Jun 13

Having a panic attack is one of the most often experienced disorders in the world. It is estimated that 4-5% of people are severely impacted, in one way or another. When a panic attack happens, a normal day can turn into an hand-wringing, jittery, can’t sit still time. like what a husband is feeling when he’s eagerly waiting for his wife to give birth to their child.

A “little” anxiety is not a bad thing. It helps protect you from potential danger, whether real or imagined. Let me elaborate.

Humans are the most amazing and intriguing creatures on earth. One of the most distinctive features of we humans is our having feelings. This is not to say that animals do not have feelings, what humans experience has a depth and significance that go far beyond what animals feel.

For feelings that deliver us good, we look for ways to improve it further. For feelings that deliver us harm and pain, we do the opposite and try to reduce it or get away from it as much as we can. Anxiety is no exception. We should not try to totally eradicate harmful feelings because at least some of them are not 100% harmful. The idea is to control and not be controlled.

Let’s use fear as an example. Fear, as you know, is one of the most frequently experienced emotions we as humans have. It is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) deterrents to our success. Yet in spite of the fact that most people don’t like fear, it also has its own silver lining. Fear can help us from being hurt, both physically and emotionally. The “little” fear inherent within us is actually good for us. We need that “little” amount of fear.

The same is true with panic. A “little” panic can serve as a form of self protection. But being consumed with excessive panic may hinder you from functioning at a normal level and may prevent you from taking action when action needs to be taken.

Panic attacks are actually a not a “physical” problem. It is the result of chemicals being released by the brain to combat a perceived threat or danger and it is not uncontrolable. While the danger may only be perceived, it should not progress to the level of an “attack”. In a dangerous situation, this leaves you vulnerable. In a non-dangerous situation, it just leaves you unable to respond.

While panic symptoms are not abnormal, you also should not have to endure. There is help available. Life is too short to be hindered with anxieties. Find out more here about how to eliminate panic and anxiety.

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Jun 09

Panic symptoms can frequently be caused by hereditary factors, or stress. An estimated ten percent of Americans suffer from symptoms of panic, and if not treated panic attacks can progress into phobias, heightened anxiety, and higher levels of stress. They can be debilitating to thos that suffer from them and disrupt all aspects of their lives.

There are several forms of treatment that are available. The combination of cognitive-behavior therapy and medication seem to be the most effective. We will go over some tips for panic attack relief. Successful treatment can take time, and in order to fully overcome a panic disorder one must take an active role in their therapy.

A good method of relieving fear and panic attacks is to make lists. Sometimes writing down the things you fear, contrasted with a list of things that produce calmness can give you something to think about if your start to panic. A list of calming and happy things can be helpful on its own – to go over when you start to feel the anxiety rise.

Another one of the great tips for panic attack relief is that when you start to feel anxious, take a deep breath and accept those feelings for what they are. Tell yourself that you are experiencing fear, anxiety or panic and let it run its course. This method it is a good practice for being able to finally step away from the fear.

Aroma therapy has been proven to relax, and relieve stress a person is feeling. Oils of lavender, ylang ylang, sage, and other herbs and flowers as well can have an very soothing effect when applied to pulse points on your neck or wrists.

While it is tempting to just avoid situations that tend to bring on feelings of anxiety, it only further promotes the idea that there is something wrong and to be feared about these situations. Reminding yourself that it is the symptoms of panic and not the place or situation you are experiencing that is stressful can help you not associate anxiety with them in the future.

And finally, as was mentioned earlier, remember to! Close your eyes and take deep breaths, mentally relaxing. Envision calming images in your mind. You should practice this trick in less stressful situations, so when you need to, you will be ready to sit back, and just breathe.

While there are many more methods to help you handle your anxiety, hopefully these tips for treatment of panic symptoms are found useful and invigorating.

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Jun 08

Anyone who has ever had a panic attack knows how debilitating these events can feel. Panic attacks can seriously hurt your quality of life by making you become apprehensive of a repeat occurance. This terror is just another detrimental side effect of panic attacks. Being able to think of it as such will help that you can move on with your normal life without the constant fear of a panic attack hanging over your head. Worrying about having a panic attack on a regular basis might even lead to the triggering of panic attacks later.

Having a panic attack can sometimes feel a lot like heart attacks. Panic attacks can cause your heart to race, and it can also cause you to become short of breath. You may even find that you feel dizzy or light headed, and they are are often accompanied by the feeling of life or death importance. It is frequently common to believe that you are going to die while having panic attack symptoms. Fortunately for sufferers, these symptoms do not usually last long, and will stop when they have run their course, or when the cause of the panic is removed.

People that are frightened of having additional panic attacks, frequently will end up cutting themselves off from everything in order to avoid having another. They try to hide from the world, or otherwise separate themselves from the friends and family that might otherwise be of assistance to them. If this sounds familiar to you, then you should consider seeking professional help. They can empower you to get rid of the threat of future panic attacks that hangs over your head.

It may also be of help to avoid the situations that cause you to have your panic attacks in the first place. One of the biggest causes of panic attacks is stress. If you are constantly in stressful situations, then the risk is much higher that you will have panic attacks in the future. Average amounts of stress over short periods of time are not cause for concern. Panic attacks caused by stress are usually triggered by constant stress over long periods of time. This stress can be too much for people to bear, and even if we do not recognize that, our bodies do, and they rebel.

Symptoms of panic can also be caused by the same situations. If you get a panic attack every time you are running late, or are stuck in traffic, or are going over a bridge, then you need to make efforts to avoid that situation to prevent these same events from triggering more panic attacks in the future.

If you practice avoiding situations that have previously caused {panic symptoms|panic attacks} and chart where you were, what you were doing, and how you felt immediately prior to each panic attack, then this information can be utilized to avoid the things that trigger these episodes. You may well save yourself a lot of trouble with your mental and even your physical health later down the road.

This blog has good information on Treatment for Panic Symptoms.

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May 25

Are some people more prone to panic attacks than others? In short, yes. There are actual Physical differences have been observed among people who are prone to panic disorder compared to the average person. The following are descriptions of some of these physical differences.

1) Sensitivity to adrenalin and hormonal changes

In general, people with panic disorders (including agoraphobia) have overactive adrenal glands. Because of this, they are more likely to experience an adrenaline rush or “fight or flight” response when placed in a “threatening” environment. This makes them more susceptible to panic attacks.

In patients with common panic symptoms, during times of extended stress, adrenaline and a hormone called cortisol (a stress fighting hormone) are overproduced by the adrenal gland.

This overproduction interferes with the production of serotonin and dopamine. Serotonin and dopamine are neurotransmitters that stabilize a person’s mood and sense of well-being. When serotonin and dopamine levels are low, your mood becomes unstable and you are less able to cope with stress.

In this state of chemical imbalance, you tire more easily, are more susceptible to disease, and you are more at risk for experiencing anxiety and panic attacks. Even after the initial cause of the stress is gone, you are likely to stay in a higher state of anxiety.

2) Sensitivity to medications

A higher than normal sensitivity to medications,  including side effects, is observed among people with common panic symptoms. The side effects and/or symptoms of withdrawl for some medications, including anti-anxiety medications, mimic the symptoms of actual panic and anxiety attacks. Because of this, medications prescribed to people who have had panic attacks should be prescribed in smaller doses initially and then increased gradually as little as possible.

3) Sensitivity to physical stimulus

People who exhibit symptoms of panic usually have a heightened sensitivity to temperature changes, sudden or loud sounds, bright lights, or other similar sources of physical stimuli. Physical stimulus will more easily overwhelm someone with panic disorder, create an aura of disorientation, and lead to a release of adrenaline (causing a “fight or flight” reaction).

4) Sensitivity to large amounts of sodium lactate

Large amounts of sodium lactate in the bloodstream have been linked with the cause panic attacks in people with panic disorder. When muscles convert sugar to energy, sodium lactate is produced. It is the basic solution in intravenous fluids given in the hospital.

In one study, when patients with panic disorders were given sodium lactate, the temporal lobes of the brain experienced a dramatic increase in blood flow. These are the same areas of the brain affected when subjects in other studies (who do not have panic symptoms) are given an electric shock!

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