The Skinny on Panic Attacks Anxiety Disorder
In the past, anxiety had been given a bad rap. You wouldn’t think it, but anxiety is a naturally occurring human reaction. As our body reacts to stimuli it products adrenaline that can help us deal with the problem at hand. In a select few cases, a panic attacks anxiety disorder can arise.
A range of emotions can encompass an anxiety disorder like anything from feeling nervous to uncontrollable feelings of fright and terror. Fortunately, anxiety is a fairly common disorder that is treatable. Most people find relief via medication or through therapy.
There are many people out there that inquire as to how they can figure out whether they are afflicted with a panic attacks anxiety disorder. To help decipher this you can look out for the following signs: nausea, uncontrollable thoughts, dizziness, heavy breathing, tightness in the chest or pains increased heartbeat to name a few. Of course you’ll want to seek the advice of a professional before trying to diagnose this yourself.
It would be hard to find someone out there who does not fear a single thing. The problem here is that a select few of us enable these fears to hold us back from having a productive and normal life. These fears are more commonly referred to as phobias. I am sure you have heard at some point in your life someone being disabled by a phobia. For example, Arachnophobia which is actually a title of a Hollywood movie is a fear of spiders. Another one would be the uncontrollable fear of open places or Agoraphobia. Many of the same symptoms that are experienced during panic or anxiety attacks are also felt when succumbing to a phobia.
We can take this a step further and include post-traumatic stress disorder which is commonly diagnosed to our solders after war. This disorder also known as PTSD, happens after an individual experiences, participates or witnesses an event such as war, torture, death or any form of other traumatic circumstances. A few characteristics of this disorder include persistent nightmares and acute panic or anxiety attacks. Also, people with this disorder have issues sleeping and concentrating. Luckily, these types of problems are pretty rare when it comes to panic attacks anxiety disorders.
As we seek to find a cure for our panic attacks anxiety disorders, it is helpful to try and uncover what caused them. To help narrow your search down it would be helpful to know when and where the infraction happened. As our advances in drug therapy and psychology continue to press forward, so does the cure rate for these life changing problems. With these advances, it is no longer a burden to carry around these types of conditions.
Shane Wilson
EFT Works For Traumas
Emotional Freedom Techniques or EFT are particularly effective in emotion-related conditions or physical difficulties indirectly or directly linked to emotions like stress and anxiety. In fact, it is cited that the success rate of EFT when dealing with emotional conditions is not less than 80 percent or almost 100 percent. Thus, it is highly effective in treating various types of traumas.
Trauma relief is one of the earliest applications of EFT. In fact, EFT founder himself Gary Craig who developed the techniques in the early 1990s believe that when all else fails in trauma relief, EFT is the cure. Traumas can be a consequence of death of a loved one, post-traumatic stress disorder, accidents, abuse, violence, war, among many more.
Traumas are deep-seated emotions, thus EFT can address the root causes and provide relief. Traumatic events or situations can paralyzed a person’s whole being. These produce a high level of stress, anxiety and, fear that if not treated will dominate a person’s consciousness. Traumatized people do not function normally because traumatic events grip their minds, which play back the unfortunate events over and over again until their whole consciousness is occupied.
One of the things we appreciate most is EFT’s versatility. When you have mastered the skills, it is almost like having superpowers. You will have tools that you can use in just about any situation. For instance, if you are going into an important meeting or interview and feel anxious or afraid, you can just sit in your car or duck quickly into the restroom an do some EFT. It works wonders and doesn’t require any special equipment, so you can use it virtually anywhere.
In fact, that is where conventional or traditional methods of trauma therapies fail, since these relive the traumatic events or situations over and over again in the patient’s mind. Most of the time, this have counterproductive effects. EFT, on the other hand, zeroes in on the pain associated with the trauma itself rather than the events that caused it. This makes the process of recovery from the trauma speedier.
EFT teaches traumatized persons to detach themselves from their traumatic experiences. Thus, they start viewing the whole thing in a more impersonal manner. They become desensitized from the emotions or pain associated with the traumatic experiences or events. EFT provides people with techniques or tools that they can quickly turn to or utilize when traumatic thoughts creep in. These prevent panic attacks from setting in.
As a trauma relief, EFT is a faster route, as many people would testify. There are instances when only one EFT session is needed. People can immediately experience the benefits or relief. There are even techniques, which people can do on their own, without the need for an EFT expert.
As cited earlier, EFT provides lasting and permanent relief, even for traumas. So after a successful EFT therapy or sessions, traumatized people are delivered from symptoms of trauma such nightmares, insomnia, disturbed sleep, post-traumatic stress, panic attacks, among other negative manifestations.
StewartRobertson
Anxiety Disorder Is A Common Mental Illness
According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, anxiety is the most common mental illness in America, with nearly 20% of the adult population affected. Woman are twice as likely to experience life disrupting general anxiety disorder, GAD, and specific phobias than men are, however the numbers for those suffering with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are equal for the sexes.
It is interesting to note that approximately 1/3 of all adult sufferers of anxiety disorders had experienced some symptoms when they were children. Women also hold the dubious honor of being far more likely to experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and twice as likely to suffer with Panic Disorders. In these studies it is noted that childhood sexual abuse is often a precursor for PTSD, and regardless of the age of the attack, rape will trigger PTSD in 65% of the men and almost 46% of the woman who experienced it.
We all face anxiety producing events in our daily lives, beginning when we were an infant and we realized our mother had left the room. From that day on the stress in our lives continues to be experienced, overcome, and the knowledge of our successes helps us move on to the next challenge.
The child goes to school for the first day and both the parents and the child are anxious. The first sleepover, away camp, learning to drive, and going away to college are all important milestones that can cause normal anxiety in the parties involved, even though there may well be an undercurrent of excitement, also.
For adults, the list for potentially stressful situations is virtually endless. Losing a job, serious debt, awaiting medical test results, the imminent death of a loved one are just a few. All of these and more are legitimate causes for anxiety. It is only when the anxiety becomes the defining factor in a person’s life, dictating their every move in some cases, that it is time to seek professional help. If the fears are no longer based in logic, if the affected person’s daily life is seriously diminished, and if no amount of reassurance will ease their fears, it is time to obtain an evaluation from a mental health professional.
There should be no stigma associated with seeking help with for mental health concerns. It is no different than hypertension or diabetes, in that, left untreated will severely impact the suffering person’s ability to interact with their family, friends and co workers, and possibly escalate to where the affected person is unable to even leave their home.
When basic daily functioning is impacted by the anxiety disorder, and the ability to enjoy life is disrupted, a family member may need to seek advice on how to best encourage their loved one to obtain necessary help. The need for this intervention is a vital one. An anxiety disorder left untreated can easily escalate to include other mental health concerns, including depression and suicidal thoughts.
As dismal as this may all sound, help is readily available, and cost or lack of insurance does not need to be a factor. Resources for help are as close as the phone book or the computer, and many state and county mental health clinics accept sliding payments based on ability to pay.
J. Lloyd
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/anxiety-disorder-is-a-common-mental-illness-139150.html
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): What Is It
Over the past decade, as I have worked with cops, firfighters, abuse victims and children of addicts, I have learned that there are many causes for PTSD. It has also affirmed my belief that PTSD is real and harmful, not only to those who have it, but also to those around them. It impacts the way we act, react, our motivation and our capacity to feel–well, anything.
Terrifying experiences that shatter people’s sense of predictability and invulnerability can profoundly alter their coping skills, relationships and the way they perceive and interact with the world. The criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are 1) exposure to a traumatic event(s) in which the person witnessed or experienced or were confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others, and 2) the person’s response involved intense fear, helplessness or horror DSM IV p. 427-28). Gradual Onset Traumatic Stress Disorder can be caused by repeated exposure to “sub-critical incidents” such as child abuse, traffic fatalities, rapes and personal assaults.
Nevertheless, not all people exposed to trauma are “traumatized.” Why? In 1998, Pynoos and Nader proposed a theory to assist in explaining why people have different reactions to the same event. They asserted that people are at greater risk of being negatively impacted by traumatic events if any of the following are present: 1) they have experienced other traumatic events within the preceding 6 months, 2) they were already stressed out or depressed at the time of the event, 3) the situation occurred close to their home or somewhere they considered safe, 4) the victims bear a similarity to a family member or friend and 5) they have little social support.
It has been argued that officers, emergency service personnel, children of addicts and abuse victims experience traumatic events or threats to their safety on an almost daily basis. Being abused, not knowing when or if your parents will come home, repeatedly seeing children murdered, people burned in car fires and devastated victims starts to take its toll. People like idealistic officers who joined the force to change the world and protect the innocent begin to feel like nothing they do makes a difference, they cannot even keep their zone safe (criteria 3). This is especially problematic for officers who live in or near their work zone and often leads to frustration and burnout (criteria 2). Children start to feel that the whole world is uncontrollable and unsafe.
It is still not totally accepted within the law enforcement community for officers to discuss the impact of situations on them. Anger, humor and sarcasm are but a brief outlet for what many officers dream about at night. As their condition worsens, many officers withdraw, because they are fearful of seeking help or support for fear it is a one way ticket to a fitness for duty evaluation or will get out and be an obstacle for future promotions. Several studies in recent years have shown that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is among the most common of psychiatric disorders.
Another thing that distinguishes people who develop PTSD from those who are just temporarily overwhelmed is that people who develop PTSD become “stuck” on the trauma, keep re-living it in thoughts, feelings, or images. It is this intrusive reliving, rather than the trauma itself that many believe is responsible for what we call PTSD. For example, I have worked with officers who have responded to child abuse calls and had a child of their own who was a similar age (criteria 4). In the course of daily life children get hurt and have bad dreams. As parents they have seen looks of pain and fright on their kids faces. This makes it just that much easier to envision the looks of terror and agony on the face of the child as their parent beat them. Sometimes this visualization gets corrupted and officers suddenly they start to see their child in their mental re-enactment of the trauma, obviously a much more powerful memory. These officers are much more likely to be “traumatized” by the incident and potentially get “stuck.”
Traumatized individuals begin organizing their lives around avoiding the trauma. Avoidance may take many different forms: keeping away from reminders, calling in sick to work, or ingesting drugs or alcohol that numb awareness of distress. The sense of futility, hyperarousal, and other trauma-related changes may permanently change how people deal with stress, alter thier self-concept and interfere with their view of the world as a basically safe and predictable place. In the example above, these people often became even more overprotective of their children, suspicious of others, and had difficulty sleeping, because every time they close their eyes they see the child.
One of the core issues in trauma is the fact that memories of what has happened cannot be integrated into one’s general experience. The lack of people’s ability to make this “fit” into their expectations or the way they think about the world in a way that makes sense keeps the experience stored in the mind on a sensory level. When people encounter smells, sounds or other sensory stimuli that remind them of the event, it may trigger a similar response to what the person originally had: physical sensations (such as panic attacks), visual images (such as flashbacks and nightmares), obsessive ruminations, or behavioral reenactments of elements of the trauma. In the example above, sensory triggers that triggered some of the officers memories were certain cries, hearing or seeing a parent spank their child, returning to the same neighborhood for other calls and, of course, television shows or news reports that involved descriptions of abuse.
The goal of treatment is find a way in which people can acknowledge the reality of what has happened and somehow integrate it into their understanding of the world without having to re-experience the trauma all over again. To be able to tell their story, if you will.
The Symptoms of PTSD
Regardless of the origin of the terror, the brain reacts to overwhelming, threatening, and uncontrollable experiences with conditioned emotional responses. For example, rape victims may respond to conditioned stimuli, such as the approach by an unknown man, as if they were about to be raped again, and experience panic.
Remembrance and intrusion of the trauma is expressed on many different levels, ranging from flashbacks, feelings, physical sensations, nightmares, and interpersonal re-enactments. Interpersonal re-enactments can be especially problematic for the officer leading to over-reaction in situations that remind the officer of previous experiences in which she or he has felt helpless. For example, in the child abuse example above, officers may be much more physically and verbally aggressive toward alleged perpetrators and their reports tend to be much more negative and subjective.
Hyperarousal. While people with PTSD tend to deal with their environment by reducing their range of emotions or numbing, their bodies continue to react to certain physical and emotional stimuli as if there were a continuing threat. This arousal is supposed to alert the person to potential danger, but seems to loose that function in traumatized people. This is sort of like when rookie officers start and a hot call is toned out, they usually have an adrenaline rush. After two or three years, the tones hardly have any impact on them. Since traumatized people are always “keyed up” they often do not pay any attention to that feeling which is supposed to warn them of impending danger.
Numbing of responsiveness. Aware of their difficulties in controlling their emotions, traumatized people seem to spend their energies on avoiding distress. In addition, they lose pleasure in things that previously gave them a sense of satisfaction. They may feel “dead to the world”. This emotional numbing may be expressed as depression, and lack of motivation, or as physical reactions. After being traumatized, many people stop feeling pleasure from involvement in activities, and they feel that they just “go through the motions” of everyday living. Emotional numbness also gets in the way of resolving the trauma in therapy.
Intense emotional reactions and sleep problems. Traumatized people go immediately from incident to reaction without being able to first figure out what makes them so upset. They tend to experience intense fear, anxiety, anger and panic in response to even minor stimuli. This makes them either overreact and intimidate others, or to shut down and freeze. Both adults and children with such hyperarousal will experience sleep problems, because they are unable to settle down enough to go to sleep, and because they are afraid of having nightmares. Many traumatized people report dream-interruption insomnia: they wake themselves up as soon as they start having a dream, for fear that this dream will turn into a trauma-related nightmare. They also are liable to exhibit hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response and restlessness.
Learning difficulties. Being “keyed-up” interferes with the capacity to concentrate and to learn from experience. Traumatized people often have trouble remembering ordinary events. It is helpful to always write things down for them. Often “keyed-up” and having difficulty paying attention, they may display symptoms of attention deficit disorder.
After a trauma, people often regress to earlier modes of coping with stress. In adults, it is expressed in excessive dependence and in a loss of capacity to make thoughtful, independent decisions. In officers, this is often noticed because they suddenly begin making a lot of poor decisions, their reports lose quality and detail and they are unable to focus. In children they may begin wetting their bed, having fears of monsters or having temper tantrums.
Aggression against self and others: Both adults and children who have been traumatized are likely to turn their aggression against others or themselves. Due to their persistent anxiety, traumatized people are almost always “stressed out,” so it does not take much to them set off. This aggression may take many forms ranging from fighting to excessive exercise or obsession about something—anything to keep them from thinking about the trauma.
Psychosomatic reactions. Chronic anxiety and emotional numbing also get in the way of learning to identify and discuss internal states and wishes. May traumatized people report a high frequency of headaches, back and neck aches, gastro-intestinal problems etceteras. Since the stress is being held inside, the body begins to become distressed.
Summary
After a trauma, people realize the limited scope of their safety, power and control in the world, and life can never be exactly the same. The traumatic experience becomes part of a person’s life. Sorting out exactly what happened and sharing one’s reactions with others can make a great deal of difference a person’s recovery. Putting the reactions and thoughts related to the trauma into words is essential in the resolution of post traumatic reactions. This should, however, be done with a professional specializing in PTSD due to the wide range of reactions people have when they start confronting and integrating the memories of the trauma.
Failure to approach trauma related material gradually is likely to make things worse. Often, talking about the trauma is not enough: trauma survivors need to take some action that symbolizes triumph over helplessness and despair. The Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem and the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC, are good examples of symbols for survivors to mourn the dead and establish the historical and cultural meaning of the traumatic events. There are several events for survivors of traumas that officers can also take part in. These events remind survivors of the fact that there are others who have shared similar experiences. Other symbolic actions may take the form of writing a book, taking political action or helping other victims.
PTSD is real, and can be resolved with time, patience and compassion.
Dawn-Elise Snipes
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd-what-is-it-110738.html
Herbal remedies for depression and its symptoms
Depression is a very real and treated the disease. Depressive disorders are not the same as a passing blue mood. Depression is very common and affects as many as one in eight young men, in their years. Depression is generally situational and reactive, and associated with pain, loss, or a major social transition. Sadness is a part of being human, a natural reaction to painful circumstances.
All of us will experience sadness at some point in our lives. Depression, however, is a physical illness with many more symptoms than an unhappy mood. Depression affects people of every color, race, economic status or age, however, seems to affect more women than men during adolescence and adulthood. It is usually started aged 15 and 30. It is more common in women. Women can also get postpartum depression after the birth of a child. Some people get seasonal affective in winter disorder. Depression is one part of bipolar disorder. Depressive disorders come in many forms, as is the case with other illnesses such as heart disease. This pamphlet briefly describes three of the most common types of depressive disorders. However, within these types there are variations in the number of symptoms, their severity, and persistence.
Five major types of anxiety disorders are:
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Panic Disorder
Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
The Link between Anxiety and Depression
Anxiety and depression are dangerous mental illnesses. Unfortunately, they can also go hand-in-hand, making everyday life very difficult for the person who is suffering. Fortunately, if the conditions are recognized and proper help is obtained, they can be overcome successfully.
Ayurvedic herbal remedies for depression tips:
? Add some fresh Rose petals to a cup of boiling water. Add sugar and drink, often depressed.
? An Apple eaten with milk and honey is great to lift the mood. Home best remedy for depression.
? Powder seeds 2 green cardamoms. Add 1 cup boiling water, add sugar and drink this tea twice a day.
? A neutral immersion bath for one hour daily is also useful to treat depression.
? Relaxation and meditation are also effective measures to treat depression. The best way to relax is to practice putting shavasana or dead. Meditation involves training to remain fixed to a specific location on the internal or external.
? Mediation helps to create balance in the nervous system.
? Lying down in a dark room can make a 1 / 2 hours of sleep will always make you feel better.
? Another cure for depression is a tea made of Indian basil (Tulsi) and grief. Use 1 / 4 teaspoon Tulsi and 1 / 2 teaspoon of sage per cup of hot water, drink twice a day.
? Blanch a cup of boiling water, add honey, wait 3 minutes and drink.
? Warm avocado leaves and put them on the forehead.
? Cook and eat: white lily, rice bulb, palm and tulip (add nothing more).
? Cook oatmeal to 1 cup of rice milk or soy milk, boil and stir for one minute at a temperature of law. Can add nuts, almonds, dried fruit, honey.
? Blanch very well to make tea and drink.
? Stir 1 teaspoon lavender leaves to a cup of boiling water, cool and drink 3 times daily.
? Eat: nuts, cheese and a tablespoon of cider vinegar in a glass of water.
? Eat at least 5 bananas a day, reduced to one time.
? Eat a lot of pumpkin seeds.
? Various yogic Asanas like halasana, paschimottanasana, Sarvangasana, shavasana, shalabhasana, vakrasana, bhujangasana and pranayamas as kapalbhati, bhastrika are very beneficial in the treatment of depression.
? Cook oatmeal to 1 cup of rice milk or soy milk, boil and stir for one minute at a temperature of law.
Depression’s Signs
Everyone feels blue from time to time, but real depression is a like a black cloud that smothers. If left untreated, these conditions can Leal to suicide. Being aware of the signs of depression is imperative. Common signs include:
Changes in eating habits
Thoughts of suicide or death
Feelings of guilt, hopelessness
A feeling of sadness that persists for several weeks or longer
Anxiety and depression are both very real, very serious illnesses. Fortunately, both can be treated rather effectively if their signs and symptoms are recognized and acted upon properly. Counseling and medication can help a person overcome these conditions. Trying to work through a combination of anxiety and depression alone generally is not advised.
Read more on Natural Remedies for Depression and Home Remedies for Depression
parveenKumar
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/herbal-remedies-for-depression-and-its-symptoms-1183460.html
If Ive Got An Anxiety Problem What Should I Do?
Anxiety problems, and mental health problems in general, seem to be on the increase in our fast paced modern day society. More and more anxiety and related disorders seem to be in the news.
Anxiety and its associated disorders are the most common of all the mental illnesses that afflict us. It is estimated that around 20% of the adult population will be affected by some form of anxiety disorder at some stage in their lives. For a population as large as ours that is a large number of people indeed.
People with some form of anxiety disorder are more likely to use scarce health care resources. They go to the doctor more often than average, and are more likely to end up in hospital than the average.
This of course places a large burden on our health care system and the amounts of money spent on combating anxiety and its related disorders is massive. It is estimated at over $40 billion dollars a year.
There are a range of anxiety problems that people encounter, some well known and some not so well known. Post traumatic stress disorder is well documented as it is experienced by so many of our soldiers who have seen active duty, but some of the other forms are less well known.
Some types of specifically recognised disorders are specific anxiety phobias, such as fear of spiders or heights, panic disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder and social anxiety problems.
And then there are anxiety problems that are not specifically defined and are known as generalized anxiety disorders. They are characterised by a constant and persistent fear of or worry about ordinary things.
Of course there are always situations where almost everyone would be anxious, these happen to all of us in our lives and it is normal to be anxious when encountering situations such as these. The mere fact that an individual is suffering from some form of worry or fear is not of itself evidence of an anxiety disorder.
But people who suffer from generalized anxiety disorders suffer from a continuing fear or worry when there is no reason to fear or worry. That is the important distinction, there is no need to be scared or worried, but they continue to be.
This condition can take over their lives to the point where they feel they cannot control it and it is manifestly excessive. That is where there may well be a problem for the individual, and the continuous worry can seriously interfere with their life.
If you feel that you are becoming more and more anxious about things which shouldnt really be a cause of such anxiety, or that your anxiety is out of control, it is well worth investigating further. It is not helpful to attempt to ignore the situation and hope it will go away, it may not, and may well get worse.
Seeking help is the most important thing you can do in this situation.
Peter Crump
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/if-ive-got-an-anxiety-problem-what-should-i-do-55226.html
Anxiety – Holiday, Everyday, Any Day is a Good Reason to Worry
Many people have anxiety and worry during the holidays. I think it’s almost normal considering that all of us to one degree or another bring heightened expectations to any holiday season. We hope that somehow, this ***** fill in the holiday of your choice season will meet our expectations and everything will be wonderful.
Problem is, our memories of any “great and wonderful” holiday have been whitewashed by the passage of time. The past holiday which we use to develop unattainable expectations for the current season were not that wonderful when we first lived it. We end up being somewhat disappointed, but hopeful at the next holiday will be wonderful.
People with anxiety disorders however, can live day to day in that constant state of worry. Though not specific to any holiday, anxiety and panic disorder symptoms can be caused by almost anything on any day.
Imagine being constantly concerned and worried about basic functions of life. Things like, if the mail and will go out on time, having to attend to errands or going to the doctor for a routine medical test results in an inordinate amount of stress and worry. This is the life of many people who suffer with anxiety.
The term anxiety disorder is actually a general term that is used to identify many types of mental illness.
Things like
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. A good example of this is someone who needs to check if doors and windows are locked in their home. In this example, the person suffering from OCD is likely to check their windows and doors several times during the day and may even get up at night just to verify everything is secure.
Societal disorder. People suffering from social disorders have a fear of people are public places. The fear of public speaking is a very common form of this disorder.
Post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is not simply caused from being in a war or battlefield situation. Many people who have witnessed or been directly involved in a dramatic event can be overcome by this illness.
Generalized anxiety disorder. Chronic or continued worry that outside what is considered normal concern may indicate a person is suffering from GAD.
Panic Attack Disorder. Unlike most other anxiety types, panic attack disorders are characterized by physical symptoms like a fast or pounding heartbeat. Panic attacks can come on without warning and last anywhere from a few minutes to as long as 30 minutes or more.
Although mental health professionals claim successful treatment of many of the very types of anxiety disorders, the fact is that anxiety is a chronic condition with long term treatment needs. Although it’s possible to gain some relief through the various treatment programs available, I don’t believe anxiety disorders are ever completely cured.
Abigail Franks
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/anxiety-holiday-everyday-any-day-is-a-good-reason-to-worry-79565.html
How To Recognize The Many Different Types Of Anxiety Disorders
That feeling in the pit of your stomach of impending doom. We’ve all felt that way before, but for some people, it’s an everyday occurrence. At its best, it can be disruptive to a person’s everyday life. At its worst, it’s crippling to those who suffer this affliction. These people have anxiety disorder. It’s characterized by a constant feeling of worry which has little or no basis in reality. There are usually other symptoms present, such as sleep disorders, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations.
There are several types of anxiety disorders. Anxiety attacks are one category of anxiety disorder. Anxiety attacks are characterized by a sudden onset of terror, which results in an increased heart rate, a tightening of the chest, and a feeling of losing control. Untreated, it can result in agoraphobia (fear of public places or open spaces.) Panic disorder can also be accompanied by depression. However, treatments such as therapy and medication can cure most anxiety disorders.
Another kind of anxiety disorder is obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD. OCD is illustrated by obsessive thoughts and rituals which are used to control the anxiety that accompanies such thoughts. The rituals can be anything from washing one’s hands over and over again to locking and unlocking a door repeatedly. OCD sufferers may also be fixated on order and symmetry.
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is another example of anxiety disorder. People who suffer from PTSD often startle easily, are irritable and become emotionally numb. It is often brought on by a traumatic event, such as a rape or a mugging. Veterans have been diagnosed with it after serving in war zones. PTSD symptoms can intensify during the anniversary of the traumatic event. Medications and therapy are often successful in the treatment of PTSD.
Social anxiety disorder, or social phobia, is also a type of anxiety disorder. Persons with social anxiety disorder often feel extremely self-conscious and anxious in social situations. If they are asked to appear at a public function, they often will obsess about it for weeks ahead of time. This fear can manifest itself in many ways, including avoidance of work, friends, and family.
Persons with social anxiety disorder often recognize that their reactions are excessive; however, they are still unable to control them. Physical symptoms can include sweating, shaking, blushing, and nausea. Social anxiety disorder is often treated with therapy and medications with great success.
Finally, phobias related to a specific activity, event, or object are also a class of anxiety disorders. Phobias are intense fears or terror of something that really isn’t that dangerous, if at all. It manifests itself in different ways in different people. For example, some have a fear of spiders while others have a fear of enclosed places. Also, some people have a fear of driving on a highway and some are afraid of heights. These phobias often bring on anxiety attacks. Left untreated, they can significantly interfere in the sufferer’s everyday life. Therapy is often successful of the treatment in this particular anxiety disorder.
M. Xavier
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/how-to-recognize-the-many-different-types-of-anxiety-disorders-110169.html
What Is Stress Disorder Anxiety Anyway?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, (NIMH), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is one of the 5 recognized types of mental illness commonly known as anxiety disorders. While these five major categories are significant, the complexity of mental disorders demand for segmentation into even more conditions.
The post-traumatic stress syndrome, or PTSD is commonly associated with veterans returning from a war zone. Further study however, has suggested that this disorder isn’t limited to war zone veterans that can be identified and people who have had a significant negative event touch their lives. Understand that the complexity of this illness isn’t limited to simply mood swings but is embedded in general feeling caused by an event.
That event would naturally be very disturbing, unsettling or emotional scarring. These types of events may include:
a. A physically dangerous situation such as a fire or automobile accident.
b. A physical assault, rape, mugging, threats on your life etc.
c. Personal property assault. Theft, break in of your home, etc.
d. A family member, relative or close friend may have been involved in any of the above
What’s interesting is that a person who may be suffering with post traumatic stress disorder isn’t necessarily the person who was directly hurt by the event. Throughout the US, many people who didn’t lose family in the World Trade Center on September 11 or even lives in New York City were dramatically and emotionally affected by the disaster. This is also a common problem when student and workplace shootings occur.
Stress disorder of the posttraumatic type can be characterized as an emotional rollercoaster that never ends. The fear and “shell shock” feeling of just going through a significant life threatening event can be devastating.
Many PTSD disorder sufferers will regain their emotional equilibrium given enough time. Many find that cognitive behavioral therapy and counseling can help speed the process along. In some of the more extreme in serious cases medications have been used effectively.
One difficulty in living with post traumatic stress disorder symptoms is that seemingly on associated things are events can act as a trigger to cause panic and worry. A good example of this is after someone has broken into your home, every noise can become a trigger to relive the event. Imagine a situation where a creaking door brings a flood of thoughts about an intruder in your home back into your memory.
Although far from being just a condition identified with returning war veterans, post traumatic stress has become a significant issue in our modern day world. With the all too frequent mindless shootings in previously safe places like high schools and the workplace it’s no wonder that post traumatic stress is a growing problem in our society. If you or a loved one is suffering from this stress disorder, get professional psychological help as soon as possible.
Abigail Franks
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/what-is-stress-disorder-anxiety-anyway-110174.html
How To Tell If You Have A Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Many disorders exist for anxiety. They range from post-traumatic stress disorder to extreme reactions to phobias. One of the most commonly experienced forms of the problem is what medical practitioners have coined “Generalized Anxiety Disorder”. GAD is very common and the good things is not that hard to see the symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in a person and help them to deal with it.
Basically, the key symptom is excessive anxiety and worry. As noted, some level of anxiety and worry is entirely natural. Worry is the way our body warnings us of risks and possible problems, we all have experienced these warnings and many times they save our lives. Not having an ability to experience anxiety would surely be far more destructive than experiencing normal anxiety levels. Elevated anxiety disorders, Of course, can be debilitating. When ones worries become out of whack with reality and are disproportionate or excessive, a problem is present.
Diagnostic Criteria
Lets take a closer look at the DSM diagnostic criteria for a Generalized Anxiety Disorder. As noted, it first requires excessive anxiety and worry. It also requires that these worries most occur more days than not for a period of at least six months, about a number of events or activities In other words, one must be disproportionately worried on a regular basis about a variety of things in order to receive the diagnosis.
Three Of Six Symptoms
– restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge – being easily fatigued – difficulty concentrating or mind going blank – irritability – muscle tension – sleep disturbances
Uncontrollability
Thus, being worried a lot does not in and of itself constitute a disorder. There must also be some level of uncontrollability and some other manifestation of the problem. An anxiety disorder, according to the diagnostic volume, cannot be the outgrowth of concerns related to a similar disorder. For instance, having a fear of a panic attack (that is a feature of panic disorder) when one experiences panic attacks would not qualify.
The Heart Of The Matter
If the anxiety becomes distressful enough to impair social or occupational situations and prevent functioning in society, this can be of major concern. This is really the heart of the matter. When the worry and anxiety reach a level that interferes with normal functioning, an anxiety disorder is present. This breakdown applies specifically to a Generalized Anxiety Disorder diagnoses, but it is enlightening with respect to other anxiety disorders. Primary features are still the exact same with excessive worry, experiencing this frequently and uncontrollably.
John Morris
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/how-to-tell-if-you-have-a-generalized-anxiety-disorder-65236.html
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