There are five main types of anxiety disorders, namely general anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder (also known as panic attacks), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD). As you can see there are many types of anxiety disorder and they can manifest in different ways for different people. The one thing that they have in common however is that each can be described as a persistent or severe fear of a situation that most people would not find threatening.
What are panic attacks? Many people don't even realize when they are having a panic attack because they are so intensely physical. A panic attack is a strong physical and emotional episode in which the sufferer feels a series of symptoms. The most typical physical symptoms are chest pains, racing heart, difficulty breathing, nausea and hot/cold flashes. Often the sufferer will believe they are having a heart attack and rush to the hospital only to find that there is nothing physically wrong with them.
If you are wondering what causes an anxiety disorder, there is no definitive answer. It has been suggested that a chemical imbalance within the brain may be responsible, however this has not been proven conclusively. Another possible cause is that it is a learned behaviour, while another is that they are caused by unresolved issues from a person's past. Whatever the cause, most sufferers are more concerned with overcoming the condition and learning strategies to help them cope with the symptoms they experience.
Sweating, Palpitation and accelerated or pounding heart rate.Shortness of breath, tension, trembling/shaking, or sensation of choking.Abdominal distress, nausea, feeling dizzy, unsteady, being lightheaded or close the point of fainting.Surge of overwhelming fear and panic, dread, helplessness, of losing control, of dying or of going crazy.
Symptoms are not always accompanied by panic attacks, however. Consider the following,Do you get intensely nervous at the thought of interacting with people?If you have great difficulty interacting with coworkers or peers, you may have social anxiety disorder. The inability to interact effectively with other people is one of the main symptoms. If you have few friends and have great difficulty just holding down a conversation or going about everyday interactions with people, you may be what you have.
For people that experience anxiety and panic attacks on a regular basis, it's not uncommon for these issues to go untreated for various reasons. Panic attack and anxiety sufferers may be so embarrassed, paranoid, and fearful that others may think they are "crazy" that they just do everything in their power to avoid situations that cause them to become anxious. Over time, many of these people start to lose hope that they will ever stop feeling anxious, and they may lock themselves away from the life and others that they once enjoyed, a mental disorder that's referred to as agoraphobia. When this happens, there can be some serious long-term consequences that the anxiety sufferer will end up with.
Psychological Concerns.Many of the results of untreated anxiety and panic attacks cannot only be devastating psychologically; they can be life threatening as well. A person who continually experiences the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as heart palpitations, stomach and digestive ailments or insomnia, can become physically ill as a result. The anxiety sufferer may become homebound out of fear of having a panic attack in front of peers at a job or in public. The person may decide to avoid the things that cause anxiety, such as driving or performing routine life activities like grocery shopping or spending time with friends and family. Worse yet, the anxiety sufferer may stop getting regular medical care for existing health issues they may have out of fear of being labeled as unstable.
Another trick is to drop your head to your chest. This works for some people with this symptom and can probably work for you too. Just give it some time. Remember to relax your body and regulate your breathing. You can also get a heating pad and put it on your neck. The heat will dilate the muscles and blood vessels and reverse any constrictions. Just make sure it's not too hot to cause another problem, namely burn.
You can also try putting your head up and stroke your Adam's apple with two fingers. Ask someone to massage your neck down to your shoulders. This should help you relax. Meditation can also help if you're into it. By clearing your mind, you clear your throat. If this fails, try to pray. Praying helps. It does, greatly. Not only does it take your mind off the symptom but you also have God as your therapist assuring you that the devil in your throat will soon be exorcised. Even if you have no faith in Him, trying to put that in a vivid picture in your mind alone can help.
Left untreated, anxiety is also a leading cause of obesity. People often eat out of emotional needs and stress. Being tense as a result of having anxiety is one reason that people may overeat and don't get enough exercise. Then the heavier that a person gets, the harder it is to leave the house to exercise, and the worse the anxiety symptoms become. The irony is that exercise has been shown to improve the symptoms of anxiety, and so it's actually beneficial for a person who has anxiety to exercise on a regular basis. Yet, without proper care from a health care professional, many fail to realize they need this regular exercise in order to combat their anxiety.There are ways that the effects of anxiety can be reduced and in many cases eliminated. Living a healthy lifestyle that includes regular medical care, whole foods that are high in vitamins and nutrients, supplementing with natural products, and a good balance of exercise and rest is the best treatment for anyone experiencing anxiety.
What are panic attacks? Many people don't even realize when they are having a panic attack because they are so intensely physical. A panic attack is a strong physical and emotional episode in which the sufferer feels a series of symptoms. The most typical physical symptoms are chest pains, racing heart, difficulty breathing, nausea and hot/cold flashes. Often the sufferer will believe they are having a heart attack and rush to the hospital only to find that there is nothing physically wrong with them.
If you are wondering what causes an anxiety disorder, there is no definitive answer. It has been suggested that a chemical imbalance within the brain may be responsible, however this has not been proven conclusively. Another possible cause is that it is a learned behaviour, while another is that they are caused by unresolved issues from a person's past. Whatever the cause, most sufferers are more concerned with overcoming the condition and learning strategies to help them cope with the symptoms they experience.
Sweating, Palpitation and accelerated or pounding heart rate.Shortness of breath, tension, trembling/shaking, or sensation of choking.Abdominal distress, nausea, feeling dizzy, unsteady, being lightheaded or close the point of fainting.Surge of overwhelming fear and panic, dread, helplessness, of losing control, of dying or of going crazy.
Symptoms are not always accompanied by panic attacks, however. Consider the following,Do you get intensely nervous at the thought of interacting with people?If you have great difficulty interacting with coworkers or peers, you may have social anxiety disorder. The inability to interact effectively with other people is one of the main symptoms. If you have few friends and have great difficulty just holding down a conversation or going about everyday interactions with people, you may be what you have.
For people that experience anxiety and panic attacks on a regular basis, it's not uncommon for these issues to go untreated for various reasons. Panic attack and anxiety sufferers may be so embarrassed, paranoid, and fearful that others may think they are "crazy" that they just do everything in their power to avoid situations that cause them to become anxious. Over time, many of these people start to lose hope that they will ever stop feeling anxious, and they may lock themselves away from the life and others that they once enjoyed, a mental disorder that's referred to as agoraphobia. When this happens, there can be some serious long-term consequences that the anxiety sufferer will end up with.
Psychological Concerns.Many of the results of untreated anxiety and panic attacks cannot only be devastating psychologically; they can be life threatening as well. A person who continually experiences the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as heart palpitations, stomach and digestive ailments or insomnia, can become physically ill as a result. The anxiety sufferer may become homebound out of fear of having a panic attack in front of peers at a job or in public. The person may decide to avoid the things that cause anxiety, such as driving or performing routine life activities like grocery shopping or spending time with friends and family. Worse yet, the anxiety sufferer may stop getting regular medical care for existing health issues they may have out of fear of being labeled as unstable.
Another trick is to drop your head to your chest. This works for some people with this symptom and can probably work for you too. Just give it some time. Remember to relax your body and regulate your breathing. You can also get a heating pad and put it on your neck. The heat will dilate the muscles and blood vessels and reverse any constrictions. Just make sure it's not too hot to cause another problem, namely burn.
You can also try putting your head up and stroke your Adam's apple with two fingers. Ask someone to massage your neck down to your shoulders. This should help you relax. Meditation can also help if you're into it. By clearing your mind, you clear your throat. If this fails, try to pray. Praying helps. It does, greatly. Not only does it take your mind off the symptom but you also have God as your therapist assuring you that the devil in your throat will soon be exorcised. Even if you have no faith in Him, trying to put that in a vivid picture in your mind alone can help.
Left untreated, anxiety is also a leading cause of obesity. People often eat out of emotional needs and stress. Being tense as a result of having anxiety is one reason that people may overeat and don't get enough exercise. Then the heavier that a person gets, the harder it is to leave the house to exercise, and the worse the anxiety symptoms become. The irony is that exercise has been shown to improve the symptoms of anxiety, and so it's actually beneficial for a person who has anxiety to exercise on a regular basis. Yet, without proper care from a health care professional, many fail to realize they need this regular exercise in order to combat their anxiety.There are ways that the effects of anxiety can be reduced and in many cases eliminated. Living a healthy lifestyle that includes regular medical care, whole foods that are high in vitamins and nutrients, supplementing with natural products, and a good balance of exercise and rest is the best treatment for anyone experiencing anxiety.
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