Anxiety And Panic Disorders – How To Deal With The Double Disaster
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
Overcoming Panic Attacks
Panic attacks are usually progressive in nature if they are not treated properly. Many people who suffer from panic attacks go for months and years before getting the correct diagnosis. They suffer needlessly either because of a lack of education about panic attacks or due to embarrassment of having a problem they cannot seem to will themselves out of.
The symptoms of a panic attack include but are not limited to:
Difficulty breathing.
Feeling as though you are not able to get enough
Racing heartbeat.
A sense of terror or dread.
Severe anxiety level; feeling like you are on the verge of losing your mind.
Dizziness, trembling, choking.
Chest pain.
Sweating, hot flashes.
Tingling sensation.
People who have panic attacks tend to make connections between their anxiety and certain activities. This leads them to the conclusion that if they avoid the activity then they will not have the panic attack. Unfortunately this tends to gradually make their world shrink. They become comfortable with fewer and fewer experiences. They become embarrassed by their lack of control over the panic attacks and they start to avoid friends and family. They stop going to places that were once familiar. This may include the grocery store, the mall and their church. Eventually this can impede their education and/or their career. They may do the opposite and become quite needy on friends and family. Their friends and family often do not know what is going on and thus they do not give the support that is needed. These same people may also feel their own sense of helplessness as to what they should be doing to provide relief. The person with panic attacks becomes embarrassed and frustrated. They withdraw from the help that could be available. This avoidance behavior sets the stage for depression and eventual hopelessness. But please do not ever forget that Help Is Available!
I have treated thousands of cases of anxiety/panic disorder.
If you have been having panic attacks, here are some recommendations to decrease and hopefully eliminate them:
1. Immediately seek a psychiatric evaluation. You could seek a therapist first but the therapist will most likely send you to a psychiatrist anyway. Medication is the fastest way to control the panic attacks. This will decrease the anxiety so that the therapist can get to the root of the problem and teach you a variety of anxiety reducing techniques.
2. Find a therapist who is familiar with treating anxiety disorders. Not all therapists are good at helping these kinds of cases.
3. If your psychiatrist prescribes an anti-anxiety medication, please take them as recommended. Short term usage is usually required. Keep this medicine with you at all times because panic attacks can be very unpredictable.
Mark Webb
http://www.articlesbase.com/stress-management-articles/overcoming-panic-attacks-55698.html
How To Control Panic Attacks
If you suffer from anxiety you most likely know that learning how to control panic attacks is an important step in the recovery process. Many people; however, find that traditional prescription medications provide little relief and often leave them feeling groggy and completely unlike their normal self. The good news is that there are ways in which you can control panic attacks that do not require any prescription medications. Read on for more details to find out how.
One of the first steps in learning how to control panic attacks is understanding that even though a panic attack can certainly be frightening at the time, there is no danger that you are going to die from it or that you will be hurt. While many people may feel as though they are going to lose control or go crazy during an attack, this is not actually accurate. Your body is simply responding in a biological manner to a perceived threat. The symptoms you experience during a panic attack are simply your body’s way of releasing the energy you will need to either remain and fight the danger that is perceived or flee from it. Even though you may feel as though you might be having a heart attack, losing control or going crazy, this is not the case. Work on re-training your mind to understand that none of this is going to happen.
It is also important to focus on slowing down in order to learn how to control panic attacks. One of the most common symptoms of a panic attack is an increased rate of breathing and heart rate. You can learn to control this; however, by regularly practicing breathing techniques and exercises. This will help to calm your racing thoughts as well as physically slow down your body. You can do this by inhaling and exhaling slowly and counting as you do so. As your body begins to calm and slow down many of the symptoms associated with panic attacks will also decrease including trembling, dizziness, confusion, muscle aches and tingling.
Other ways in which you can control panic attacks including contacting someone from your support system when you begin to feel first symptoms of a panic attack. This can help you to immediately take control of the situation. Even if you must speak to the person on the phone rather than in person, explaining how you are feeling can provide a good deal of comfort to immediately ease the situation.
Taking a walk to burn off the excess energy and adrenaline your body is releasing can also prove to be quite helpful.
Occupying your mind with something else when you begin to feel anxious is another great way to control panic attacks. Good ways you can do this include noticing details of what else is going on around you and listening to music. Even these simple acts can help to take your mind off the possibility of a panic attack and focus it on something more positive.
With these techniques and guidelines you can learn how to control panic attacks and begin to make the journey toward recovery.
Paul Dylan
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/how-to-control-panic-attacks-86050.html












