Signs and symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks

Anxiety or Panic attack is not a Heart Attack!

This article is for a Usaveone reader who sent an email requesting to know more about Anxiety and panic attacks! Also for you that need to read it...plz go ahead read it and stop the Panic!

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When you think of anxiety, it may not sound like a huge problem to most people; however, it can actually cause quite a few serious problems in a person’s life.

Basically, anxiety is a

feeling of nervousness. Many people experience this as normal part of life; but at times, it can become overwhelming. Worry and fear also play a large role in anxiety. Having these particular emotions can make it difficult to live with daily life.

Sometimes, the symptoms of anxiety and the problems it can cause include panic attacks or other mental disorders. Panic attacks may develop within a short period of time (as little as 10 minutes), and it can sometimes be very overpowering. On the other hand, some people may only experience mild symptoms.

Some of the more common symptoms experienced from anxiety include being unable to think clearly, palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, detachment from the world, sweating, trembling, nausea, extreme fear of dying, hot flashes, shortness of breath (the list is not exhaustive).

From the list above, it is clear that there are a lot of signs that can suggest a person is having a panic attack or anxiety. However, the clue is if you experience one or more of these symptoms in a month or if you have one, followed by a month of fear of having another one.

Talking to someone who is supportive can be one of the best ways to deal with an anxiety or panic attack. Various forms of meditation or just learning simple breathing exercises can really help a person deal with anxiety and all the symptoms that come with it.

Trying to find some form of activity that is distracting, such as watching TV or other passive types of activities is another good way to combat an anxiety attack. A long bath with warm water can help to transport your mind to another place, which could ultimately allow you to relax.

Resting in a dark room with your eyes closed can help to bring stillness and calm to your mind and body. Combining meditation with resting can genuinely help you to ride through the wave of feelings of anxiety.

Breathing exercises can also be very effective. Learning specific controlled breathing exercises can enable you to learn to control the situation and to keep your emotions in check, so you don’t have to suffer the symptoms of anxiety attack.

Experiencing a panic attack can be one of the most frightening things. The very first panic attack often seems to come completely unexpectedly and can even occur while you are doing some mundane activities you undertake everyday — like driving to work, shopping, walking, watching TV, cooking, etc.

Suddenly, you are struck by barrage of frightening and uncomfortable symptoms and you are convinced that something terrible is going to happen to you there and then.

Panic attacks can start for many reasons, such as stress, overworking, bereavement, family, an accident, childbirth, following a surgery and for many other reasons. Medical experts are beginning to claim that there may be evidence to suggest that anxiety and panic attacks may have a genetic link.

People who have not had a panic attack sometimes suggest or assume that it is just a feeling of nervousness or even extreme shyness, but in reality, the attacks are far more frightening and overwhelming.

What often happens to people suffering panic attack is that they may begin to associate it with the activity or place you were at the time of the attack, so you start to avoid that situation. The problem with this behaviour is that each time you are faced with the situation that caused the attack, you automatically assume or make the association that it will happen again and start to relive the feelings, which can then lead to a fear of leaving the house (agoraphobia), and thus limiting your daily activities and of leading a normal life.

Panic disorders can be frightening, disabling and frustrating for both the sufferer and for those living with them.

As a panic attack can strike very quickly and quite often, the trigger is not apparent; there is usually little warning that it is about to happen (a lot like epilepsy). If a panic disorder is not effectively treated, a person may not be able to function at work or at home effectively. This can obviously have a negative effect on relationships, education and other important aspects of a person’s life.

The body has a natural ‘fight or flight’ response to danger. When a person perceives threat or danger, the autonomic nervous system is stimulated. This helps a person escape from danger. During a panic attack, the body’s automatic nervous system is triggered for no apparent reason (more of a false alarm); nonetheless, it feels very real to the person.

The key is in understanding the diagnosis and its implications. The biggest problem for most people is that they are embarrassed by the condition and they see it as some kind of serious psychiatric disorder or some form of weakness on their part.

Some things to remember if having a panic attack are that although your feelings and symptoms are very frightening, they are not dangerous or harmful. It is important to understand that what you are experiencing is just an exaggeration of your normal bodily reaction to stress. Do not fight or struggle with the feelings. The more you are willing to face them, hopefully the less intense they will become.

Try to stay in the present, notice what is really happening to you — as opposed to what you fear might happen. When the fear comes, expect and accept it, wait and give it time to pass without running away from it.

It might also help when the fear has subsided to think about your personality to see if you have any high anxiety personality traits that could be contributing to your anxiety. There might be underlying self-esteem, self-worth issues that you need to address.

Watching your diet and trying to cut off different food groups to see if your symptoms ease might help.

Take control of your life in as many other ways as possible.

-Gloria Ogunbadejo (gogunbadejo@yahoo.co.uk)

Hope this article has helped someone...I am happy that i have conquered mine, i believe you can do yours...''nothing dey happen'' my loved ones! You are not gonna die!!!


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