Archive for March, 2009

Anxiety Attacks: Answers To Some Basic Questions

Those who have had an anxiety attack know what it is and how it feels. They know the terror of the heart racing in their chest, and the other symptoms, which combined leave them concerned for their life. They may have been in to the doctor and told it is “all in your head” – and they’ve worried that it truly was all in their head and they are losing their mind.

For those who haven’t had an anxiety attack, this is a foreign subject. It’s time to learn more.

What Are The Symptoms Of An Anxiety Attack?

First, there are both physical and mental symptoms of an anxiety attack. Both can be debilitating. They can last from only a few seconds to a half hour or longer. (The average attack lasts thirty minutes.) They can be mild, or so intense that a trip to the emergency room seems in order.

The physical symptoms range from sweating and chest pains, inability to catch the breath, racing pulse, shaking or hot flashes or chills. Feeling dizzy, or faint, is also a common symptom to an anxiety attack.

The mental symptoms can be just as hard to deal with. Sufferers report feeling like they’re going to lose their mind, they are losing control, going crazy, or going to die. While they aren’t likely to die from an anxiety attack, the terror of an attack can be literally paralyzing. The feeling of fear, panic, and dread can leave the sufferer feeling like they’re either going to go crazy or actually die. .

What Causes Anxiety Attacks?

Anxiety attacks can be causes by several things. First, heredity or genetics plays a part. If you have relatives or ancestors who have suffered from anxiety attacks, you are more likely to have them also. But those without such connections can also have them.

The way in which one is raised can influence a propensity to have a panic attack. Studies show that those who are raised with a fearful outlook on life and their surroundings are more likely to have this disorder, as are those who have a very passive communication style.

Other physical conditions can also have an impact. Those have obsessive compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, hyperthyroidism, hypoglycemia, a vitamin B deficiency, or even labyrinthitis can cause panic or anxiety attacks.

Anxiety attacks can also be caused by chemicals introduced into the body. These include “heavy duty” drugs, like Ritalin, anti-depressants, and all SSRI drugs, but also nicotine, alcohol, and even caffeine.

Mental issues can also trigger anxiety attacks. Things like phobias, previous panic attacks, or a significant loss or life change (like the death of a spouse) can cause an attack to occur. 

Tags: anxiety attack, anxiety attack symptoms

Treating Stress And Anxiety: Individuals Need To Be Given Individual Treatments

Experiencing stress as well as being overly anxious can and does in most cases causes a lot of stress in our minds and bodies. A vast majority of people that face the twin problems of stress and anxiety will find that life will have become too stress-filled for them to continue living their lives normally. Hearts will start pounding and typically events such as an impending exam can give rise to excessive feelings of stress and anxiety. The stomach too will be filled with butterflies; especially, before a blind date.

Control Your Heartbeats

Treating stress and anxiety requires different approaches that will help to stop the heart from palpitating uncontrollably and which will also help do away with those butterflies in the stomach. In this regard, treating stress and anxiety often involves undergoing therapy as well as trying out techniques that help a person relax and what’s more, it also involves changing your lifestyle to one that is healthier.

Stress is a major factor that must be dealt with adequately whenever you seek treatment for stress and anxiety. In a vast majority of cases, stress and anxiety generally disappears after a certain event occurs or passes though it is still not easy to generalize the correct method of treating stress and anxiety. Individuals will require individual treatments and this can include getting professional help or simply using over-the-counter medications.

Individual counseling is probably the first line of defense in regard to treating stress and anxiety and it involves that the sufferer discusses their problems with an expert counselor or therapist who will assess their condition and find out the reasons after which suitable treatments can be prescribed.

Extreme cases of stress and anxiety can make a person fear having a heart attack. In such cases, treating stress and anxiety generally involves admitting the patient to a hospital where more specialized care can be given. Such cases of stress and anxiety are generally quite complex and so require specialized treatment.

The bottom line with providing effective treatment for stress and anxiety is that handling a person’s mood disorders can often be difficult and so treating stress and anxiety requires that the patient be put through several different stages of treatment including putting them under medications.

It pays to also study anxiety attack symptoms which can provide useful clues as to the nature and cause of such attacks. Often, stress as well as anxiety are the leading causes for such conditions and so must be understood if the condition is to be properly treated.

Tags: treating stress and anxiety, anxiety attack