How to gain relief from Panic Attacks!

Sunday, February 04, 2007

The Lesser-Known Forms of Anxiety manifestation.

The most common forms of anxiety disorders are general anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social phobia and other phobic disorder*, panic disorder and separation anxiety disorder. These disorders are all attributable to past traumatic events or genetics, as most anxiety disorders are. Very uncommon is it that anxiety problems appear for no apparent reason whatever, though some cases seem to describe it.
On the other hand, the following forms of anxiety are infrequently named as a disorder, because they're common concerns that most people face at some time or another during their lives This is not to say that a disorder cannot develop from such anxieties, because a phobia can be of practically anything object or situation.
Existential Anxiety: This type of anxiety is akin to spirituality and mortality, which is something everyone eventually faces. The father of psychotherapy, Sigmund Freud termed this type of worry as the “trauma of nonbeing.” When a person comes to the realization that they are not immortal and will die someday this can fill them with great anxiety—particularly if they have ignored such realistic thoughts for a long period. Religion, Freud believed, becomes a coping mechanism to put away this unwholesome fear of death. The person then redefines death as merely a stage in existence, with an immortal soul being the next stage—so life will continue in some way, the anxiety ceases to be so intense. Obviously, it would be easy for a person to develop obsessive-compulsive disorder along with this existential form of anxiety. This form of anxiety can be somewhat harmless and inspire creativity; but it can also be dangerous if a person begins to have strong suicidal urges due to feelings of hopelessness.
Boredom Anxiety: This form of anxiety is a good deal like it sounds—as from boredom in life, or a lack of meaning (alike to existential anxiety) a person may become bored of their present living situation. They learn to create and develop anxieties for no apparent reason other than to have something to do. The answer to treating this form of anxiety is obviously a form of tough love, which would be to separate the sufferer from the stressful distractions and try to find happier or more productive life.
Test and Math Anxiety: There appears to be a fear of tests and a fear of math that can develop in students. This is natural since so much pressure is exerted upon students to succeed in academic achievements. They may start to feel, especially at very young ages, that academic failure is associated with self worth, or that low grades will merit public embarrassment. These bouts with anxiety can also lead to physical problems such as nausea, headaches, and dizzy spells. Such an anxiety attacks over test outcomes actually hinders the ability of a student to achieve satisfactory results in the taking of an exam. When the reality is they are quite capable of passing the exam. In some circles, there is a debate as to whether test anxiety is an entity onto itself or just another form agoraphobia.
All forms of anxiety can lead to serious anxiety disorders and eventually emotional and physical problems. It is best to face up to the source of anxiety, even with the use of professional evaluation if necessary; just ignoring the symptoms will lead to greater long-term anxiety related problems.

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Tuesday, January 23, 2007

What is Anxiety and do I have it ?

What Is Anxiety And Do I Have It?
Of course, everyone has anxiety. Anxiety is a vague word meaning any one of several unpleasant emotions, usually involving the anticipation of some misfortune to come. Stress, as well legitimate worries about every day live, bring about anxiety.
However, there is a difference between regular anxiety and an anxiety disorder. Whereas anxiety is simply a negative emotion, an anxiety disorder involves chronic anxiety, usually approaching extreme levels. Such extreme levels might see an otherwise healthy and normal person become suddenly and irrationally afraid of something, or nervous and irritable, or may cause mild to severe panic attacks. Panic attacks are simply a peak of anxiety and do not necessarily mean a person is developing a panic disorder, though it is a probability.
A person may also develop an unnatural fear of public places, other people or of specific phobias. They may constantly feel the need to escape, and feel quite agitated if they feel they are trapped in a situation. This is linked to agoraphobia, once of many types of anxiety related phobias that can develop.
Anxiety disorders can easily lead to physical symptoms as well as mental and emotional ones. People suffering from chronic and intense anxiety may also experience nausea, trembling, chills, and light headedness. In addition, severe symptoms like chest pains, numbness and a shortness of breath might appear, thus scaring someone into believing they are having a heart attack or even dying.
What causes an anxiety disorder to develop? Anxiety, of course but from what source? It could due to external surroundings; stress and difficult living situations can be traumatic and can cause a person to feel very anxious throughout the day for a long period of time. There is also evidence that genetics can cause anxiety disorder to be inherited.
If you feel that you may have an anxiety disorder then there is cause for concern—the fact that you feel anxious enough to question your wellbeing, means either you are under a lot of stress or feel you may be developing an unnatural fear or reluctance in every day life. The best thing to do is to consult a family physician. He or she will give you a physical examination and rule out any physical factors that might be bringing on your symptoms. If there's no problem there then the doctor could refer you to a mental health specialist who will conduct a further evaluation.
Traditional medication may be recommended, or psychotherapy could be suggested as an alternative. One mistake people make is to put off going for an examination because they don't want to be put on medication. Understandably, since there are many risks involved in potentially addictive antidepressants and anti-anxiety pills, not to mention the rising cost of pharmaceutical drugs. However, the doctor will work with you and may be willing to treat the problem without medication. Aside from herbal remedies or self-help techniques psychotherapy has proven successful in many cases.
Avoidance is another symptom of anxiety disorder. But avoiding a professional examination may be too much of a risk to take, considering that you’re mental and physical health could be at stake.

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