What Is Anxiety?

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Your heart starts pounding in your chest, your muscles become tense, there is a queasiness in your stomach, your head hurts and you feel as though everything is out of control. These are some of the hallmarks of anxiety. While this is a relatively normal reaction to some of life’s great stresses, it can be a huge problem for those who cannot control the physiological and psychological effects it has on their body and mind.

It is true that a certain amount of anxiety is normal. We all have to deal with unpleasant situations that are out of our control, which is one of the triggers of anxiety. For some though, their anxiety can cross over into panic, and this where there is cause for concern.

There are 5 major kinds of anxiety: generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, social phobias, post traumatic stress disorder and panic disorder. Each one is different in it’s own right, but they all can have a devastating effect on a person as well as their loved ones. Here are some of the details of each disorder:

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): This disorder is diagnosed when a person becomes consumed with excessive anxiety with little or no cause.
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Persons diagnosed with OCD suffer from exaggerated bad thoughts as well as a need to complete repetitive rituals. The inability to oust the unwanted thoughts or complete the repetitive tasks can cause panic.
  • Social Phobias: Irrational fears of what other people think or feel about you is a characterization of this disorder. Though some sufferers may be able to face their fear for a small amount of time, they still suffer anxiety during and after contact This disorder can have unexpected attacks of fear that may show itself with a severe physical reaction.
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): People who have been exposed to a particularly stressful event for an extended amount of time often may suffer from excessive fear of that event recurring
  • Panic Disorder: This disorder is characterized by sudden attacks of fear and panic with no know cause.

There is help for those who suffer from anxiety. it is important for them to know that they are not alone! The treatment for anxiety disorders varies, though may involve health counseling.

There are medications that can help ease some of the mental and physical symptoms, too. This is why it is important for those who suffer from sever anxiety to seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Anxiety Is Not Mental Illness

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Though many people who suffer from anxiety feel as though they are crazy, anxiety is, in fact, not a mental illness. It is a behavior that has been reinforced so that the mind and body reacts in an extreme way. Mental illness has a biological cause, whereas anxiety does not. That is not to say that people who suffer with anxiety should not seek help. To the contrary, those who suffer from the disorder should seek medical assistance immediately in order to get their lives back on track.

From time to time, just about everyone suffers from anxiety. Not everyone suffers from a mental illness. Anxiety comes from a fear of the unknown. In some people, the fear can be a bit more severe than in others. In those severe cases, a person may have psychological and physical symptoms. The physical symptoms include heat palpitations, chest pain, excessive sweating, nausea, fatigue, irritability and sleeplessness.

There is cause for concern when a person’s anxiety becomes excessive, taking control of their everyday life. When it starts to affect where you go, what you do, as well as your relationships with others, it is time to seek help. Rest assured, you are not the only one who suffers from an anxiety disorder and there are plenty of professionals who can help you cope with or even extinguish the hold that anxiety may have on you.

Mental illnesses are often treated through the use of psychotropic medicines. There is no medication to treat anxiety. Therapy is the main means of learning to cope with the disorder, though medicine might be used to help control some physical symptoms or other co-existing conditions that may be present.

A therapy that has shown promise for those who suffer with anxiety disorders is cognitive behavioral therapy. In the simplest of terms, this type of treatment helps a person to rationalize their fears and change their way of thinking about those things that cause them anxiety. This, in turn, helps people change their behavior so that they can overcome the disorder.

It is important for people who suffer from anxiety to realize that they are not alone. Many people suffer and have recovered from anxiety disorders. There is help available to them, if they choose to seek it.

Is Anxiety Curable?

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A person who suffers from GAD, or generalized anxiety disorder, may also experience panic attacks. Sometimes an anxiety attack can cause you to experience a panic attack. Anxiety disorder is often characterized by worrying more than normal. The worrying becomes excessive and can trigger a panic attack. A panic attack usually lasts for about thirty minutes and is characterized by extreme fear. A panic attack can sometimes mimic a heart attack because it can cause chest pains and shortness of breath. Once a doctor has determined you are experiencing anxiety or panic attacks, the next step is to find an Anxiety Cure.

The causes of anxiety disorder can be due to genetics or certain factors in the environment. Treating anxiety may be easier than finding the cause. However, finding the right Anxiety Cure can take trial and error when it comes to curing anxiety disorder. There are medications available to help with the side effects of anxiety disorder. SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are the most commonly used medication to help treat anxiety disorder.

SSRI medications are usually the first choice for prescription medications used to treat anxiety because the medications pose a low risk for possible side effects. Some SSRI medications include zoloft and paxil. The antidepressant medications help to ease the symptoms of anxiety disorder and are safer than some of the other medications that are used to treat anxiety disorder. Benzodiazepines are another class of drug used to treat severe anxiety. However, benzodiazepines usually are not the first choice of doctors since the medications can be addictive. However, benzodiazepines have proven to help with treating long term anxiety disorder when looking for an Anxiety Cure.

Medications can be successful in helping anxiety disorder, but therapy can also help with an Anxiety Cure. Cognitive therapy helps to change patterns of thinking, which can help reduce anxiety. The therapy also shows you how to deal with worries in a more realistic way. Not only will the therapy show you how to change your thinking, but it will also help you react better to anxiety triggers. A combination of therapy and medication is sometimes used to treat anxiety disorder; with the hopes of curing the disorder.

Anxiety Symptoms Are Like A “Heart Attack”

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Over 4 million Americans suffer from one form of anxiety disorder or another. For those that have the misfortune of dealing with it, the symptoms of an anxiety or panic attack can be quite alarming. Many people confuse their anxiety symptoms with those of a heart attack, and it is easy to see why! Listed below are some anxiety symptoms. As you read through them, you will see why it is not surprising that someone would be confused as to whether they were suffering from anxiety or a true heart attack.

  • Chest pain and heart palpitations
  • Excessive sweating
  • Tingling in the extremities
  • Muscle tension or weakness
  • Excessive worry, tension
  • Nausea
  • Tiredness
  • Irritability
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Restlessness
  • Having an unrealistic view of a common problem

Several of these anxiety symptoms fall right in line with what you might experience if you were having a heart attack, particularly the chest pain, heat palpitations, excessive sweating and tingling. If you are experiencing any of them, you should seek medical attention immediately.

The treatment for anxiety symptoms is quite different than for those who have suffered a heart attack. First and foremost, a person who has anxiety disorder needs to seek psychological counseling. While anxiety is not a mental illness, a person who suffers with it needs to learn to get control of it. There are some medications that can be prescribed to help with anxiety, too. These include:

  • Anti-depressants: SSRIs, Tricyclics, and MAOIs are commonly prescribed for severe anxiety. This type of medication needs to build up slowly within a person’s system for the full benefits to be felt.
  • Anti-anxiety drugs: These drugs are usually only prescribed for a short amount of time, as the body seems to build up a tolerance relatively easily.
  • Beta-blockers: Also prescribed for those who have suffered from heart issues, this type of medication can help to curb some of the physical anxiety symptoms that are listed above.

For those who are prescribed medicine for their anxiety symptoms, it is important that they follow the physicians direction closely, as some of these medicines interact with other over-the-counter treatments. They should talk to their physician as well as their pharmacist should they have any questions or concerns.

Panic Attacks Are Real

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It may be common to Dismiss the notion Panic Attacks can be real.  Many think that those that suffer panic attacks are just overreacting, or even worse, may think that the individual is just looking for attention.

The truth is that panic disorders and panic attacks are very real and are medically documented. During Panic Attacks, the individual may feel intense fear and even, possibly pain, but there is usually not an obvious cause.  They may even feel as though they are having a heart attack during this episode.  The attack can be so painful and scary causing some individuals to feel as though they may even die.  Other symptoms may include the following:

Feelings of dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, faintness, trouble swallowing, hyperventilation and a general feeling of dread may be associated with a panic attack.  However,there are no known causes to this condition, but it is thought to have something to do with genetics, stress, or slight changes in brain chemistry.  Some individuals may have this occur only a few times in their life, but for those that have this happen often and live in constant fear may be determined to have what is known as a panic disorder.

An individual does not have to let their fear of Panic Attacks and the attacks themselves from keeping them from living stress-free lives.  A doctor can help with this troubling condition with different treatment options.  The treatments options that are used are psychotherapy and medications.  A doctor can best determine what treatment regime may be right for you.  They may start out with one, then go from there in trying to find the right combination to help you during this trying time.

If you suffer from Panic Attacks, do not let people convince you that it is all in your head and not a real condition.  This is a medical condition that people do suffer from, but there is treatment available to help them.  A doctor can help those that suffer get back to their lives without letting this condition win.  Talking with a doctor about what is right for you is the best first step to take.