Controlling Your Panic Attacks – Maintaining Control Over The Attack

January 30, 2011 by · 3 Comments
Filed under: Panic Relief 

Anxiety is one of the most insidious conditions affecting individuals today. Fear accompanies it, whether justified or not. At any time or any circumstance, anxiety can occur. By examining anxiety you can find out just how easily it can balloon into a full blown panic attack.

A variety of physical symptoms can accompany anxiety. In most cases, related symptoms can be related to heart, lungs, and nervous system. Pressure in your chest and around your heart may make you feel like you are having a heart attack. What brings on anxiety? Stress from home; stress from work; stress from school; stress from relationships; financial stress; stress from the loss of a loved one; stress from a medical illness; or drug use.

Symptoms such as these can be labeled as generalized anxiety disorder. The definition of an anxiety attack is an unrealistic worry over a period of time associated with three of the following symptoms: irritability; difficulty concentrating; restlessness; fatigue; sleep disturbances; or muscle tension.

Depending on the duration of each attack and the situation or event that triggered it, you may treat it at home and without seeking medical intervention. If your attacks come infrequently and only last for short periods of time, you can easily calm yourself out of the attack by speaking with a supportive person; use relaxation and meditation techniques; occupy your time by listening to music or watching television; take a walk; or use deep breathing exercises.

Be aware, that the fear may override any ability to engage in any of the before mentioned suggestions once involved in a full blown panic attack. Once the anxiety attack reaches the stage of panic, nothing said or done will decrease the symptoms. You will have to ride it out. This is were your breathing exercises will be greatly used.

Thirty years ago anxiety attacks were considered a nervous condition and patients were given Valium to control them. In this day in age it is considered a treatable disease. Zoloft, Buspar, Xanax, and Prozac are often medications prescribed. You must be told that depending upon your tolerance to certain medications, you may have to sample several kinds of drugs in order to determine the one that will work best for you. It has to prevent the attacks, as well as, keep your mind functionin.

Experiencing a panic attack can be scary. Just be sure to remember these following things; you will not faint; you will not have a heart attack; and you will not die. If you are home alone and have an attack, try to call someone to come be with you until it passes. If driving, and a panic attack comes on, pull over and do your slow breathing. Try to stay calm and relaxed. Do not try to continue what you were doing and ignore the panic attack. That most certainly will not work. Breath through it and you will be just fine.

It may help to just repeat to yourself, “I will get through this.” When the symptoms pass, you will feel relief. Take a moment to regain your composure. Soon you will see that you feel better and you are alright.

Nicole Ross
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/controlling-your-panic-attacks-maintaining-control-over-the-attack-127500.html

Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking and Anxiety Attacks

January 14, 2011 by · 2 Comments
Filed under: Coping and Overcoming Anxiety 

Have you tried various methods in helping you with overcoming fear of public speaking and anxiety attacks. It is often observed that many people’s top ranking fear is not death but having to speak in public. The joke is that these people would rather be lying in the casket at a funeral than giving the eulogy. Overcoming fear of public speaking for people who suffer from anxiety attacks or one of the many general anxiety disorders often becomes a major source of worry weeks or even months before the speaking event is to occur.

These speaking engagements do not necessarily have to be the traditional “on a podium” events but can be as simple as an office meeting where the individual is expected to express an opinion or give verbal feedback. The fear of public speaking and anxiety attacks in this case centers on having an attack while speaking. The individual fears being incapacitated by the anxiety and hence unable to complete what he or she is saying. The person imagines fleeing the spotlight and having to make all kinds of excuses later for their undignified departure out the office window….

This differs slightly from the majority of people who fear public speaking because their fear tends to revolve around going blank while speaking or feeling uncomfortable under the spotlight of their peers. The jitters or nerves of speaking in public are of course a problem for this group as well, but they are unfamiliar with that debilitating threat which is the anxiety attack, as they most likely have not experienced one before.

So how should a person with an anxiety issue help themself in overcoming fear of public speaking?

Stage one is accepting that all these bizarre and quite frankly unnerving sensations are not going to go away overnight. In fact, you are not even going to concern yourself with getting rid of them for your next talk. When they arrive during a speech/meeting, you are going to approach them in a new manner. What we need to do is build your confidence back to where it used to be before any of these sensations ever occurred. This time you will approach it in a unique, empowering manner, allowing you to feel your confidence again. It is said that most of the top speakers are riddled with anxiety and panic before speaking, but they somehow use this nervousness in overcoming fear and enhance their speech. I am going to show you exactly how to do this, although I know that right now if you suffer from public speaking and anxiety attacks you may find it difficult to believe that overcoming fear of public is possible.

My first point is this and it is important. The average healthy person can experience an extreme array of fears and anxiety and feel uncomfortable sensations while giving a speech and is in no danger of ever losing control, or even appearing slightly anxious to the audience. No matter how tough it gets, you will always finish your piece, even if at the outset it feels very uncomfortable to go on. You will not become incapacitated in any way.

The real breakthrough for if you suffer from public speaking and panic attacks happens when you fully believe that you are not in danger and that the sensations will pass.

“I realize you (the anxiety) hold no threat over me.”

What keeps a anxiety attack coming again and again is the fear of the fear—the fear that the next one will really knock your socks off and you feel you were lucky to have made it past the last one unscathed. As they were so unnerving and scary, it is your confidence that has been damaged by previous anxiety episodes. Once you fully understand you are not under any threat, then you can have a new response to the anxiety as it arises while speaking.

Defeating and overcoming fear of public speaking and anxiety attacks…

There is always a turning point when a person moves from general anxiety into a panic and anxiety attack, and that happens with public speaking when you think to yourself:

“I won’t be able to handle this in front of these people.”

That split second of self-doubt leads to a rush of adrenaline, and the extreme anxiety arrives in a wave like format. If, however, when you feel the initial anxiety and you react with confidence that this is not a threat to you, you will move out of the anxiety rapidly. Using this new approach is a powerful ally because it means it is okay to feel scared and feel the anxiety when speaking–that is fine; you are going to feel it and move with and through the sensations in your body and out the other side. Because he or she is feeling very anxious, often before the talk has begun, that person may feel they have already let themselves down. Now, you can relax on that point. It is perfectly natural to feel the anxiety. Take for example the worst of the sensations you have ever experienced in this situation—be it general unease to loss of breath. You will have an initial automatic reaction that says:

“Danger–I’m going to have an episode of anxiety here and I really can’t afford that to happen.”

At this point most people react to that idea and confirm it must be true because of all of the unusual feelings they are experiencing. This is where your thinking can lead you down a train of thought that creates a cycle of anxiety that produces a negative impact on your overall presenting skills.

So let that initial “oh dear, not now” thought pass by, and follow it up immediately with the attitude of: “There you are–I’ve been wondering when you would arrive. I’ve been expecting you to show up—by the way, I am not in the least threatened by any of the strange sensations you are creating—I am completely safe here.”

The key to overcoming  fear of public speaking and and attacks is that instead of pushing the emotional energy and excitement down into your stomach, you are moving out through it. Your body is in a slightly excited state, exactly as it should be while giving a speech, so release that energy in your self-expression. Push it out through your presentation not down into your stomach. You push it out by expressing yourself more forcefully. In this way you turn the anxiety to your advantage by using it to deliver a speech where you come across more alive, energetic and in the present moment. When you notice the anxiety drop as it does when you willingly move into it. Fire a quick thought off when you get a momentary break (as I am sure you have between pieces), asking it for “more.” You want more of its intense feelings as you are interested in them and are absolutely not threatened by them.

It seems like a lot of things to be thinking about while talking to a group of people, but it is not really. You’d be amazed how many different non-related thoughts you can have while speaking. This approach is about adopting a new attitude of confidence to what you might have deemed a serious threat up until now. This tactic will truly help you with fear of public speaking and panic attacks you have associated with them.

If your predominant fear of the speaking engagement is driven by a feeling of being trapped, then I would suggest factoring in some mental releases that can be prepared before the event. For example, some meetings/speeches allow for you to turn the attention back to the room to get feedback etc. from the group.

If possible, you might want to prepare such opportunities in your own mind before the engagements. This is not to say you have to ever use them, but people in this situation often remark that just having small opportunities where attention can be diverted for the briefest of moments can make the task seem less daunting. It my even be something as simple as having people introduce themselves or opening the floor to questions. I realize these diversions are not always possible and depend on the situation, but anything you can factor in that makes you feel less trapped or under the spotlight is worth the effort and can help alleviate with overcoming fear of public speaking and anxiety attacks.

Faith

Panic Attacks In Anxiety Disorders -Traumatic Experiences Of Patients

May 5, 2010 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Symptoms Of Panic Attacks 

Panic attacks are synonymous with anxiety attacks. Panic attack or anxiety attack is a great deterrent of normal life since it makes a person undergoing it to behave abnormally. If one experiences panic or anxiety attacks frequently which make him miss out important scheduled activities, living a normal life is totally impossible. These attacks do not allow one to do the things he enjoys and loves.

A typical panic or anxiety attack starts when the body quickly responds to the stimulus which provokes anxiety. It could be anything in one’s environment, sparking off worry, fear and anxiety for the patient. For most people, these attacks come suddenly out of the blue, without any warning – as seemingly there could be no stimulus to start that attack. One may wake up in the morning feeling tense with worry or afraid for no reason at all. Once these symptoms start, it is very difficult for the person to control them. The symptoms keep on building up to a scale when the body feels threatened by some sort of an external situation. These pent-up feelings of extreme fear then manifest as the body’s physiological reactions.

These anxiety symptoms cause the body to change from its calm state to an agitated or nervous panic state. Patient feels physically ill with headaches, nausea, chills or hot flashes, etc. He feels as if he is undergoing a heart attack due to the increased palpitations of the heart, leading to a tightening feeling in the chest. One suspects a seizure because with the growing tension in the body, involuntary movements like twitching or shakes or jittering start manifesting. These physiological reactions render bringing the anxiety level down virtually impossible. One begins to dread that a more complicated medical problem is going to follow which only adds to the anxiety he is feeling.

The body thinks that it is threatened by a dangerous situation. The physiological response is a reaction of the body when confronted with symptoms of anxiety. The body either tries to put up a brave fight or tries to take a flight away from the symptoms. Either way, the body gets tense, worked up and confused as a result of the stimuli provoking anxiety. It readies itself for a seeming battle. But once this feeling of worry or fear subsides, the body takes the cue and then returns to a more calm and stable state.

While the patient is undergoing the panic or anxiety attacks, his physical and psychological symptoms render it impossible for him to leave his house, drive or undertake any physical or mental activity. The terror he feels is so consuming that it momentarily paralyzes him so that he is unable to move. He feels sick physically and loses all desire to be active. This is very distressing especially if the person is required to work on something or go somewhere. He fears all the time that his panic attack or anxiety attack will be sparked off by something. This inhibits his life severely and puts grave limitations on such a person at school or at work.

But for such people, help is always on hand if they experience panic or anxiety attacks. They need to confide in their healthcare professionals who will evaluate these persons and determine what help they need. Most physicians may also take the help of a therapist who needs to coach the patients to control their anxiety levels and thus reduce the occurrence and severity of the panic or anxiety attacks they undergo.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/panic-attacks-in-anxiety-disorders-traumatic-experiences-of-patients-709332.html

Anxiety And Panic Disorders – How To Deal With The Double Disaster

May 1, 2010 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Symptoms Of Panic Attacks 

Anxiety disorders and panic disorders can cause some truly awful feelings and symptoms. The symptoms of a panic attack can be extremely uncomfortable, such as dizziness, heavy sweating, hard breathing, and uncontrollable shaking. A panic attack is an exaggerated version of the human fight-or-flight response to danger. When you have a panic disorder, you may experience all these symptoms even though there is no actual danger to trigger it. An anxiety attack, on the other hand, has symptoms that often mirror those of a heart attack, including chest discomfort, tingling or numbness in the extremities, and an impending sense of doom. It is unfortunately all too easy for a panic attack to trigger an anxiety attack, or vice versa.

What Are Anxiety Disorders?

An anxiety disorder is present any time some form of anxiety interferes with your daily life. For example, you may be too nervous to go to the store one day, but be fine the next. People with anxiety disorders may develop various phobias, like claustrophobia. But in almost all cases, anxiety disorders are linked to specific fears of activities, situations, or events.

What About Panic Disorders?

In addition to the often differing symptoms when compared to anxiety disorders, panic disorders are usually diagnosed when these symptoms suddenly start and stop with no discernible trigger. This is extremely disheartening to the sufferer, since they cannot seem to control the onset of these symptoms, or avoid any noticeable triggers.

Anxiety and Panic Disorders Together

It is not uncommon for panic disorders to lead to the development of anxiety disorders, due to the constant stress and fear of having a panic attack. Often the panic attack will start being a trigger for an anxiety attack, and soon progresses to the point that the worry over having another panic attack is in itself triggering another anxiety attack.

Living With Anxiety and Panic Disorders

It can be extremely difficult to live a normal life if you suffer from either or both of these conditions. Even things like commuting to work become hazardous, as a sudden panic attack can make it difficult or impossible to drive safely. A sudden panic attack in the office can be both embarrassing and interfere with your work.

The biggest thing to keep in mind is that even though the symptoms of anxiety and panic disorders can be frightening, they don’t actually cause physical harm. Think calming thoughts, and avoid dwelling on the symptoms. If you suspect you have an panic or anxiety disorder, you should visit your doctor. There may be medication that, in conjunction with therapy, can greatly ease or eliminate your anxiety disorder or panic disorder. Take up meditation, and try to eliminate as much stress from your life as you can. If you are working too hard, take time off regularly to relax and reflect. These are just a few of the things you can do to help reduce the effects of an anxiety or panic disorder.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/anxiety-and-panic-disorders-how-to-deal-with-the-double-disaster-709319.html

How To Maintain Control During An Anxiety Attack

March 7, 2010 by · 2 Comments
Filed under: Symptoms Of Panic Attacks 

One of the most insidious conditions affecting individuals today is anxiety. It is accompanied by fear, whether justified or not. Anxiety can occur at any time, under any circumstances. Let’s take a look at anxiety and how it can balloon into a full blown panic attack.

Anxiety can be accompanied by a variety of physical symptoms. Most commonly, these symptoms are related to the heart, lungs, and nervous system. You may feel as if you are having a heart attack. What are some of the catalysts that can bring on anxiety? Stress at work; stress from school; stress in a personal relationship; financial stress; stress from an emotional trauma such as the death of a loved one; stress from a serious medical illness; a side effect from a specific medication; drug use; or medical illness.

Any of these symptoms can be categorized as generalized anxiety disorder. An anxiety attack is defined as an unrealistic worry over a period of at least six months associated with three of the following symptoms: restlessness; fatigue; difficulty concentrating; irritability; muscle tension; or sleep disturbances.

Depending upon the situation or event which triggers the anxiety attack, you may treat it at home and without seeking medical intervention. This depends on the duration of each attack. If they are short and limited, you can follow these suggestions: talk with a supportive person; use some form of meditation; occupy your time by watching TV; take a long warm bath; or use deep breathing exercises.

However, it is important to note that when involved in a full blown panic attack, the fear may override any ability to engage in any of the aforesaid suggestions. In fact, when the anxiety attack reaches the stage of panic, nothing will abate the pronounced symptoms; you’ll have to ride it out.

Anxiety attacks were once considered a “nervous condition” 30 years ago and treated with Valium. It is now considered a treatable disease. Medications such as Xanax, Zoloft, Buspar and Prozac are often prescribed. It must be stated, however, that depending upon your tolerance to certain medications, you may have to try different drugs to determine which one not only prevents the attacks, but keeps your mind clear enough to be able to function.

Having an anxiety attack can be scary. You must remember, however, you will not faint; have a heart attack; or experience an impending doom. If you are driving and have an attack, pull over; if you are at home alone, try to call someone to stay with you until it passes. No matter where it happens, the first inclination is to run. Just try to stay calm and take deep breaths. Stop whatever you are doing and remain in one place until the symptoms pass. You will be okay.

Nothing is going to happen to you. Keep repeating these words, “I am safe.” Once the symptoms pass, you will be extremely tired. Take some time to regain your composure. Everything is going to be alright. Count on it.

Jeff Wilson
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/how-to-maintain-control-during-an-anxiety-attack-102897.html

Anxiety Panic Attacks – Natural Treatment

February 21, 2010 by · 9 Comments
Filed under: Panic Relief 

Treating panic attacks has never been easy, for years experts have been looking for treatment options that can actually cure the symptoms of anxiety panic attack. Many results have derived from these analysis and tests.

However, people have started having an affinity for natural methods of treatment off late. There are several reasons behind this. Some are mentioned below:

a) Natural treatments are safe

b) These treatments do not produce any side effects

c) These treatments are 100% effective

d) These treatments are widely available

e) Natural methods are gentle

For anyone who has actually experienced anxiety panic attacks, these attacks are terrible and cause a lot of discomfort. These attacks can be really debilitating on an individual’s emotional as well as physical health. One who has already experienced this state is ready to do and face almost anything to get away from it.

If you start looking for different ways to cure anxiety panic attacks, you will find that there are several different natural methods available for dealing with anxiety attack.

There are also people who want to use certain medications such as benzodiazepines or SSRIs. These medicines work towards reducing the frequency of anxiety panic attacks. However, there is a dark side to these drugs.

These drugs work towards solving the problem only on a temporary basis. Once the patient stops taking it, the attacks tend to get worse. With time, your body also tends to develop a kind of tolerance to these medicines. Last but not the least, these medicines do not get to the root cause of the problem.

Experts feel that when it comes to treating anxiety panic attacks, one needs to get to the root problem.

These days, several natural techniques and methods are available for dealing with this problem and most of these have been really effective. Here are some of the natural options to get you back on the track.

a) Deep breathing exercises

These are very effective when it comes to carrying you down during a panic attack. You can get a control over things in life. The best part is that you would be relieved from the problems such as finger tingling and tightness in the chest. The exercise is extremely useful in relieving you from hyperventilation.

b) Meditation techniques

These can help you a lot during on attack. You can also use it as a preventative tool. You can meditate in various ways. Recitation technique is one of the most popular and effective way for people who seek instant relief from anxiety panic attacks.

c) Vitamin and herb therapy

The therapy is really effective in providing maintenance for different symptoms via minimizing the frequency as well as the intensity of panic anxiety attacks. You may trust certain B complex vitamins and foods that contain inositol like beans, cantaloupe, oranges and nuts.

These fruits are extremely helpful in improve your overall mood. Intake of these fruits will also enhance the nerve cell communication inside the brain. Herbal preparations including Vaterian root, passion flower, St. John’s Wort and Kava Kava can effectively treat these attacks via facilitating your body and mind to relax, allowing you to sleep sound, reducing the strength of attack and reducing stress.

Bertil Hjert
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/anxiety-panic-attacks-natural-treatment-415064.html

Heal your Migraine With Natural Remedies

February 17, 2010 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Anxiety Remedies 

If you are uneasy about taking pain medications, you may be interested in alternative treatments for migraine, or vascular, headaches. Alternative methods are natural ways to cure the pain and suffering of migraines. Alternative treatments are becoming more and more popular with doctors, especially when they are combined with prescription medications.

There are several factors that lead to the increasing popularity of natural migraine remedies. If you have a tendency to react adversely to prescription or over the counter medications, you may find that you can’t take any of the available migraine medications. Of course, you may just prefer not to use prescription medications because you are concerned about adversely affecting your body after extended use. The side effects of migraine drugs also make them a problem for many people. The last reason many people are turning to natural migraine remedies is the cost of prescription drugs. Without good insurance, these drugs can just be too pricey for most people.

One of the easiest, and most effective, natural migraine remedies is to turn out the lights. Darkness can help you recover more quickly from a painful attack. While laying down in a dark area should help somewhat, you can make this remedy more effective by following a few simple tips.

* Keep it quiet. Turn off televisions, radios and other noisemakers.

* Make sure you are warm and cozy.

* Lay down and relax as much as possible.

* Don’t close your eyes. Instead, cover them with a cloth, such as a scarf or a handkerchief. Closing your eyes actually uses additional muscles and can worsen your pain.

Relaxed breathing is another natural remedy for migraines. The reason this method is so effective is that knowing how badly your head is going to hurt when the migraine reaches full strength can cause you to have an anxiety attack. This makes your heart rate go up, which makes your blood move through your system more quickly, which increases your blood pressure. The increase in blood pressure puts more pressure on the areas being affected by your migraine attack, worsening the symptoms. It is essential for you to relax your breathing and slow your heart rate. To relax your breathing, you should:

1. Breathe in slowly and deeply. Then exhale just as slowly.

2. Take a second slow, deep breath. Take the time to feel the air going into your lungs and filling your body. Once you’ve inhaled as deeply as you can without growing uncomfortable, exhale slowly. Think about the way the air feels as it leaves your body. Be sure to breath out completely before you inhale again.

3. Repeat the entire process four to five more times, focusing on staying relaxed and slow.

4. You should feel far more relaxed and your breathing should be calmer. Your heart should be beating at a normal rate. Ideally, you should be so relaxed that you feel sleepy. Don’t fight the feeling. Go ahead and fall asleep.

Lavender oil is the final natural remedy for migraine sufferers. This essential oil is known for its many uses, including its ability to soothe migraine headaches. Lavender oil is inexpensive and readily available. You will want to avoid fragrances or scented oils, as they are not effective. Essential oils are much more powerful. When you begin to feel migraine symptoms, you will need to place a drop of lavender oil on your temples or behind your ears. You may want to place two to three additional drops of oil on your pillow. This treatment is especially effective when combined with the first two natural migraine remedies. The scent of lavender is so relaxing that many people feel their migraine lessening almost right away.

Ideally, when you treat your migraine with these natural remedies, you will fall into a healing sleep and awaken feeling rested and ready to face the day.

Niall Roche
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/heal-your-migraine-with-natural-remedies-137221.html

The Anxiety Symptoms

November 23, 2009 by · 14 Comments
Filed under: Symptoms Of Panic Attacks 

Suffering from an anxiety disorder is no picnic and if you suffer from any type of anxiety disorder you’ll know this. An Anxiety disorders happens when our brain warns us about a perceived danger that is about to occur. You will also know that the hardest step in curing your anxiety disorder is admitting it to yourself. Once you’ve managed this however, there are a number of options available for you to find a cure for your anxiety disorders. And until you do one of the best stop-gap methods to help you cope with your anxiety attacks is your own form of Anxiety Self Help.

What do I mean by that? Simply, that you can help yourself in the short term to cope with your anxiety attacks whilst deciding on a proper course of treatment to cure your anxiety. It’s not too difficult and can be accomplished without too much fuss or fanfare. Simple everyday things that you can incorporate into your daily life will become part of your anxiety self help routine.

One of the best methods is to keep a list of phone numbers of supportive friends and family on hand so you can call them in case of an imminent attack. Since you’ve come this far in admitting your problem and seeking help for it there’s a good chance that you’ll also have told some friends and family members so the phone list shouldn’t really be too hard. Something to remember when you do call anyone is that it’s best to talk about something other than your incipient panic or anxiety attack. Also don’t forget to ask the person beforehand whether they don’t mind being placed on your emergency phone list. It always helps to give them a heads-up so they don’t stumble onto any sensitive issues.

Another step in your anxiety self help routine is to learn some relaxation techniques. These can help you to de-stress yourself when you feel an attack coming on and can help you cope with your anxiety wonderfully easy when you learn how.

Breathing properly and in a meditative manner is another great must-do in the anxiety self help department and is one of the easiest methods available to you. You can do this anywhere and anytime that you feel a panic attack coming on. Proper breathing techniques can be learned through a variety of methods and can even be self learnt if you can find the correct documentation on it.

There are more great anxiety self help methods available though I’ve only mentioned a few here and you can try one or all of them to find out one that suits you, and that you can utilize when you feel a panic attack or an anxiety attack coming on. Remember though that these anxiety self help methods might not be able to cure your anxiety disorders and are only meant to help you cope with your anxiety attacks. For a cure, proper medical attention should be sought as soon as possible

Dtm
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-anxiety-symptoms-60643.html

Identify the Physical Symptoms of Anxiety

November 17, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Symptoms Of Panic Attacks 

Fear, worry, and apprehension can be caused by many events. But when fear, worry, and apprehension are present on a person in an intense and irrational manner, possibly all at the same time, then he or she might be suffering from an anxiety attack. The 3 aforementioned conditions are accompanied by physical symptoms. They are as follows:

Perspiration or Sweating – It is normal for a person to sweat. This is the body’s natural way to cool down after physical activity such as exercising. It’s also the body’s response to external heat. However, sweating is one physical symptom that is also apparent when a person is having an anxiety attack.

Palpitations or fast and/or hard heart beating or pounding – Constant heart beating is obviously a sign of life. But, this should stay at a normal rate. When a person gets excited or frightened, he or she can feel that his or her heart skips or stops beating. Palpitating, however, can be an effect of anxiety. This is an unpleasant sensation that can be felt from the chest all the way to the neck and throat.

Stomach pain or abdominal pain – Often, physical pain has a corresponding physical problem. However, emotional illness such as anxiety attack can be one reason of such pain. Emotions can greatly affect the system of the body and can even cause inability to the person. Physical pain such as stomach and abdominal pain can be some of symptoms of anxiety.

Shaking or Trembling – Shaking or trembling can be caused by anger, stress, rage, or anxiety. But it should be noted that experiencing this regularly can be a sign of physical imbalance and should be examined by a doctor.

Cold or Hot Flashes – A sudden and lasting sensation of body temperature change particularly in the upper body can be caused by emotional illnesses to include anxiety.

Lightheadedness, Faintness or Dizziness – Lightheadedness with no apparent physical cause can be a symptom of an anxiety attack. The inability to maintain balance while sitting or standing can also be a sign of anxiety. Some anti-anxiety drugs can provide help in treating these.

Nausea and Vomiting – Nausea and vomiting can be caused by external conditions or it can be the body’s response to stimulants. These can be pain, changes in the body, taste, smell, irritation, poor blood circulation and anxiety.

Chest pain – It is described as a pressure, heaviness and discomfort on the chest. Meanwhile, a sudden and sharp pain in the chest can be a sign of heart attack. Still, other reasons can cause a person to feel chest pain. One of these of course is anxiety attack.

Difficulty in swallowing – A feeling of tightening from the neck to the upper part of the abdomen, tightening of the neck area or only at the chest (behind the breastbone) can be a sign of emotional problems including anxiety.

Periods of breathlessness, shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing – Any of these can send discomfort to the person. This often leads to dizziness as the muscles, brain, and other body organs cannot receive their required oxygen supply to function properly. Periods of breathlessness, shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing can be a sign of anxiety.

As was mentioned, any of these symptoms can be caused by other physical conditions but if a person has shown at least 4 of the mentioned symptoms, it is advisable to seek proper help immediately.

Matt Oconnor
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/identify-the-physical-symptoms-of-anxiety-78640.html

Understanding Anxiety Attacks as a Part of Life

November 17, 2009 by · 4 Comments
Filed under: Anxiety Treatments 

Understanding Anxiety Attacks As A Part Of Life

Almost everyone suffers from an anxiety attack at some point in life. Whether it’s a fear of failing at an important task or a concern that an animal or some other force will cause harm, the mind and body go into synch and actual physical symptoms tend to manifest themselves. For some people, however, normal fear becomes paralyzing and persistent and actual full-blown anxiety attacks become almost a way of life.

Understanding what anxiety attacks are, how they present and what can be done about them can help people around an anxiety sufferer better grasp what a friend of loved one is going through. It can also help the person who suffers from the attacks realize the need to seek out effective treatments before anxiety waylays life.

Anxiety attacks are very similar to the mental/physical reactions that happen in the fight or flight phenomena. The mind perceives a threat and the body reacts. The difference between a “normal” attack and an abnormal situation generally involves the perceived threat. In the case of anxiety disorders, the “danger” can be quite mundane, but not always. What does happen here is that threats are perceived when they are not really present, or the reaction is out of proportion to the situation. For example, a person who has an extreme fear of public speaking isn’t really in danger, but his or her mind might think so; therefore, the body reacts.

In most cases, anxiety attacks have very intense, fast onsets. They are typically characterized by the following symptoms:

• Intense feelings of fear and danger

• Chest pains, heart palpitations, sweating, trembling and other physical symptoms

• A feeling of depersonalization or a surreal atmosphere

• A strong sense of doom and fear of death

• Lack of breath

• Hot flashes or chills

The unfortunate thing about anxiety attacks is that their symptoms often mimic other serious health conditions. This can lead to false diagnosis and even fuel the fears that death is imminent. When anxiety attacks are properly diagnosed, people generally are treated with a combination of medications and therapy to help them regain control of their lives.

Anxiety attacks can have a one-time presentation or they might occur on a repetitive basis. In the case of the latter, therapy is almost always advised as repetition is generally a sign of a more serious anxiety disorder.

 

Anxiety attacks are very real manifestations of fear. They can actually be quite normal reactions to a serious situation, or they might present out of irrational fear. If they are repetitive, help generally is required to combat and overcome them and the cause.

Peter Marshall-Farrimond
http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/understanding-anxiety-attacks-as-a-part-of-life-708203.html

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