Posts Tagged ‘Phobia Symptons’

For those of us who suffer with anxiety attacks, we know what it feels like. Our heart pounds. We get butterflies in our tummy. We agonize and fret over everything and anything.  We have hot and cold sweats.  Our throats go dry and we have difficulty swallowing, just to name a few.

If you are experiencing any of the above, then you may well be suffering with anxiety attacks.

Anxiety attacks can transpire out of the blue.  I have spoken with plenty of people who have said "my life is great; I don’t understand why I am suddenly suffering with anxiety attacks".  That’s the nature of the beast.  There is no designated format for anxiety attacks.  They can happen to people whose lives are going really well, as well, as those who lives are not going so well.

This is why anxiety attacks are so tricky to diagnose.  It’s not like having a cold or some other illness, where there symptoms are typical and simple to observe and diagnose.

Understanding what anxiety attacks are will assist you to have more control. It’s normal to worry and feel tense or scared when under pressure or facing a taxing situation. Anxiety is the body’s natural response to danger, an automatic alarm that goes off when we feel threatened.

From my personal understanding off living with anxiety attacks, I am aware of the fact that the more you think about the anxiety the stronger the symptoms become.  The stronger the symptoms, the stronger the anxiety attacks become.  Then you’re in the realms of a viscous circle.   This is when it becomes really tough to over come your anxiety attacks.

It’s not till you truly become aware of the fact that your thoughts have manifested your anxiety, so it stands to reason that if you have shaped the anxiety attack then surely you can UN-create the anxiety attacks.  This part is really hard for people to understand.  And I know precisely how they feel!  When I was told this, I rejected it.  Why would I want to do this to myself?  It did not make sense.

But at the end of the day no matter how much I tried to take no notice of that fact, it was true, my thoughts where the origin of my anxiety.  I experimented with it.  The more I focused my energy on the anxiety the stronger my anxiety attacks became.  So with the help of a therapist, I was able to work on my thoughts and beat my anxiety.

I am not anxiety free, although I am able to prevent my anxiety before it becomes a full blown anxiety attack.

Another thing to bear in mind, is that anxiety may be unpleasant, but it isn’t always a awful thing. In fact, anxiety can help us stay aware and focused, spur us to action, and prompt us to solve problems. But when anxiety is continuous or overwhelming, when it interferes with our relationships and activities-that’s when you’ve crossed the line from normal anxiety into the territory of anxiety disorders.

If you would like some help with anxiety? Then, please read on. Below are some very useful tips to help with your anxiety.

  1. Breathe Correctly

Researchers at The University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre have pinpointed one of the reasons why breathing is so important when we can be suffering from  anxiety. They found that we frequently hyperventilate when we are in an anxious state. This is correct, as you and I know. We are conscious of short and rapid breathing  which in turn creates small brainwaves, all contributing to our stressed state.

If we could do with help with anxiety, we will have to learn to breathe using the abdomen muscles. By doing this we create much longer breaths which produce slower  brainwaves. That is the kind of relaxed breathing we do when we are composed and serene. While we are conscious of this, we can learn this technique and it really  does calm us down, if done appropriately.

  2. Meditation
A large amount of people are put off by the idea of meditation and even yoga because they just feel it is too complicated to learn and that they will never have the time to do it.  All you have to do is to find the quietest place in your home.

You can choose to sit down or even lie down. The principal thing is to feel comfortable. Focus on your breathing and practice letting air fill your  lungs and then when exhaling, feel the abdominal muscles tightening. The secret here is that you are able to shut out all the clutter, noise from  around you, while you concentrate solely on your breathing. You will be amazed at how much calmer you will feel and you may not need help with anxiety.

  3. Diet
Certainly getting the right nutrients, minerals and vitamins can really help in creating optimal conditions so that our brain functions just as well as our  body. Any foods that can increase the levels of serotonin can enhance our mood. That can always lower anxiety levels. The best foods, are the complex carbohydrates which are the whole grains, fruit, vegetables and nuts. Did you know that the element called tryptophan helps in calming  and is contained in some dairy products and also turkey meat?

4. Herbal remedy for anxiety?
Lots of herbs are now known to help keep anxiety at bay. The better known ones are valerian, camomile, passion flower and winter cherry. These actually work  and there are no nasty side effects either, unlike the anti anxiety medications prescribed in massive doses across the populace.

Just in case all the terms have bewildered you, panic attack is an alternative word for anxiety attacks. A panic attack hits rapidly and overwhelms a person with thoughts of fright and needing to run away.
Panic attacks are distinct from the usual anxiety all people will sense during a stressful event or emergency. Panic attack is a persistent problem that interferes with life. This editorial will illustrate panic attack disorder and explain what you can do to stop panic attacks.

Panic attacks may have lots of different physical symptoms that would as a rule go along with a fight or flight  response in a real emergency. These include a rapid and pounding heart, rapid heart rate, nausea, sweating, light headedness, hot or cold flashes, chest pain, numb hands and feet, tingly or burning skin, irrational thoughts, fear of losing control, and a number of other symptoms. People might think they’re having a heart attack, asthma attack or just think something is unpleasantly wrong.
Envision that you’re standing at the check out counter, paying for your provisions, when abruptly you just can’t handle it. Your body is hit with an devastating physical reaction, forcing you to run from the shop, leaving your groceries behind. These feelings (the anxiety attack) can be abrupt terror and fear that strike for no reason and with no warning.
Most readers almost certainly want to understand the causes and symptoms of anxiety attacks, and also look for ways to stop panic attacks. A good and trusted source of information is The National Institute of Mental Health. This article explains some of their definition of Panic Disorder, also called Anxiety (or Panic) Attack Disorder. Around 19 percent of adults in the US experience a form of anxiety disorder, and 3 percent of adults anxiety attack disorder.

People at Risk for Panic Attack Disorder

People of any age can suffer from this condition, especially with the fast pace of life and many pressures that everyone experiences. The condition does seem to start most often in people ages 17 to 25. Children can even suffer from panic attacks, although it?s harder to catch in children. Once the child is calmed down, people are more likely to assume he is okay. More women have reported suffering from anxiety attacks, but doctors think men are less likely to report attacks.

Treating Panic Disorder

Panic attack disorder can be treated. Too many people live for years not knowing how to stop panic attacks. This condition doesn’t go away over time or get better by itself. But there is help! Any person can take control of their life with good information and support. It’s time to take action. You can stop panic attacks naturally with therapy and once again enjoy the freedom to go out and enjoy life.

Anxiety is a person’s normal reaction to conditions or situations which make us worried, uneasy or uncomfortable. The response may be physical, emotional or behavioural. Factors that trigger  anxiety might include pressures from work, stress from home, lack of exercise or sleep, or medical conditions. The food we eat is also a precondition for anxiety attacks.

There are quite a lot of highly recommended foods for anxiety attacks. If we do not correctly nourish the brain’s neuro-transmitters, then it is generally likely that we do not have adequate nourishment to balance the brain’s activities. Consider eating foods that are rich in vitamin B and amino acids. Chicken, beef and most especially tuna are highly recommended, as well as green and leafy vegetables like broccoli, spinach and cabbage. Milk and milk products like cheese and yogurt have high-protein contents.

Although chocolates and other sweets are in general accepted as mood enhancers, these foods for anxiety attacks may only give a "roller coaster" effect on your brain activities which gives you a abrupt surge of energy and then in due course pull you down to an all-time low. Stay out of food that are prepared of simple sugars to remove mood swings, and try to maintain a healthy portion of fish, vegetables and fruits for a more steady source of energy.

But eating the correct foods for anxiety attacks is simply one of the promising ways to handle anxiety. Of course, the foremost step is to have a discussion with a physician who will at the outset have a accurate diagnosis to your condition so the necessary steps can be undertaken. There are cases when foods for anxiety attacks may be complemented with prescription medication, or other alternative methods.

In a large amount of anxiety conditions the best treatment that is most often recommended is to undergo psychotherapies. These methods not only relieves the symptoms of anxiety, but also gives a more lasting solution to it. It teaches the person how to identify with his situation and recognize the factors that causes anxiety. From there, the psychotherapist and the patient can work together on the best possible solution to anxiety attacks.

A anxiety attack is an overwhelming feeling of panic that occurs for completely no evident reason.  Most people might have just one anxiety attack or  a couple in their whole lives. But the more frequently they happen the more terrifying they are for that person.

The most common signs of anxiety attacks a racing heart, hot and cold sweats, prickling sensation, or pins and needles,dry mouth, to list a few. One of the hardest aspects of anxiety attacks  is the worry of having another anxiety attack.

In years gone by anxiety attacks were regarded as a nervous’ dysfunction or stress, however now repeated anxiety attacks  are described as a medical condition referred to as anxiety disorder.  

What happens when you have a anxiety attack is  the body has a overloaded of hormones and adrenaline, (this is what your body releases to respond to a life threatening event in ordinary conditions). But, with a anxiety attack there no threat so your body does not know what to do with the injection of hormones and adrenaline.

Frequent anxiety attacks can be treated with talking to a counsellor or by taking prescribed drugs from your Doctor.  An isolated anxiety attack may need virtually no treatment, however  chronic anxiety attacks or anxiety disorders may be addressed with behavioural therapy, medicine also self-help or  together with therapies for different mental health conditions.

Simply put, there is not a lot of professional answers about anxiety attacks and they are often clumped together with psychological disorders. The precise causes of anxiety attacks as i said are not truly recognized, however it can be connected to genetic makeup, stress and chemical changes among the brain. Behavioural cognitive therapy and different such treatments has shown a great deal of hope in the treatment of anxiety disorder and statistics signify it’s basically the foremost success for long-term treatment of anxiety attacks.

Treatment of anxiety attacks usually consists of only serving to help the individual to recognize what anxiety attack truly is.  It does help though to understand that they are not alone in struggling with there anxiety disorder and that they can seek help in finding out how to cope with the symptoms. Naturally, this depends on alternative factors, like whether or not the person includes a fear which sparks the anxiety attack. Such as if they get anxious about heights, or if they have a fear of spiders.

Anxiety attacks are not life threatening, although they will feel like they are. Unfortunately they have an inclination to  be chronic and repeated and they could be crippling to the victim.

Affected individuals may not know when an anxiety attack might occur, which may prevent then venturing out (agoraphobia) or avoid explicit situations in which they assume they could experience a anxiety attack.  Not knowing when a factor as disabling as a anxiety attack can arise could have extreme adverse relationship consequences on a person.

Regarding a anxiety attack, physical causes are usually eliminated first. Generally the person has been to many  Doctors and even specialists thinking that they’ve got a life threatening illness that has never been clinically determined. Once  physical reasons are ruled out, the correct treatment of anxiety disorder will begin.

Worry, fear, and anxiety are a normal part of our life. Have you experienced feeling anxious before taking an exam and later find out that you got a higher result more than what you expected? Or, feeling anxious for a job interview and ended up getting hired, or feeling frightened walking down an alley where bad things often happened?

Normal anxiety helps us cope in any stressful situation, it also keeps us watchful.

Mental health professional are not concerned with normal anxiety. But, if your anxiety suddenly occur without apparent reason and lasts for weeks to months and happens in most days than not, that is another issue. If anxiety persists in most days than not, and takes longer than six months, it has become an immobilizing disorder.

An anxiety disorder is a recurring and excessive anxiety and worry about events or activities without logical reasons at all lasting for more than six moths and it is interfering with everyday activities, such as going to work, and socializing. A person experiencing anxiety condition finds it difficult to control the feelings of worry and fear. The thing about people with anxiety disorder is that they actually know that what they think of feel is not real and that they are just made-up.

The common anxiety disorders are Panic Disorder, Social Phobia, Agoraphobia, Specific Phobia, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Separation Anxiety, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

A person with anxiety condition may suffer different anxiety disorder symptoms. And because no two people are the same, the anxiety disorder symptoms may vary from one person to the other.

The physical symptoms of anxiety disorder are cause by the brain sending messages to parts of the body to prepare for the flight-to-fight response. The lungs, heart, and other parts of the body work faster and the brain releases stress hormones, including adrenaline.

These are just some of the Anxiety disorder symptoms that people may experience physically:

• Abdominal discomfort
  Diarrhoea
  Dry mouth
  Rapid heartbeat or palpitations
  Tightness or pain in chest
  Shortness of breath
  Dizziness
  Frequent urination
  Difficulty swallowing

Psychologically you may experience:

• Insomnia
  Irritability
  Inability to concentrate
  Fear of going crazy or dying
  Feeling unreal and not in control of your behaviour

There are several types of anxiety disorders and sometimes they are associated with physical addictions such as alcohol and drug abuse. Anxiety is the main symptoms of other mental illness called anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorder symptoms may differ from the symptoms of other anxiety disorders, but all the symptoms cluster around excessive, irrational fear and dread.

With all the useful medical treatment available, it is of great value for you to learn and know how to deal with anxiety and panic attacks.   Anxiety and panic attacks can happen at anytime and anywhere. By learning the ways to manage these attacks, you will be able to intercept potential attacks. Hence, it is an advantage to learn and know these useful methods.  So that in the future you have some tools for dealing with anxiety and panic attacks.

One useful method in handling panic and anxiety attacks is relaxation techniques that can be used to aide you in muscle relaxation, meditation, relaxed breathing and visualization, also known as guided imagery.

Inner achievement of calmness is  a true relaxation. Both the body and the mind have to be in relaxed state when using relaxation techniques to manage these attacks. And learning real relaxation techniques can aid in handling warning signs such as teeth clenching, headaches, and hyperventilation.

To initiate your body into relaxed mode, start off by focusing on the body and suppressing the outside world. Put yourself in a relaxing position and rest your eyes. Just keep the eyelids at ease and heavy without closing them firmly, and allow your jaw to relax and fall gently open.

Start the relaxation method by concentrating on examining your body mentally. Begin scanning from the lower parts of your body, starting from the toes, working your way up to the legs, groins, torso, then the hands, fingers, then finally, the neck and head. Visualize your tension dissolving away as you concentrate on each body parts.

Once all the muscles in your body are relaxed, tighten the muscles in every part, moving from one section to another and count to five or more in each section. While you are doing this, allow your feelings to flow all the way through your psyche, without concentrating on them. It is difficult at times to do this. Say to yourself that you are perfectly calm and at ease.

Envision yourself in your own favourite place and start breathing slowly. Practice this method daily for five to ten minutes to manage panic and anxiety attacks.

Other different ways to manage panic and anxiety attacks is not to indulge into thinking of what could happen. Inform yourself to take care of the matters only when it is time. Do not fight the attacks but instead embrace them.

Panic and anxiety attacks can also be handled by coping statements, in which you are talking yourself through the attack by using your voice and your mind. Use a steady and calm tone, and speak loudly, when using coping statements.

Anxiety and panic attacks are very serious conditions; however, unlike the way the ‘Medical Establishment’ and the Pharmaceutical Industry portrays it, anxiety is not a disease that can be caught like a virus or cured with drugs. So, instead of DRUGS that will only work temporally,and may have serious side-effects and are often addictive, it is much better to take a completely natural approach to treat it. No matter how long you have been suffering from anxiety. You must not simply go on coping with this condition. You must embrace the opportunity now to CHANGE all that today.

 

There are numerous factors that may contribute to the development of anxiety disorders. All of them play a role in creating the necessary conditions for panic attacks, panic disorder and other phobias and anxiety to play an active role in your life.

So have you inherited an anxiety disorder?  Some of the risk factors are: biological causes, childhood traumas,and accumulated stress.  Yes children do suffer with stress, they just display it differently.

If you can identify with any of these then you may be suseptical for potential anxiety and panic problems.  In order for these factors to come into play, they usually need to be triggered or activated by a memory link back to your childhood.

These triggers can include excessive stress, trauma or conditioning. Once panic attacks or anxiety have entered your life, they only stay in your life because you are maintaining the causes that are fuelling them.

Your maintenance of panic and anxiety include nervous or agitated self talk, excessive worries, and avoidance of fearful situations.

In people who have panic disorder or some of the other anxiety conditions, the alarm system is triggered even though there is no danger and many scientists don´t know why this happens.

Panic disorder does seem to run in families, which may mean there is a strong biological component but many people with no family history develop panic disorder which suggests that biology is not the only factor at play.

There is a lot of controversy about whether panic disorders, phobias and anxiety can be inherited. Research has not uncovered a magic gene that controls anxiety or clear evidence that your parents are to blame for you condition.

That would be a convenient source of blame but it´s not the silver bullet. However, studies using twins show an increased likelihood that one twin will have panic disorders if the other does. These studies seem to support that at least some of the responsibility falls to your genetic design.

What many researchers and experts on this subject believe is inherited, is a personality type. If the personality type you inherit is predisposed to be anxious, volatile, excitable and reactive you are more likely to develop an anxiety disorder.

However, the manifestations of that reactive personality depend on the stresses you are exposed to in childhood, adolescence and beyond.

You may never had the opportunity to develop full blown panic disorder or agoraphobia because you were raised in a nurturing environment and were surrounded by supportive people. Its the old nature and nurture argument. Since nurture plays a role, here are some contributing factors that might predispose you to panic attacks or anxiety disorders. If your parents were overprotective this may lead to an excessive worry and concern for your own safety.

The fearful attitude of your parents about catching a cold, crossing the street, not climbing too high etc. etc. will cause and reinforce a reluctant, fearful view of the world is a dangerous place. If your parents were high achievers and expected the same from you it could have had a detrimental impact.

The high standards and the strive for perfection may have made you a perfectionist and too self-critical. These traits can lead to anxiety disorders because perfection is impossible to achieve and a lifetime of coming up short can certainly fuel a doubtful, anxious personality

Growing up in an insecure environment, either physically or emotionally can lead to anxiety conditions. Aside from the more obvious physical, sexual or emotional abuse, experiences such as divorce, death, or an alcoholic or addicted family member can lead to excessive clinginess and lack of confidence later on in life.

Anxiety Panic Attacks are becoming very common in society today.  Studies have shown  that on average, nearly 1 in every 75 people suffer from anxiety or panic at some time or another in their life. For some people there panic and anxiety can be severe, while in others it may be relatively mild. There are occasions where some people do not even know they suffer from this panic disorder at all.

If you are not sure as to whether you suffer from anxiety and panic attack disorder, or you believe you may be a sufferer.  I have compiled a list of anxiety and panic attack symptoms to look out for. This will give you a better understanding of your condition, and put you in a good position to take some action to get rid of your panic disorder, so that you can enjoy life without worrying about a possible attack.

If you find you do suffer from panic disorder, whatever you do, do not worry. This is more of a common issue than you may think, and may people each and every day are beating panic and anxiety with a little work, just like I hope you will too.

The 7 most common Anxiety and Panic Attack Symptoms:

1. Palpitations – A racing rapid heartbeat, and sweating are very common during panic.

2. Dizziness – Feeling dizzy very quickly and being light-headed are common symptoms amongst panic sufferers.

3. Fear – The feeling of “losing control” or constant worrying in any given situation, such as a social gathering, and the feeling of everyone watching you.

4. Hot Flushes – Hot flushes and chills are one of the first signs that occur for an anxiety sufferer.

5. Chest Pain – Shortness of breath is a common symptom you may experience if an attack strikes, you need to be aware, and slow down your breathing calmly.

6. Numbness – Numbness or any form of tingling in the face is a sign you may be about to experience panic.

7. Empty Stomach – The loss of appetite, the feeling of an empty stomach and your mouth going dry, this is another symptom of a potential panic attack.

The list of symptoms that I have provided you are generally the most common that you will experience during an attack, but these are just touching upon the main ones. There are many more, but from experience, they seem to fall under the category of these 7 listed.

Jackie is petrified of feathers, Ryan cant fly, and Trevor’s scared of heights. Irrational phobias are damaging their lives. Will the latest treatments help like dropping them in at the deep end?
When fear goes wrong it can turn into a phobia an irrational fear so strong it sometimes ruins lives.

WARNING.. There is some bad language used in the video’s, but it is in keeping with what is going on.