It is not uncommon for anxiety sufferers to experience “real” and even painful physical symptoms. Tightness in the chest, strange aches and pains, tingling sensations and hyperventilation are but a few of the most common.
These symptoms should always be checked by your doctor right away, but if your doctor determines there is no medical problem causing them, you could very well be dealing with physical anxiety symptoms.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist for treating anxiety disorders. Here are some quick steps to help you step out of your anxiety disorder.
Get to know the triggers – The ancient scholars like Aristotle or Plato dedicated their whole lives for knowing themselves. I’m not saying that you become that kind of philosopher for treating your panic attacks. All you have to do is switch on your self analysis power. Continue reading ‘Treating Anxiety Disorders – Simple, Yet Easy Treatments’ »
Simply defined, anxiety is a natural reaction caused by premonition of any kind of hazard or perilous situation. It is a resultant feeling wrought by the man’s physical and mental past as well as his interaction with his social settings. Anxiety can surface following an ordeal that a man goes through, resulting in an intricate overt effect on his memory. As a result of man’s inherent ability to fantasize and remember things, anxiety is born in him.
Scientifically it has been proven that anxiety is predominant in human beings only and other animals experience a different facet of it – fear. It can be rightly claimed that this feeling of being anxious results from mental strain, certain types of diseases and intake of certain medicines.
At times anxiety can ultimately result in a man becoming rejuvenated by far more positive behavioral changes. Common characteristics of an anxious person are his accelerated attentiveness, pulse and dilated pupils. His breathing is shallow and higher in rate, whereas his digestion becomes weaker, permitting more availability of energy for his muscles. Anxiety is a phenomenon depicting typical reaction to some drugs, hyper functioning of thyroid, endocrine instability or chest pain caused by lack of blood being provided to the heart. Continue reading ‘An Exclusive Encounter With Anxiety’ »
How often do you hear the phrase “I’m so stressed out!†If you are like me you hear it quite often and from many different people!People feel pressure from many different sources. Those pressures cause stress and anxiety, and often we are ill-equipped to deal with those stressors that trigger anxiety and other feelings that can make us sick. Literally, sick.
The statistics are staggering. One in every eight Americans age 18-54 suffers from an anxiety disorder. This totals over 19 million people! Research conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health has shown that anxiety disorders are the number one mental health problem among American women and are second only to alcohol and drug abuse by men.
Continue reading ‘Many People are Affected By Stress and Anxiety’ »
Commonly misunderstood, anxiety can be kept under check. Over anxiety is dependent on our neurological make up. Anxiety is a learned behavior and is shaped by our social interactions with others at different stages of our lives and the way we are brought up. Human brain is the hub which initiates all our actions and reactions. Different people respond to anxiety in different ways. Some barricade themselves off completely while others prance around like a processed man.
To exemplify, take the case of George who puts up a barrier when he is anxious and depending upon the level of his anxiety, he continues to go about with his life normally with a few constraints. When under the spell of anxiety, George is able to concentrate only one subject at a time and that too on something that is not concerning his inner self.
He is able to finish the jobs at his place of work as they do not call for any kind of contemplation from his side and need not be inside his jurisdiction. On returning home, he becomes confused and gradually anxiety resurfaces as he has to look at various tasks which are not related to his office work. Continue reading ‘Mental Blockage – An Outcome of Anxiety’ »
I’d like to discuss anger’s role in the generation and sustenance of panic attacks and anxiety. To give the matter its due, I’ve decided to present the information in two parts. In this edition, part one, we’ll review what anger is in the eyes of the psychoanalysts and cognitivists. And in part two we’ll have a closer look at how anger directly impacts panic and anxiety. Well, are you ready? Let’s get to work.
The French psychiatrist, Jacques Lacan, a 20th Century pioneer in psychoanalysis, believed aggression is generated as a psychological defense against the threat of something known as fragmentation; the mental and emotional sense of losing control over self-cohesion. Now, fragmentation may present in a feeling of low-grade distress, or it may manifest in all-out panic and terror, for fear of total annihilation. Lacan took the whole matter to infancy where a human is simply a mish-mash of biological functions well beyond internal management. And the only goal one could have is to at least make an effort to pull everything together into some semblance of cohesive identity. Continue reading ‘Panic Attacks, Anxiety, and Anger: The Dynamics of Defense’ »
Anxiety attacks too much fear, worry or stress. It is during this crucial period that a person may be reduced to a nervous wreck or come out of it still whole and live a normal life.
In order to avoid the onset of an attack it is important that you must understand what an anxiety attack is and what are its symptoms. Of course, an average person must have experienced the symptoms at some point in their life but it is unlikely to have reached a certain level to cause panic. In other words it is manageable and within the range of our capacity to overcome the attack.
Do you remember giving a speech for the first time and you feel your heart pounding wildly or a relationship of a loved one at the brink of disaster? The possible loss of a job and a confrontation with your boss can cause you untold tension and misery. They are elements of disaster and if not handled correctly, an anxiety attack may set in. Continue reading ‘Anxiety Attacks Description’ »
Anxiety disorders are common psychiatric disorders apparently caused by an interface of biopsychosocial factors. These include genetic vulnerability, which interrelate with situations, stress, or trauma to create clinically significant syndromes.
The major mediators of the symptoms of anxiety disorders in the central nervous system appear to be norepinephrine and serotonin.
One of the classifications of anxiety disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is substance-induced anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorders may contribute to morbidity and mortality resulting from hypertension and cardiac arrhythmia.
Severe anxiety disorders may lead to suicide, with or without secondary mood disorders; for example depression.
Continue reading ‘Anxiety and Amphetamine Dependency Treatment’ »
In my ongoing quest for knowledge pertaining to the contributors to panic attacks and anxiety, as well as treatment strategies and techniques, I came upon some very cool stuff several years ago. It’s called Somatic Experiencing (SE) and it’s the amazing work of Peter A. Levine, Ph.D. This will be the first in a series of two articles. Here we’ll have a look at SE within the context of a contributor to panic and anxiety. The article that follows will approach SE from a treatment perspective. Well, tune-in because I know you’re going to find the information fascinating, hopeful, and helpful.
SE came to life as Dr. Levine observed that though wild animals of prey are under constant threat and siege, they’re rarely traumatized. Well, I never really gave that much thought, but I suppose it’s true. So, just how in the heck do they pull that off? Well, credit is given to an innate regulating mechanism that very efficiently manages and discharges the energy that accumulates in their bodies as a result of self-preservation behaviors. Levine observed that when an animal of prey survives a potentially deadly chase, it actually takes time to physically shake-off unused energy before moving on with the herd. Well, Levine posits we humans are equipped with essentially the same mechanism; however, ours is greatly inhibited by our more advanced cognitive capabilities. Man, how many times does thinking mess things up for us? By the way, isn’t it interesting that we so often use the phrase, “Just shake it off,†when someone takes a relatively minor hit of some kind. Continue reading ‘Panic Attacks, Anxiety, and Somatic Experiencing: Part I’ »
In a previous article I discussed the importance of including balance issues in any discussion of the contributors to panic attacks and anxiety. Amazingly, this connection hasn’t received much attention, but it appears as though that’s changing. Yes, children with balance issues are being assessed for signs and symptoms of anxiety, and intervention strategies and techniques are being developed and implemented. This is great news, as it holds the potential to save millions from life-long suffering.
As you may know, in addition to our sense of hearing the inner ear is the headquarters of balance and equilibrium. Within the membranous labyrinth, a fluid-filled structure deep within the inner ear, is a relatively large area known as the vestibule. And it’s the “vestibular system†that monitors and manages balance and equilibrium by receiving and integrating input from the eyes, ears, and muscles of the trunk, neck, and limbs. Of course, the vestibular system gets a little help from its friends, one of which is the brain’s cerebellum. I guess it would make sense that the cerebellum is a major player in the integration of sensory perception, as well as motor control.
Continue reading ‘Panic Attacks and Anxiety: Treatment of Balance Issues In Childhood’ »