What is Anxiety Anyway?

March 2, 2010 by · 9 Comments
Filed under: Anxiety And Panic Disorders 

The term anxiety, or anxiety disorder is really a catch-all term for many anxiety related mental conditions. To simply say someone has anxiety is to suggest that they are experiencing a feeling of fear, apprehension, worry, or other vague and unpleasant feelings. An anxiety disorder is often accompanied by physical symptoms and sensations.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, there are five general categories of mental anxiety disorders. In those five, there are additional subcategories that make it even more complex and challenging for a mental health professional to develop an accurate diagnosis.

The first of these five categories is called GAD, or generalized anxiety disorder. This is probably one of the most common types of anxiety. Ongoing or continual excess of worried or concerned about every day life and situations is symptomatic of GAD. People with generalized anxiety disorder can continue to function in society depending on the severity of the symptoms. Physical symptoms may also become apparent and include sleeplessness, fatigue, headaches and muscle tension. General anxiety disorder is considered chronic but can be successfully treated in controlled with medications and counseling.

Second, and one of the most common anxiety disorders is known as social anxiety. Societal anxiety is characterized by an over concern about how people may perceive you in a public place. Social anxiety is demonstrated by people who are unable or uncomfortable speaking in public. Many very popular celebrities have been known to suffer from social anxiety. You may want to check the website below for more information on social anxiety and those who suffer with it.

Third on the list of the top five anxiety categories is the obsessive compulsive disorder or OCD. A person suffering with obsessive-compulsive disorders is usually identified as being locked into ritualistic behavior. That is, someone who is overly worried about germs may wash their hands hundreds of times a day. People with OCD may have been unhealthy focus on certain aspects of their life which results in an ongoing behavior to try to limit the effects of the problem. Another example may be somewhat worried about being secure in their home may consistently check doors and windows to verify they are locked.

Fourth is panic disorder. Panic disorder is very similar to the feelings one would get while watching a horror or suspenseful movie. Symptoms include rapid breathing, fast and hard heart pumping, dizziness, lightheadedness and tangling in your hands and feet are all part of a panic attack. The difference between watching the horror or suspense movie, and someone suffering a panic attack is one of control. If that edge of your seat feeling becomes to intense at the movies you can simply close your eyes and regain control. Someone who suffers from panic attacks cannot control when or how long they happen.

Fifth is posttraumatic stress disorder and is usually associated with returning war veterans. PTSD however, can happen to anyone that experiences, a physical are particularly traumatic situation. Traumatic stress disorder has been known to affect people close to someone who has directly experienced a particularly trying our traumatic episode.

This is a very quick thumbnail of the major types of anxiety disorders that have so far been identified. For more information on these and other general mental health information, see the website below.

Abigail Franks
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/what-is-anxiety-anyway-84320.html

Six Steps to Overcome Social Anxiety

February 27, 2010 by · 4 Comments
Filed under: Panic Relief 

As someone who has personally suffered with severe Social Anxiety, I went through several phases of learning how to deal with it and eventually overcome it: denial, hiding it, being ashamed of it, and finally, learning to accept it and work through it.

One thing that really helped was reading about someone famous, someone I admired and respected, who admitted they had Social Anxiety and even laughed about it! At the time, I felt deeply ashamed of my anxiety around people, and it really amazed me that this person could be so light-hearted about it. He spoke about it openly and unapologetically, as if he were admitting that he had diabetes, or some other very common condition.

I thought about this for a long time and it began to make me feel much better about my situation. So, cautiously at first, I began to tell my closest friends and relatives about my anxiety situation. Not in an apologetic way or asking asking anyone to feel sorry for me (because that’s not helpful at all), but in a very matter-of-fact way: “Oh, by the way, did you know I have social anxiety?”

For the most part, my loved ones and close friends were extremely understanding about the whole issue and didn’t make a big deal of it at all. The relief I felt was unbelievable, like a large stone had just been lifted from my shoulders. I was reallly beginning to make progress.

I’ve learned much about Social Anxiety since then, and probably the most important thing is this: Social Anxiety is largely about feeling “overwhelmed.” The feeling of being overwhelmed is what pushes people into limiting their life to a greater and greater extent, until they find themselves living in a very small world indeed. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Understanding that your Social Anxiety is really about feeling overwhelmed can help you to gradually begin making changes to eliminate it.

A simple plan of action…

1. Accept the situation and DO NOT feel bad about it at all.

2. Begin putting your self in social situations for very brief periods of time. This is extremely important, because when you do this, you are limiting yourself, instead of having your anxiety limit you. This is an incredibly important distinction because you are taking back control over the situation, and are not reacting, as a victim would.

3. Talk to those who are very close to you and might be affected by this plan, and let them know what you are doing and exactly why you are doing it. Remember to be unapologetic about explaining it to them. There is nothing to apologize for! Be very matter-of-fact about it.

4. As stated, keep your social interactions very brief. If 5 minutes is all you are comfortable with, then do 5 minutes and feel perfectly fine about that. Even if 1minute is all you can do, that’s just fine. Remember, you are in control, and you are placing the limits–not anything outside of you.

5. Gradually, begin to increase the time you spend in social interactions. But…do this very gradually. Don’t push it! Even if you increase by a few minutes every month, that is better than letting yourself get overwhelmed in a situation.

6. Remember this phrase, “Nothing succeeds like success.” This is true because success (in any endeavor) builds momentum and leads to greater success. This is particularly true with Social Anxiety. It is very important that you continue to have good social interaction that does not overwhelm you. It does NOT matter how long the interaction is; all the matters is that you get through it without any strong negative feelings. Do not push yourself too hard. You don’t have to!

Jon Mercer
http://www.articlesbase.com/stress-management-articles/six-steps-to-overcome-social-anxiety-107668.html

Anxiety Disorders – Knowing The Disease And How To Treat It

November 25, 2009 by · 9 Comments
Filed under: Anxiety Treatments 

An estimated 15% of the population live in highly restricted ways due to their suffering of constant anxiety that severely affects their lives. Obsessive thoughts, extreme shyness, phobias, panic attacks, and even compulsive behaviors, are some of what these people experience on a daily basis. Their lives have become disrupted by the feeling of constant anxiety that dominates them.

Sadly, there are some who have become confined to their homes, unable to visit the market, drive or even work. Anxiety is much more serious and damaging than just an occasional wave of apprehension for these people.

There are different types of anxiety disorders out there that can go from minor to severe depending on the individual. A person’s overall behavior, thoughts, feelings and physical sensations are affected by an anxiety disorder. Depending on which type of anxiety disorder they have will determine the severity of it. People handle anxiety in different ways so the severity of their suffering will vary from person to person.

A fear of being around other people is known as social anxiety or social phobia. People suffering from from this particular disorder feel self-conscious around others. They feel that everyone is staring at them, judging and being critical in some way.

These people also learn to stay away from social situations and avoid others, because the anxiety is so overwhelming. Some stay in a room with the door closed so that they can be alone. The feeling is constant and even happens with people they know and have spent time around.

Social anxiety sufferers are aware that their thoughts and fears are not rational. They know that others are not really watching or evaluating them. But, even knowing this does not make the feelings go away.

A person that has panic attacks without warning, suffers from a condition known as panic disorder.

About 5% of the adult American population suffers from panic attacks, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. For those people who experience panic attacks and never receive treatment go unknown, therefore, making the number higher than recorded.

People suffering from panic attacks experience:

Trembling
Sweaty palms and hands, tingling in the hands, feet, legs, and arms
Acceleration or pounding of the heart
Heaviness in the heart or chest pains
Feeling of terror
Dizziness and lightheaded
Fear of dying
Fear of losing control or going crazy
Feeling unable to catch one’s breath

In some instances, the person who has a panic attack does not know what causes it. It happens unexpectedly and without warning. For some people, they have encountered difficult times and have felt extreme stress and weren’t surprised that they had the panic attack.

Finding treatments for anxiety and panic attacks is the foremost step to overcoming your problem with anxiety. Once receiving the proper treatment, most people who suffer from anxiety begin to feel better in a short amount of time. Since each person’s anxiety is caused by a unique set of factors, it can be difficult to identify the correct treatment.

Seeking professional help immediately will allow you to have a diagnosis of the problem and set you on your way to conquering your anxiety. Anxiety can be overcome if dealt with properly. It takes the patient believing that his or her anxiety can be stopped and overcame.

Nicole Ross
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/anxiety-disorders-knowing-the-disease-and-how-to-treat-it-127507.html

Social Anxiety Medicines – List Of Capsules To Eliminate Anxiety

November 15, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Panic Relief 

Many a times when people are being checked for any problems of social anxiety, they are not sure what it actually is. Hence, they think they need some medicine for social anxiety as they are being checked an examiner. In most of the cases, the patients would already have social anxiety quite bad enough that the medical examiner will right away suggest some medicine for social anxiety.

Before taking up some medicine for social anxiety, the person should try and get information about the medicine, most importantly the side effects caused by the medicine as it can sometimes lead to some unwanted situations. Due to the large many types of medicines for social anxiety available, the person taking the medicine should be given a few samples of all types of medicines before coming into conclusion on the final prescription to be prescribed. Inevitably, the amount of medicine to be taken can be determined only by the examiner and so is the type of medicine which fits best.

When told to take social anxiety medicine, most of the people tend to take the cheapest way possible and finally just care about the effectiveness. This leads to people going for natural ingredients and herbs 1st and then moving to other methods if natural ingredients are not effective. Natural supplements are used only for a few particular reasons. Many people actually prefer to use natural ingredients of the medicines prescribed by the doctors due to the reason that they aren’t addictive as the medicines prescribed by the doctors.

Against the general belief of the people, there are actually a few types of natural medicines for social anxiety available. Seredyn is now one of the popular brands/types for supplemental social anxiety medicines. It is long lasting and fast acting medicine for relief from social anxiety. A single dose of Seredyn will relax you and instantaneously give you a calm and confident attitude. Most important of all is that, Seredyn is a non-addictive medicine and hence clears the problem of withdrawal symptoms. Moreover, there is no need to obtain a medical prescription for buying this medicine as this is a natural supplement.

Similar to this, yet another medicine for social anxiety is PureCalm. This is a medicine adept for adults and kids too and is completely herbal and non-addictive. PureCalm has lots many types of uses. A few of them are to promote the inner calmness of the person naturally, give healthy feelings to the person, and balance emotions of stress and pressure and also to relax from irritability and restlessness.

1st time or continuously, taking medicine for social anxiety is absolutely rewarding in the last. Happy feelings are definitely worth over the miserable feelings.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/social-anxiety-medicines-list-of-capsules-to-eliminate-anxiety-709371.html

How to Stop Panic Attacks Dead in Their Tracks

June 28, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Mental Health 

Many people experience panic attacks in public places or transportation, this is social anxiety also known as agoraphobia and it must be treated. When patients do not respond to medication natural cures for anxiety are highly recommended. Panic attacks can also hit while in the car, at your job or even at your local grocery store. Do you want to know how to stop panic attacks fast?

Panic attacks are often described as one is having heart attacks, thus the symptoms are very similar. People suffering from anxiety find it humiliating when thinking to tell their co workers, friends, or family that went to the emergency room because of a panic attack. If you suffer from anxiety, you must first learn how to stop panic attacks in their tracks.

Many online anxiety programs are available now that are designed to aid sufferers on their way to complete recovery. Conventional medicine only looks into treatments such as therapies and medication, however there are effective natural cures for anxiety that you should consider.

By doing a quick research, you will find out that the most popular anxiety programs are the “Panic Away System” by Joe Barry, “The Linden Method” by Charles Linden and “Conquering Stress”. Their price range from $67 to $197, however incredible deals can be found online through different health products retailers.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) also offers reviews and press releases about all these systems and natural cures for anxiety. These programs have a success rate of over 98%, but it only depends on you and how well you manage to follow the techniques explained. Learning how to stop panic attacks, having a healthy diet and living a healthy life again is exactly what will cure your anxiety completely.

Go on and get free reviews of the most effective anxiety cures available now. You can treat anxiety and panic attacks from the comfort of your home without any medication, expensive counseling or therapies.

By: Alex (Free Treatment for Anxiety eBook)

About the Author:

Do you want to learn how to free yourself from anxiety and panic attacks?

See my reviews of the most successful techniques that have helped thousands of people to eliminate panic attacks and general anxiety permanently, visit this website: Relief Anxiety


Social Anxiety Treatment – Easy Ways To Get Help

May 19, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Mental Health 

If you are 1 out of the millions of people experiencing social anxiety and you are feeling really helpless feeling there is nobody to help you, then you are wrong. There are many more people suffering from this disorder. You have a chance of being hit by social anxiety if you have a problem with extreme shyness.

A few things that make the social anxiety patient fearful and stressed are:

• Being teased or criticized

• Getting to meet new people

• Having all the attention

• Seeing people who work in authorities position (some important people like supervisor)

• Being watched while working on something

• Most of the social gatherings

• Having interpersonal relations, friendly or romantic

You might be having social anxiety if these symptoms apply to you and the way you feel being social. Don’t lose hope and think that you are the only person having this problem and no one will come forward to help you. There are quite a few types of successful social anxiety medicine available today.

Cognitive-behavior therapy is one of the leading successful types of social anxiety treatments available today. Basically, cognitive behavior works with the brain and how and what we think. Since how we feel seems to be the major part on social anxiety, this therapy is a really good way of treatment for social anxiety. It teaches us on new ways of thinking and how to behave in social places. Cognitive behavior is widely used and is being recommended by lots of psychologists and therapists.

Cognitive behavior therapy has a chance to produce some long term changes in our lives but only when used consistently and hence this cognitive behavior therapy has been very successful as a treatment for social anxiety. But this result can be obtained provided the patient has no such health issues as dementia, brain damage, Alzheimer’s disease which might contribute to social anxiety. This cognitive behavior therapy will tell upon many types of cognitive times in our lives, which helps with our beliefs and new thoughts that comes up in our brain.

Medication is another treatment for social anxiety which is most of the times recommended with cognitive behavior therapy. Anti-anxiety, anti-depressant drugs, beta-blockers are few types of medications for physical symptoms which are helpful for social anxiety. Though there might be a feeling on the 1st day of taking the anti-depressant, it takes a few weeks for the drugs to act on the brain and the body and produce an actual effect on you. Medication actually just helps to lessen the anxiety while undergoing the therapy and does not completely cure the social anxiety. Medication must not be taken in your treatment for social anxiety alongside with the therapy. The therapy can be availed as an individual or group therapy. Only a trained therapist can recommend what you need best based on the needs.

By: Abhishek Agarwal (Get FREE Anxiety Treatment)

About the Author:

Abhishek has got some great Anger Management Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 97 Pages Ebook, “How To Effectively Control Your Anger” from his website http://www.Positive-You.com/553/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.


Anxiety Treatment – Anxiety Medications and Its Side Effects

March 24, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Other Anxiety Related Articles 

Anxiety symptoms vary from person to person in intensity, and in which symptoms may occur for them. There are different kinds of anxiety classified as emotional disorders. Neurontin depression anxiety, social anxiety, and panic anxiety disorder, to name a few. Although psychologically rooted, anxiety produces many physical symptoms, some of which can be distressing and panic inducing to those experiencing them. People with anxiety tend to feel a sense of anxiousness most of the time without letup.

Stress can result in anxiety for many people. However, absent of an underlying emotional disorder, most people feeling anxiety because of stress can usually cope well with it. People with anxiety disorders on the other hand may have difficulty with normal functioning due to the amount of anxiety and the associated emotional and physical symptoms they may be experiencing. A lack of understanding about why they feel as they do and why they cannot just control their fears and anxiety, and receiving similar responses from others only makes the anxiety worse. Although it might be easy to identify stress as a possible trigger in increasing the occurrence and suffering of an anxiety disorder, other triggering factors are not so easily identifiable. Not knowing what may trigger anxiety to build is in itself anxiety inducing.

Someone with social anxiety would understandable be quite uncomfortable in most social settings, however, they may begin to feel their anxiety building while still at home and not in a social situation. Some common anxiety symptoms include but are not limited to, mounting fear, racing heart, labored breathing, paleness to the skin, sweating, lightheadedness, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle twitching, eye darting, repetitive negative thoughts, avoidance of certain situations. How intense these symptoms are felt and how many different symptoms will occur, varies among individuals.

Anxiety attacks come upon a person suddenly and seemingly without warning as most suffering from these panic attacks of anxiety have related. In the midst of an anxiety attack, the activation of a person’s innate instinct to either fight or take flight happens in response to perceived danger. This is helpful when real danger is present; however, it causes undue panic and suffering when the danger is not real and is instead as of a result of an anxiety disorder. Someone may unintentionally hurt themselves or others in trying to get away from something they believe to be hazardous.

Anxiety medications like Buspar, Cymbalta, and others, can cause at least some of the above listed symptoms of anxiety, as side effects of taking them. Luckily, most of these side effects such as headache, feeling dizzy, cold sweats, sick to the stomach, and other symptoms, usually dissipate within a few weeks of use of the medication. Antidepressant medications used for treating anxiety also share in the occurrence of these common side effects.

People taking anxiety and antidepressant medications for anxiety need close monitoring by their doctors to ensure that the medications are helping alleviate anxiety symptoms for the patient. Doctors will also want to monitor patients for withdrawal symptoms when discontinuing their use of these medications.

By: Emeka Ezidiegwu (Download Free Anxiety Treatment)

About the Author:

Emeka Ezidiegwu is a Webmaster and Internet marketer. For more information about anxiety treatment please visit us at Anxiety Treatment info, or at Onlinemedicine Info Site to learn about Buy Buspar and much more.

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