Remedies for Depression

Posts Tagged ‘Anxiety Panic Disorder’

Statistics in the past year, indicated between 10 to 12 % people suffered some form of panic attack. Some the most common related terms are given in the list below.

- General Anxiety Disorder
- Panic Attack Disorder
- Anxiety Panic Disorder
- Peformance Anxiety
- Anxiety Disorder
- Social Anxiety Disorder

Panic attacks make up the number-one problem facing men and women and is second only to alcohol and drug-related problem. As a reponse to stressful situations, like examinations, public speaking, worry of layoffs, up goes anxiety. Such heightened disorder, has become a normal occurrence affecting one out of three persons in the past year.

Symtoms of Anxiety Panic Disorder
Panic attack disorder symptoms include shortness of breath, a choking feeling, heart palpitations, sweating, shaking and trembling, chest pains, dizziness, hot flashes or cold chills, feeling of unreality (such as being in a fog, on the moon, in mid air), and fear of dying, or losing control.

Panic attacks which can come unexpectedly, with at least six or seven of the symptoms you have just read, escalates quickly will subsides within minutes. On the other hand, anxiety panic disorder builds up gradually and is not sudden and unexpected, symptoms are fewer and milder.

Anxiety Panic Disorder is an emergency response

In general anxiety disorder is not that bad though. It keeps us primed, as if it trains us to be always on our toes. It also keeps us psychologically alert, an emergency response. Proper exercises can be good to ensure things may start to get nasty.

When we are engulfed in our ‘panic room’, we have one of two choices. We can either face it or get away from it. This is better known as the “fight” or “flight” response. Given a choice, would you face it and experience its full impact, or would you rather retreat or run away from it?

If we equate panic to fear (the two are similar in a lot of ways), the easy way out is to avoid it. But there is always a great chance (and you can be sure of it) that it will haunt you again and again. Whatever that fear is, literally speaking, this will keep you on the run and you will always be checking and looking behind you, cowering from it. The more you run away from it, the more it will chase you and make fun of you. It will be like a ghost running after you!

Given this kind of a situation, it is apparently more logical to face panic attacks. But do not “fight” the symptoms of any attack. Try to “flow” with the symptoms and allow yourself to become calm. Keep reminding yourself that what you are experiencing is a natural emergency response.

The more experiences you get out of it, the more confident you become. And when you are confident, what you used to fear will not make you fearful anymore. You will get immune to it. The more instances you are able to handle it, the more capable you will be each time it occurs, like practice. Practice makes perfect. In the end, you will perfect the art of handling your condition, from fearing it to handling it remarkably in a positive way. That’s an achievement.

Now, let’s go back to the point where you still dread panic attacks with a question you might raise that goes: “Just how am I supposed to face a anxiety panic disorder knowing all too well it might subdue and eat me out of my guts?” The answer: “You don’t do anything about it. Just let it be. Let it run its entire course and just experience it”. But then you may ask: “What if I don’t survive it?” The answer: “You will definitely survive it.

Keep this in mind. This experience is a state of mind, an apprehension. It is just imagined. There is no way a person will experience a brush on something like a heart attack, a coma, or even death because this condition is not life threatening. There is never a recorded case of a person who has died as a result of anxiety. Rest your mind to the fact that this condition is not a physical ailment, even with the physical manifestations like sweating, palpitations, stomach cramps, and all that. You will be able to face and experience its full impact without any life-threatening effects. Bring it on”. This is the attitude you must adopt the next time you have a bout with it.

Say silently inside your head “I am becoming calm….It’s a matter of minutes only. I can handle it as I have handled it before. . .I am calm and steady. ” Like we must always believe, “if you think you can - then you can”.

Thank you for reading.

Panic symptoms were all important thousands of years ago when mankind lived in primitive settlements, having anxiety was all important as it increased adrenalin levels and aided in basic survival. When anxiety stress is present, the human body reacts by increasing the speed of the heart beat and raises blood pressure which helps the survival response. Unfortunately, in modern society these responses are unwelcome.Panic symptoms develop in two quite separate areas of the brain - the amygdala and the hippocampus.  If stress is at reasonable levels then the body is said to be in a normal state and this state does not have adverse effects on the body in a modern society. The problem arises when panic symptoms become excessive which then leads to health issues.The first stage of panic symptoms can be simple depression. This can develop in two main forms. The first is called agitated depression which is the most common form which has noticeable panic symptoms. The second is called akathitic depression which does not have any noticeable panic symptoms. These conditions usually start with a person having a phobia. An irrational view of everyday objects or events can lead to a raised level of irrational fear.  Some key indicators of agitated depression include irregular sleep patterns, breathing problems, dizziness, and a more definite sense of doom and a fear of death.  The common treatment among modern medical science is to prescribe antidepressants but they can have negative effects and a natural or holistic way should be preferred wherever possible. Treatment greatly helps to find the root causes of the problem and eventually leads to finding a way of dealing with them.Depression is certainly a complex condition, but it has been demonstrated that panic symptoms are a key factor in a lot of cases. It is therefore important to bear the connection between depression and panic symptoms in mind when deciding on treatment.