts that can defeat these disorders.
Anxiety and depression disorders, unfortunately, are very real, even if the reasons adhered to by their sufferers for those feelings are not as serious as they claim. These patters of thought, rooted in brain chemistry, situational causes and learned habits, are oftentimes very difficult to take on and orders of magnitude more difficult to overcome. One must be willing to take on this challenge if they’re ever to have relief and many individuals who make this choice begin by finally having enough of the disorder and by realizing that they have no choice but to take it on.
Anxiety and depression disorders are oftentimes experienced simultaneously, increasing the evidence that they are very much related. This, of course, is easy to understand. One will understandably feel depressed if they cannot sleep, eat or enjoy themselves because of panic attacks or other anxiety symptoms. Likewise, the fear that one will never be truly happy is most certainly a cause of anxiety. Just as they are related, however, both of these disorders are highly treatable. Every year, millions of people take on these disorders and come through it much stronger and more capable people for having slain their personal demons.
Panic Attack Relief Strategies
Panic Attack Relief Strategies
Panic attack relief strategies are necessary tools for those who are trying to find an overall way of relieving their anxiety disorder. Panic attacks will come, in most cases. How one intends to deal with these episodes is part and parcel of making them less distracting than is usually the case. Additionally, those individuals who accept the inevitability of panic attacks and who develop a strategy for dealing with them oftentimes have a much easier time overcoming the root causes of those attacks and their overall problems dealing with anxiety.
The first step in developing a panic attack relief strategy is in acknowledging the nature of one’s attacks and in accepting that they will happen again. Denying that these attacks will come or expecting them to be lessened in severity before one’s therapy has a chance to offer its full benefits can actually make these attacks worse. This comes down to the old adage about knowing one’s enemy. If one, for instance, tends to have panic attacks before dealing with their superiors at their job, one can make time to have the attack and, thus, reduce the hold it has over one’s life.
A panic attack relief strategy must take a hard and honest look at the particular symptoms that define one’s typical attack. For instance, one will oftentimes feel a sensation of claustrophobia or suffocation that accompanies the attack. Should this attack happen when one is in a vehicle, it can be orders of magnitude more unpleasant. To that end, if one has symptoms that mimic this example, think ahead about what one should do if the attack becomes too much in a situation that tends to enhance the sensations. Perhaps rolling down the window would help or perhaps one should accept that they need to pull over and get out of the car and walk around for a while. This is not giving in; this is being sensible.
Panic attack relief oftentimes means explaining to those individuals in one’s life the nature of one’s disorder and what those individuals need to do to accommodate one’s well-being. Many individuals are stopped from doing this because they believe it makes them appear weak. In fact, it takes a great deal of personal strength to take this step. One should inform one’s spouse or one’s children about the symptoms of panic attack and about what they need to do to make it survivable for the affected individual.
The most important thing to remember about panic attack relief is that, with a bit of hard work and attention towards one psychological and physical needs, it is very much attainable. People tend to have episodes of anxiety at various points in their lives and those episodes do tend to pass. Whether it takes medication, more exercise, a significant change in one’s lifestyle or simply a regular visit to a mental health professional, anxiety disorders and the panic attacks by which they are characterized can be overcome by their sufferers.
Modern Life and The Chronic Anxiety Disorder
Chronic anxiety disorder has become more prevalent over the last decade. This, of course, could stem from it being more commonly experienced or from it being more readily identified but, whatever the cause, millions of people suffer the effects of this disorder. The symptoms are very distressing—oftentimes to the point of making one’s life extremely difficult—and these symptoms tend to get worse if left untreated. Understanding this disorder is imperative to overcoming its effects and to living a better life than would be afforded if one let it go untreated.
Chronic anxiety disorder sufferers tend to be constantly stressed out. Ask them why and they may give a reason, many reasons or they may simply confess that they have no idea why they feel so wound-up. No matter what these individuals do, they often feel that they’re on the edge of one catastrophe or another and, oftentimes, they experience attacks of panic that are very real sensations of one’s life being in danger. Anyone who has ever been in a life and death situation can empathize with the situation of these sufferers save for one important point: when the life and death situation ended, so did the panic for most individuals. This is not the case for anxiety sufferers.
Chronic anxiety disorder is like being on a roller coaster that never ends and the safety of which has not been assured to the rider. One never knows if their difficulty breathing is simply due to hyperventilation that went unnoticed or if their lung really is collapsing. This may sound silly to someone who has never experienced this sort of attack but it’s very real and very devastating to those who suffer these attacks. It is a truly awful sensation to never be at rest.Modern life and chronic anxiety disorder seem to have many connections. Individuals work more and play less than they have for mostof the last century. Incomes are lower and debt is higher. Many individuals are stagnant economically, if not falling downward altogether in that regard. There will, inevitably, be a great deal of stress in such a situation and, for any individual, it can get out of control and manifest a disorder. Fighting anxiety requires help and support from friends and family and, above all, understanding from the individuals in one’s life.
A chronic anxiety disorder sufferer is not a drama-lover or an attention-seeker. This disorder is very real and those who have fallen into its grip would generally like nothing more than to be done with it altogether. No one likes interrupted sleep, sudden attacks of intense fear or the very real sensation that they’re dying. These things are all part of this disorder. One can help such individuals by offering them pleasant distractions, by listening and understanding and by encouraging them to seek help. Oftentimes, though the eventual cure may take time, medical professionals can provide interventions that can greatly reduce the manifestation of the worst symptoms.
Identifying Anxiety Stress Disorder
Identifying Anxiety Stress Disorder
Anxiety and stress disorder problems are very much related. Stress is one of the least-addressed problems in modern life while, at the same time, being one of the most pervasive and potentially deadly. Stress has been shown to affect the heart, the brain and the body at large. Without a way to relieve stress or to reduce it, one is, make no mistake, putting their health at risk. Anxiety is oftentimes one of the first symptoms of stress that is too powerful to be ignored and which ends up causing the affected individual to seek help.
Anxiety and stress disorder are related on the physical and mental planes. Physically, stress tends to cause a rush of adrenaline, an increase in heart rate and blood pressure and physical tingling, numbness or shaking. Anxiety has much the same effect on the body when let go too far. This commonality of manifestation is no coincidence. Anxiety is simply a type of stress related to fear. Other types of stress are those related to anger and embarrassment. Oftentimes, these feelings can morph from one to another when the underlying cause is left unaddressed.
Anxiety and stress disorder symptoms can be understood by examining the worst manifestation of the “Type A” personality. This individual is demanding, quick to anger and slow to forgive. Oftentimes, these types of individuals will be angry about a host of issues—oftentimes in a way that is confusing to those trying to make sense of their rants—when the true source of their anger is something entirely other than what they claim. The same is true of the anxiety that oftentimes overcomes stressed-out individuals. The stress they experience becomes so overwhelming that it becomes generalized anxiety and, unfortunately, they drift farther and farther from understanding the nature of their condition as this process continues.
There are healthy, sensible ways to address both anxiety and stress disorder symptoms. Oftentimes, individuals who constantly feel stressed are simply unable to communicate their needs effectively or they simply demand and expect too much of the world and of those around them. Leveling out one’s expectations is one of the first defenses. It’s important for these individuals to remember that, while the individuals with whom they share the world are responsible for their own actions, they are not at all responsible for the expectations of others. Being realistic fights stress.
Anxiety and stress disorders should not be taken lightly. The stereotype of the overly-driven executive type who collapses from a heart attack at a young age is not rooted in fiction. These problems can become very serious and, oftentimes, they’re something of a habit on the part of the individual. While yelling, screaming, being stressed out and otherwise having a fit may get one their way now and again, it causes more problems than it solves and, if not kept in check by more mature and healthy ways of interaction, it can gradually become an issue that can take away everything.
Finding a Cure for Panic Attack Symptoms
Finding a Cure for Panic Attack Symptoms
Finding a cure for panic attack symptoms is something for which most of the sufferers would pay any amount of money. Panic attacks are distracting, distressing and can oftentimes make living everyday life almost unbearable. They tend to lurk just around any given corner waiting to pounce and oftentimes they do so at the worst possible time. There are some ways to alleviate the worst of these symptoms, however, and many of these methods require no money, no visits to the doctor and no medication.
One of the most common panic attack symptoms is hyperventilation. Provided that one has visited their doctor and determined that there is no other, more serious, underlying condition that is causing these episodes of hyperventilation, one can easily treat this symptom themselves. Breathing into a paper bag helps to add equilibrium to the levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen in one’s blood. This will oftentimes alleviate the tingling sensation that manifests in one’s limbs and in one’s lips when they begin to hyperventilate. It also gives one a sensation of being able to catch their breath which can significantly reduce the overall sensation of fear.
Another easy cure for panic attack symptoms is simply to move around a bit. Although panic attacks are oftentimes accompanied by the sensation that one’s legs have become weak or that they will fall over should they choose to stand up or attempt a walk around a bit, this is most certainly not the case. There is usually such a rush of adrenaline involved with the panic attack that an individual need not worry at all about losing consciousness. In fact, it would be very difficult for an individual to lose consciousness in this situation. Simply walking around, stretching and taking a few deep breaths can oftentimes lessen the panic sensations considerably.
The cure for panic attack symptoms that manifest when one is falling asleep are a bit more complex. Oftentimes, individuals who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder will find themselves having a very difficult time falling asleep at night. Their attempts to fall asleep will oftentimes be interrupted by twitching muscles, sudden sensations of suffocation or by a completely unexpected jolt to their entire nervous system that will leave them sitting up in bed checking their pulse. Depending on what one’s doctor recommends, one may seek a prescription for a sleeping aid or one may try a more natural means of inducing drowsiness such as having a glass of warm milk or engaging in some pre-bedtime meditation.
The cure for panic attack symptoms may actually involve some very simple changes to one’s life. If one is a habitual coffee drinker, for instance, they may be encouraged by their doctor to layoff the bean a little bit. One may also be encouraged to get more regular exercise so that the body has a chance to process the chemicals related to stress and to experience the pleasant sensations associated with the release of endorphins due to exercise.
Determining the Causes of Anxiety Disorders
Determining the Causes of Anxiety Disorders
The causes of anxiety disorders are as diverse as the sufferers of those disorders. Some individuals are very hearty and can take tons of stress without batting an eye. Others are very fragile in the presence of some stressors and essentially are driven to distraction by being unable to find a healthy way of coping with the most common of life’s difficulties. These disorders, in any case, have a way of becoming worse over time and of crescendoing until they reach their climax at which point individuals are usually put in a position where they have to seek one sort of help or another.
The causes of anxiety disorders, from the physiological perspective, consist of the body putting into motion its flight or fight mechanisms for no real cause. This may mean being fully prepared for an attack by a tiger when one is only receiving a bit of bad news from their college guidance counselor. A meeting with one’s superiors at work may make one feel as if their heart is about to explode. It is the inappropriateness of these reactions, not the reactions themselves, that are the problem. Given the right circumstances, these reactions are life-saving.
The mental causes of anxiety disorders are related to brain chemistry which is, professionals will admit, not entirely understood. The amygdala is that part of the brain which is responsible for directing the body’s responses to danger. Unfortunately, this part of the brain does not consult with any other part before sending one’s body into panic-mode. This overreaction of the brain makes it almost impossible for sufferers to calm themselves as all of their attempts at rationality are being overridden by complete and all-encompassing fear. Understanding a phobia provides some insight into the causes of anxiety disorders.
Enough people have a phobia of clowns to make it a good example. In reality, clowns really pose no threat—except, perhaps, to good taste. Some individuals, however, experience a psychological trauma that causes their brain to associate clowns with a threat to life and limb. Faced with one, these individuals go through all the sensations related to panic and their fight or flight reflexes being triggered no matter how much they try to rationalize. Anxiety disorder symptoms are similar, but worse. Take those awful feelings and put them in a vacuum. Imagine that they manifest for no reason at all but are just as intense as what one experiences when in the presence of a phobia-inducing stimuli and one has an idea of the sensation.
The causes of anxiety disorders are physical, psychological and situational and must be addressed from all of those fronts. Professional help is often required to develop strategies to deal with these issues. On a self-help level, support groups, books that address anxiety and taking up activities such as healthy exercise and meditation may help to alleviate some symptoms. Making necessary changes to one’s lifestyle is usually an excellent place to start an overall change.
Anxiety Disorders: Symptoms and Signs
Anxiety Disorders: Symptoms and Signs
Anxiety disorders have symptoms that encompass a wide variety of discomfort. Before determining that anxiety is the sole cause of any of these symptoms, one must consult with their doctor to eliminate the possibility that there is an underlying, possibly physical, cause of these symptoms. Anxiety is an emotional response and the physical symptoms of a panic attack tend to multiply its effects. Those physical symptoms, however, may be the symptoms of something else entirely and, without a doctor to determine this, one can never be certain that their anxiety is not justified.
Anxiety disorders have symptoms which tend to have commonalities from patient to patient. The fight or flight reflexes tend to be very much represented among these symptoms. A racing heart, hyperventilation, sweating, shaking and a sense of impending doom are all characteristic of anxiety symptoms. These are, of course, the same reflexes that one experiences when faced with mortal danger. This is no coincidence. There is only a certain amount of fear that one can experience before their body begins to put into effect those reactions designed to preserve one’s life. Of course, what makes this condition a disorder is that the need is not there to justify such drastic reactions.
Anxiety disorders and their symptoms are oftentimes defined by the repetition of a series of unpleasant reactions. Commonly, one feels a bit stressed out, the stressor becomes an obsession, then the rapid breathing starts, the pounding heart, the sense that one is about to die and full-fledged panic erupts. This sensation is not rooted in one being overly-dramatic or seeking attention. It is simply a physical set of manifestations that are entirely predictable in the face of fear which is the common thread that unites all of these incidences.
Fear, anxiety disorders, symptoms such as panic attacks and depression and a host of other miseries go hand in hand. Fear, of course, is oftentimes a good thing. Fear of physical harm keeps us from going into dark alleys at night; fear of financial harm oftentimes prevents us from quitting one job before we have another. All individuals experience fear. It is to what end that experience is directed that defines whether it is healthy or harmful. The antidote to fear is understanding. For instance, those experiencing a panic attack often fear they are having a heart attack. Of course, a bit of understanding reveals that the principal symptom of a heart attack is not a pounding heart but a heart that is not beating at all; certainly not with the regularity and strength characteristic of one who is afraid!
Anxiety disorders and the symptoms that define them are treatable and that, for certain, is one reason to abandon fear. One need not fear that they are alone in these symptoms nor that there is some great and terrible root that extends from their bitter fruits. Oftentimes, the acquisition of a set of skills, through therapy, can help one to understand, and to master, their fears.
Dealing With Anxiety Sleep Disorder
Most of the time it is not complicated to know when one is having symptoms of an anxiety sleep disorder. Perhaps you might be on the edge of falling asleep after much difficulty getting there and you feel like you are suffocating, your body is experiencing tremors, there is a heat on your face and you are suddenly bolt upright in a state of total panic.
Once you calm down and it seems to pass, you might check your pulse and try to sleep again only to experience a repeat of the entire sequence.
An anxiety sleep disorder is frequently the night-time version of a generalized anxiety disorder. But sad to say, such sleep patterns can make the general ones much worse and harder to bear. Good rest prepares our bodies to deal better with stress of all kinds and without it we are m ore vulnerable.
This compounds the problem making our situation worse and more central to our daily lives than it might be otherwise. There is little chance of respite when our bodies are deprived of their energies.
Anxiety and sleep disorder symptoms are not particularly different from each other when viewed objectively, save for the time differences of their respective occurrences. It doesn’t matter what time you have a panic attack, whether 4AM or 4PM, for it to be one.It’s the same reaction, but it is experienced differently. The most terrifying aspect of the night-time version is that it jolts you awake and leaves you with profound dread and fear.Needless to say, the prospect of you feeling easy about approaching sleeptime and getting some real sleep is not a very good one once this experience is repeated.
You will find that anxiety and sleep disorder symptoms will frequently occur simultaneously. For example, if you were to begin experiencing these episodes at night due to stress or any real condition, you might well begin having them during the day as well. These can be accompanied by other symptoms such as irritability and depression. It is a very good idea to seek the help of a professional early once this pattern looks like it may be starting, the sooner the better.Dealing with the early warning signals can be the best thing you do for yourself and prevent the symptoms from occurring diring the daytime.
Anxiety and sleep disorder symptoms respond very well to early detection, particularly if you can determine the underlying causes. This could lead you to make some life changes which could include getting healthy with proper nutrition, regular exercise, or simply giving yourself some real down-time on a daily basis which would allow you to calm down, relax, and un-crease the brow.
It is a frequent recommendation for you to sleep in only one room (preferably your bedroom), and that you have no distractions such as television. This runs counter to what people suffering from anxiety are prone to do, which is to try and distract themselves and which makes the situation worse for them.
Your primary goal here should be to get a good night’s sleep.If that cannot be managed, then professional help must be sought.
Anxiety Disorder Symptom Control
Anxiety Disorder Symptom Control
Before determining the best way to control any anxiety disorder symptom, it’s necessary to visit a doctor to determine for sure that the symptom is, indeed, a manifestation of anxiety. One of the hardest things about anxiety disorders is that their symptoms oftentimes mimic those of very serious diseases. Before deciding that one only needs to learn a few relaxation techniques to stop those symptoms, consult with a doctor to make certain that there are no serious underlying conditions that need to be addressed and that anxiety actually is the cause of one’s symptoms.
In most cases, any anxiety disorder symptom will start out mild and crescendo to a level that occupies all of one’s conscious thoughts. Unfortunately, anxiety is something of a self-sustaining phenomenon; as one’s symptoms present themselves, their anxiety increases and a vicious cycle results. Most often, the first symptom to present itself is that of racing thoughts where a minor scenario that causes the affected individual some anxiety quickly transforms itself into a cause for absolute panic. If one can master their thoughts somewhat and pay attention to them rather than being their servant, it will become apparent that this pattern is as repetitive as it is destructive.
Many forms of therapy and meditation will recommend that individuals learn to be conscious of their thoughts. This starts by identifying those thoughts that tend to morph into one anxiety symptom or another and acknowledging them from the start. After they are acknowledged, it is much easier to control the panic to which they may lead. This starts by being honest. For example, if one is constantly experiencing anxiety about their relationships, the minute one feels a bit of insecurity, however minor, one must acknowledge that thought and realize that the pattern is starting.
One major anxiety symptom is that the individual tries to put these thoughts to the back of their mind and, thus, to disempower them. This tends to have the opposite effect; lending to those thoughts the power of that which is so terrifying that it must be hidden. Like most fears, these thoughts are best addressed head-on. To know something and to give it a name is to have power over it, to a certain degree. Thus, when one finds themselves in a full-throated panic over their finances, it may be constructive to acknowledge that finances will go up and down throughout life. It is largely out of your control and you should be prepared for the worst while hoping for the best.
Understanding anxiety symptom types largely involves understanding oneself. If one can make the effort to understand what it is that triggers their panic attacks one is certainly on the way to controlling those episodes. Fear is often rooted in a lack of understanding and, as the adage goes, knowledge is, indeed, power. Working with a doctor or a psychiatrist, one will often find out that their anxiety disorder, and its treatment, demands learning more than anything else.
Symptoms of Panic Attacks
Symptoms of Panic Attacks
For anyone who has suffered from a panic attack, the symptom or symptoms of panic attacks can be enough to create a frightening perception, or an irrational fear about a location or event and lead them to avoid these circumstances in the future. If someone suffered from a panic attack in a crowded room, often they try to avoid crowded rooms because they fear suffering another attack in the same situation. These irrational fears are common pre-symptoms of panic attacks.
People have often reported that an attack feels like a heart attack or that they are dying, though in most cases, panic attacks do not lead to death. The symptoms of panic attacks, though, are often quite intense and enough to instill this irrational fear within them.
Panic attacks can occur without warning and without any real genuine reason. The symptoms of panic attacks, such as a racing heart beat, difficulty breathing or feeling that the chest is constricting, stomach issues, dizziness, nausea, chills, sweating, or other symptoms, can vary in intensity before and during the attack. Symptoms of panic attacks reported by one individual may not be reported by another, but this doesn’t mean that one is more important than another. Each panic attack symptom is important in determining and recognizing the situation before it grows into a full-blown panic attack.
Panic attacks will generally last for several minutes and can be extremely intense and unnerving. When the symptoms imitate a heart attack, the person will feel as though they are having one or that they may die. Panic attacks can also occur at night. Forty to 70% of panic attack sufferers reporting them during the day also experience them at night. While symptoms of panic attacks are, generally, related to other anxiety disorders, they can lead to phobias and other fears about different situations that the person encounters. In the example above, a person may avoid crowded rooms due to the fear of having a repeat attack in a crowded room. Their initial attack probably had nothing to do with the crowded room, but the subsequent association with it has led to an irrational fear of them. So the next time they find themselves in a crowded room, they may begin to feel the constricting chest or rapid heart rate that will lead to a panic attack.
Developing a phobia about these situations can often lead to phobias about other situations. Panic attacks are not like any other anxiety disorder because they are often unprovoked and can be quite disabling. Sufferers will begin to avoid the situations that initially led to the attack and this, in turn, develops into a panic disorder. Without proper treatment, panic disorders can drastically affect a person’s life. Nearly 3 million adult Americans suffer from panic attacks at some time during their lives. There are a number of options available that can help them deal with the situation and control their symptoms of panic attacks. Therapy and medication are the two main avenues of treatment and will be explored more thoroughly in other articles on CureYourPanicAttack.com.
Panic Attack Medication
Panic Attack Medication
Panic attacks can strike at any time and are often debilitating to an individual. The cause stress, fear, and other anxieties and can often be seen in someone who suffers from other panic disorders. While its causes are not quite fully known or understood, it is important to note that there is panic attack medication that can help an individual manage their occurrence and intensity. Panic attack medication used in conjunction with therapy, can dramatically decrease the occurrence of panic attacks. It can be a great aid in rehabilitating an individual suffering from this anxiety disorder.
There are many different kinds of medications that help to manage and control panic attacks. A panic attack medication can also reduce the anxiety of having a repeat attack, which in turn may help reduce the risk of a recurrence. Prozac, Zoloft, and Praxil are three commonly prescribed medications. These panic attack medications are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) which are antidepressants that are often associated with depression. These drugs act on neurotransmitters in the brain, which are released by one nerve and carried by several others. SSRI medications help keep these carriers from ‘reuptaking’ the transmissions that are not picked up by other nerves and if not,can be a contributor to depression..
Before SSRI medications were available, there were tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) such as Norpramin, Anafranil, and Tofranil. These TCAs can be just as effective as SSRIs, but it is the SSRIs that have been determined to be safer for most individuals with fewer side effects. But, as with any medication, these panic attack medications, whether TCAs or SSRIs should be prescribed with close monitoring by a licensed physician. There are side effects and some of them could potentially be life-threatening. Pregnant women should not take these medications due to the risk to the fetus.
There are also medications from the benzodiazepine family that are also approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) that are effective in treating panic attacks and other panic disorders. These medications help reduce anxiety and nervousness. Some medications are Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, and Atavin. These may be prescribed on an as-needed basis, whereas SSRIs are to be taken regularly to build up a sufficient level in the system.
Once starting any panic attack medication, symptoms should begin to improve within a few weeks. If there is no change in the conditions or symptoms within six to eight weeks, then a stronger prescription may be required. Also, another medication may be needed as not all will work for every individual. Most panic attack medications are designed to be used for a year or more. At such time, depending on the doctor’s recommendation, these medications may then typically be reduced over a period of weeks.
Recurrence of panic attacks at this time may be noticed. If so, then the panic attack medication may need to be extended for that individual in order to keep those symptoms of under control.
Panic Attacks Help
Panic Attacks Help
For those individuals who suffer from panic attacks, help is available. Though many of these same people tend to avoid seeking treatment or information about this disorder, it is important to realize that there are resources that can help manage, control, and alleviate the symptoms of panic attacks and help can mean the difference between having another attack in the future and never having to deal with the stress of them again.
Panic attacks leave an individual feeling like they are dying, with a shortness of breath, constricting and pounding chest, and other harsh reactions and symptoms. But what people who have never had to experience a panic attack don’t quite understand is that this is a very private event. A person suffering from panic attacks usually deals with irrational fears and while they often know that their fear is irrational, it doesn’t mean that they can ignore it.
Because of this private event, when people suffer from panic attacks, help doesn’t often cross their minds. Researchers and specialists who deal with the aftermath, as well as the symptoms and conditions that can lead to panic attacks, have learned that there is usually a combination of behavioral and biological factors that lead to panic attacks. By becoming informed about these contributing factors, a person will find that when it comes to their panic attacks, help is within their reach. They need only to open up and seek that assistance.
Behavioral therapy basically examines the symptoms and helps the individual to acknowledge and recognize them as they are happening, typically in a controlled environment, so that they can then dismantle or derail the impending panic attack. As an example, an individual may feel stressed in a crowded environment. Perhaps they suffered from a panic attack in a similar situation and now they associate the crowds with an attack and thus attempt to avoid these situations in the future. Through therapy, this individual can learn to deal with the increased heart rate, sweating, and nervousness that may precipitate an attack and techniques to help bring their body, and their mind, back to a more relaxed state.
Dealing with emotions and feelings can go a long way toward stemming the occurrence of panic attacks. Help can also come in the form of medication. Certain medications, such as Prozac, which is an antidepressant, can help to alleviate the stress and tension that builds up in their mind. The severity of their panic attacks can also be controlled. Help for sufferers is an important step in dealing with this very personal, very private, and very damaging disorder and while one may watch their loved one suffer, it doesn’t mean that they can’t do something to help them in the end.
For those individuals who suffer from panic attacks, help is available. Though many of these same people tend to avoid seeking treatment or information about this disorder, it is important to realize that there are resources that can help manage, control, and alleviate the symptoms of panic attacks and help can mean the difference between having another attack in the future and never having to deal with the stress of them again.
Panic attacks leave an individual feeling like they are dieing, with a shortness of breath, constricting and pounding chest, and other harsh reactions and symptoms. But what people who have never had to experience a panic attack don’t quite understand is that this is a very private event. A person suffering from panic attacks usually deal with irrational fears and while they often know that their fear is irrational, it doesn’t mean that they can get rid of the fear.
Because of this private event, when people suffer from panic attacks, help doesn’t often cross their minds. Researchers and specialists who deal with the aftermath, as well as the symptoms and conditions that can lead to panic attacks, have learned that there is usually a combination of behavioral and biological factors that lead to panic attacks. By becoming informed about these contributing factors, a person will find that when it comes to their panic attacks, help is within their power. They need only to open up and seek that level of help.
Behavioral therapy basically takes the symptoms and helps the individual to acknowledge and recognize them as they are happening, typically in a controlled environment, so that they can then dismantle or derail the impending panic attack. As an example, an individual may feel stressed in a crowded environment. Perhaps they suffered from a panic attack in a similar situation and now they associate the crowds with an attack and thus attempt to avoid these situations in the future. Through therapy, this individual can learn to deal with the increased heart rate, sweating, and nervousness that may precipitate an attack and learn techniques to help bring their body, and their mind, back to a more relaxed state.
Dealing with emotions and feelings can go a long way toward stemming the occurrence of panic attacks. Help can also come in the form of medication. Certain medications, such as Prozac, which is an antidepressant, can help to alleviate the stress and tension that builds up in their mind. They can also control the severity of panic attacks. Help for panic attack sufferers is an important step in dealing with this very personal, very private, and very damaging disorder and while one may watch their loved one suffer from these, it doesn’t mean that they can’t do something to help them in the end.
Causes of Panic Attacks
Panic attacks can strike an individual at any time without warning. Its symptoms can include extreme fear and concern, shortness of breath, sweating, shaking, and other reactions. Someone who seems quite calm and composed can be stricken by panic attacks. The causes of panic attacks is not fully understood, but there are many different factors that play a major role in their onset. These factors can be both environmental as well as biological.
Panic disorders have been shown to be prevalent in some families and not as much in others, which has led scientists to conclude that there may be some genetic indicators in individuals who suffer from panic attacks. A cause of this is similar to how eye color or hair color is passed down from parents to their children and some individuals who suffer from panic attacks have a family member who has suffered from a similar condition.
Abnormalities in the brain may also be contributory causes of panic attacks. These may create certain changes in the brain function. Studies have indicated that panic attacks can often occur in individuals who are diagnosed with schizophrenia and post traumatic stress disorder. Other studies also indicate that our biological ‘fight or flight’ response to fear or other potentially dangerous stimuli may also be involved in panic attacks.
A person’s response to fear or attack often results in accelerated heart rate and an increase in breathing, which usually allows a person to react and respond to perceived or real threats. When someone suffers from a panic attack, this reaction is generated without the presence of any real danger. It is still unknown why panic attacks strike an individual when there is no real danger present.
Stress in life, whether serious or relatively minor, can trigger a panic attack. These stressors can be the result of a major life change or the death of a loved one, or smaller stressors such as moving across town, or other issues that develop and build upon one another over time. When stressors diminish one’s resistance, the inherent physical predisposition for a panic attack can kick in.
Addiction is often seen as an environmental cause of panic attacks. Withdrawal or intoxication of drugs or alcohol as a result of substance abuse may also be one of the causes. The source of these attacks may also be both biological as well as environmental. Whichever the case may be, these attacks often seem to come from nowhere, with no warning or precursor. A person could also bring one on inadvertently by creating the conditions that a body endures during a real attack. For example, taking medication that elevates heart rates may cause the brain to interpret this increased heart rate as a response to attack and thus a panic attack can occur.
Seeking professional treatment is important for anyone who may feel that they are suffering from panic attacks. The cause may still be unknown, but there are ways to manage them.
Anxiety Disorders in Children
Anxiety Disorders in Children
Fear is a part of most children’s lives at some time or another and while many will manage this fear without much of an issue, sometimes an anxiety disorder in children may develop. Their basic fears could stem from darkness at night while they sleep or simply having concern about taking a test at school. Perhaps they may be new to a neighborhood or a school, or starting over. Most of the time children manage these fears fine, yet sometimes they may develop into panic attacks or other disorders.
One thing we wish we could do is to protect children, to let them hold onto their innocence as long as possible, but this cannot always be done. Anxiety disorders in children may develop at any time and can be very much like those that afflict adults. Children may worry constantly about going to school or about something within their home. Children suffering from anxiety disorders may also tend to strive for perfection at everything and can often be very hard on themselves or overly demanding. This may also manifest itself in seeking approval constantly from others.
Children with these fears may also develop obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) which is, basically, an obsession or unwanted thoughts or emotions that cannot be removed from the person’s head. This may lead to routines and ritualistic behaviors, such as washing hands incessantly or opening and closing a door repeatedly each time they go into another room. While OCD is usually diagnosed in children no younger than ten, some as young as two or three have been discovered with it.
A panic disorder is usually determined if there are two successive, unexpected panic attacks followed by one month of concern about having another panic attack. Most of the time, young children are not seen with this disorder, but commonly some adolescents may begin to show the signs.
An anxiety disorder in children may also be indicated by specific phobias, such as irrational fears about certain locations, objects, or circumstances. Children will have fears, but it is the fear that persists that may indicate that there may be an anxiety disorder in the child. If the fear persists for more than six months and interferes with their daily routine and activities, the child may have a phobia. They may endure stomach pains or persistent and recurring headaches, tantrums, or stop where they are, frozen in place by their fear. They may also become excessively clingy.
Unfortunately, children do sometimes encounter extreme traumas in their young lives, such as the loss of a parent, natural disaster, or an attack or some other act that causes them anxiety or stress, and this can lead to post traumatic stress disorder, which is another form of anxiety disorder in children. Lack of sleep, appetite, or being emotionally disconnected may indicate post traumatic stress.
While an anxiety disorder in children may be similar to those in adults, their emotional and physical manifestations may be quite different. Children don’t often understand that their fears are irrational and they may not be able to express their anxieties well. Any child who may be showing signs of anxiety disorders should be referred to their pediatrician for evaluation.
