Panic Attacks and Anxiety

November 2009

Overcoming Social Anxiety Disorder

Social Anxiety  Disorder may be a diagnostic category in the psychology text DSM-IV. The DSM-IV lists all the diagnostic classes and therefore the statistics associated with them for therapists and psychiatrists.  Mental and emotional issues are diagnosed by consulting this manual. 

 

Social anxiety itself does not talk to an actual disorder. Social anxiety instead refers to a cluster of symptoms that are triggered by social situations. Normal operate must be impaired in many areas without delay in order for social anxiety to diagnosed as a disorder.

 

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Social anxiety and social phobia are alternate names for social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety disorder symptoms might solely bother those  diagnosed with the condition in a terribly narrow set of circumstances. For alternative individuals afflicted with the condition of social anxiety, symptoms may be half of a a lot of general  anxiety disorder and may be harder to contain.

 

Fifty % more women  than men are diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder. The higher rate of diagnosis in ladies may be due to the tendency of women to hunt treatment additional readily for all illnesses. Just over 13% of the population struggles with social anxiety symptoms  severe enough to warrant clinical diagnosis.

Symptoms

Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder can be physical, mental, or emotional. Wide-ranging symptoms of the disorder embody:

 

• Unpredictable panic attacks.
• Nightmares or insomnia.
• Pervasive worry of social situations.
• Worry of terribly specific social situations.
• Avoiding the feared situation begins to cause problems.   For instance, performance on   the task  might deteriorate and therefore the person might begin to lose friends and avoid family.
• Blushing and excessive sweating.
• Speedy pulse and racing heartbeat.
• Trouble breathing.
• Persistent nausea or vomiting.
• Gastrointestinal distress and IBS.
• Feeling numb or tingly within the face, feet, or hands.
• Uncontrollable stuttering.
• Abusing medicine or alcohol.

 

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Diagnosis

Social anxiety disorder is abundant additional serious than shyness or dislike of parties.  All seven of the subsequent criteria should be gift so as for Social Anxiety Disorder to be diagnosed:

 

1. Intense and protracted concern of social situations where the shopper is subject to scrutiny by different people.
2. The most common response to the dreaded scenario is severe panic.
3. Worry of things understood by the consumer to be excessive.
4. Avoidance of the     feared situation causes serious issues in daily life.
5. A minimum of six months of avoidance and extreme fear is present.
6. No other medical or psychiatric condition has been found as a cause of the fear.
7. Worry and avoidance don’t seem to be secondary to a additional serious illness.

 

The DSM-IV stipulates that all seven criteria must be  met in order for Social Anxiety Disorder to be diagnosed.

Treatment

Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder is commonly treated with medication and psychotherapy. Other treatment methods embody hypnotherapy, self-hypnosis, and Neuro-Linguistic  Programming (NLP).

 

Social Anxiety Disorder appears to retort best to Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Cognitive Behavior Therapy helps shoppers ‘re-frame’ social things and could be a results-primarily based, short-term method. CBT changes the manner anxious individuals perceive and relate to social  situations therefore as to create them less threatening. Therapy is additionally aimed at helping the client scale back fear of  the worry itself, thus breaking the panic cycle.
Antidepressant medication is the popular drug treatment for Social Anxiety Disorder. 2 types of antidepressants used are SSRIs and MAOIs.

 

SSRI medications keep a naturally calming substance referred to as seratonin circulating in the bloodstream for a extended period of time. MAOI medications manipulate norephinephrine, a completely different calming substance. A third, newer antidepressant works with both of those brain chemicals.

 

Social anxiety Disorder is additionally sometimes treated with beta-blockers and benzodiazepines. Yet another set of medication typically used for Social Anxiety Disorder are the beta-blockers and benzodiazepines. A natural herbal drink known as Kava shows some promise in treating the condition.

 

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How to Treat Panic Attacks

Overcoming panic is a process, which entails five components: diagnosis, acceptance, treatment, setbacks, and resolving contributing factors

Overcoming Panic Attacks

Diagnosis

It’s important to remember to never self-diagnose. The symptoms of a panic attack are very distressing so many times the individual will attempt to find their own answers to the problems by surfing the Internet, reading up on the subject or talking with family and friends. This is not necessarily bad, it’s just that the first step to getting better is to know exactly what you are dealing with. This is very important because many of the symptoms of anxiety attacks resemble a physical illness. For this reason you should see your primary care physician so they can rule out that possibility.

Acceptance

There are many people out there that have great difficulty admitting that they have an anxiety disorder. Many issues arise from this discovery like what type of people actually get anxiety disorders. They often have a hard time grasping how the words “anxiety” and “panic attacks” fit into their lives and personality. Before a person finally admits to having the disorder they may make repeated trips to the Emergency Room or go in for continuous testing before coming to terms with the situation. It can sometimes take years before a person fully accepts the fact that they have an anxiety disorder.

Treatments

People in most situations, can’t overcome panic attacks by themselves. There are times when the symptoms of a panic attack will go away for a while, but they will return as soon as that person faces a stressful situation. The same can be said for somebody who is only using medication for panic attack as their treatment. In order to have a successful treatment for panic attacks you have to follow to main components. The first component is to have the necessary skills to be able to manage the every day symptoms of a panic attack. The second component is getting therapy that will help with the underlying causes and also be beneficial in the long run. Depending on the person and the circumstances medication for panic attack might be needed as well.

Setbacks

After people start a treatment for panic disorder they experience a period of time where they see an improvement in their symptoms. This is often referred to as a “honeymoon” phase. This is when they start to regain hope and thoughts that they are getting back some normalcy. Some would say that they are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, there is often times a setback and when the first one occurs it can be devastating. It is important for people to realize that there will be setbacks during panic attack treatment. Each setback can actually be helpful because they allow you to work on your skills and awareness of the attack. Instead of thinking of it as a failure, think of the setback as a learning experience. Don’t push yourself to hard or to fast for this might bring on a setback, especially if your energy level is already low. When dealing with a setback look into what might have caused it. This will help you overcome the panic attack.

Resolving Contributing Factors

One of the things that you must do in order to recover is to face the issues that caused the problem in the first place. You need to look deeper then just the triggering factor. An example of the reason for this is, say the attack came on because of stress in your life. Why were you stressed? Did you feel vulnerable about something or do you have a perfectionist attitude? Not only do you have to figure out the real cause, but you also have to confront the feelings as well. People think that the cure for panic attacks is simply stopping the symptoms, but the reality of it is that there are many layers associated with panic attacks.

Many people will try to handle everything on their own, but this is not the best course of action. Getting professional help is actually the better way to go because they have a better understanding and can give you another perspective and insight into what it will take to control panic attacks.

Copyright Patricia Adams

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Help for Panic Attacks

There are actually two different kinds of attacks. The one that most people know is a true panic attack. This is where a person has a period of great fear or unease which is accompanied by at least four out of thirteen physical or cognitive symptoms. The other form is known as a limited symptom attack in which a person feels the same way, but only experiences three or less symptoms.

Controlling and Overcoming Panic

Symptoms of a panic attack normally consist of: heart palpitations, excessive sweating, trembling or shaking of the body, shortness of breath or feeling that you are being smothered, feeling you are being choked, having chest pain, upset stomach or nausea, dizzy or faint, pins and needles, dry mouth, diarrhea, chills/hot flashes, headache and depersonalization. A lot of times a person will feel as though they are going to die or that they have lost complete control over things. Normally this happens and then the person gets the sudden urge to escape or run away.

When talking about panic attacks there are actually three different types that a person can experience. These are:

-Spontaneous Panic Attack
This is when an attack happens without any type of trigger. It happens without any kind of warning, kind of ,“out of the blue.” These can happen at any time whether you be in a stressful situation or sleeping soundly in your bed.

-Situation Panic Attack
This often happens when a person is waiting for something to happen or is in a current situation where a panic attack has struck before.

-Situationally Predisposed Panic Attack
This type of attack may or may not happen during or immediately following a certain situation. This one is a little harder to track.

Many individuals have heard of the “fight or flight” feeling. What this is is the body’s response mechanism in which it prepares us to either stand and fight for something or to turn around and run away from a dangerous situation. When this feeling is triggered it releases adrenaline into the  body and shuts down all areas of the body that are not needed to make the decision of stay or go. When you are talking about being faced with a very dangerous situation like running into a bear this would make perfect sense and be very beneficial.

Many of the symptoms of a panic attack can be associated with the same type of feeling as the fight or flight urges. This feeling can many times be brought on simply by worrying about the potential of having a panic attack. Because of this, controlling panic attacks, or even preventing panic attacks, can be very difficult. Also, the more symptoms of a panic attack a person has, the longer the attack will last. Even after the actual attack has come and gone, a person can still have the feeling of fight or flight for up to several hours.

Many of the symptoms for the feeling of “fight or flight” are the same as the symptoms of a panic attack. Here are some that are different:

1.    Rapid breathing
2.    Not being able to control your bladder
3.    Your face turning flush
4.    Getting a feeling that there is a lump in your throat.

Copyright Patricia Adams

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Overcoming Social Anxiety

Another term for Social Anxiety Disorder is Social Phobia. This is the fear of being embarrassed or judged by others when talking to people or being in a crowd. Some social anxiety disorder symptoms include physical signs of anxiety and also being afraid of social situations. As a result of this some people try to avoid social situations altogether.

Finding Help For Social Anxiety

Some ask if being shy is the same as having social anxiety, and the answer to that is both yes and no. Everybody has times when they feel shy, but you shouldn’t let those times of shyness stop you from doing the things that you love to do. The difference between being shy and having social anxiety is social anxiety has physical symptoms that go along with the shyness.

Shyness can turn into social anxiety if being around a lot of people becomes difficult for you to handle and you start to isolate yourself from your friends and family. Having Social Anxiety Disorder is actually quite common so you can take comfort in knowing that you are not alone. It also means that there are places out there where you can find help. There is no social anxiety cure, but treating social anxiety has come a long way. You just need to keep strong and know that overcoming social anxiety is possible.

Normally people experience social anxiety when they are about to go into a social situation or sometimes even if they are simply thinking about needing to go into a social situation. Many find that they have physical symptoms as well as they start thinking negatively about themselves.

Some physical social anxiety disorder symptoms include:

•    Increased heart rate and/or heart palpitations
•    Trembling of your body
•    Sweating
•    Your muscles tensing up or twitching
•    Your throat and mouth going dry
•    Blushing
•    Feeling dizzy or faint
•    Having a sinking feeling or butterflies in your stomach
•    A great feeling of wanting to escape to another location

When you have Social Anxiety Disorder a lot of times your thoughts, feelings and actions might change. Here are some things that you might notice:

•    Feeling like a failure and overly self-conscious
•    Feeling of wanting to be alone, separated from the people you love
•    Sometimes you abuse illegal drugs or try to mask the feelings and thoughts by drinking

The times when you are more likely to experience changes in thoughts and feelings are:

•    When you meet someone new
•    Being teased or taunted in public
•    Having the spotlight be on you (center of attention)
•    People watching over you while doing tasks
•    Meeting or talking to people that have power
•    The majority of social endeavors
•    Making small talk within a group
•    Speaking in front of others
•    Eating or drinking with other people around
•    Interacting with the opposite sex
•    Communicating over the telephone

Copyright Patricia Adams

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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment

If you think that you are going to, one day, just snap out of PTSD, think again. It actually takes professional help, time and effort to overcome this. Don’t feel as though all hope is lost, because it is treatable. It normally takes about 10-16 weeks of treatment before you feel better, but you will eventually feel better, which is what is most important.

Dealing With PTSD

The sooner your seek treatment, the better off you will be. If you let PTSD go untreated it will eventually become a chronic mental health disorder that can be disabling, so the earlier you get the treatment for PTSD, the better your chances are of not having it become ingrained and being persistent.

The first step in getting better is to see your regular doctor. They will talk to you and access your symptoms to determine if you truly do have PTSD. Your doctor will also be able to help you manage some of the symptoms you are having.

If the doctor determines that you indeed do have PTSD they will most likely recommend you to a mental health professional. These doctors would include psychologists, counselors or psychiatrists.

There are many different treatments for PTSD that you can try. One thing that is recommended is talking about the event. This helps people confront what happened to them. The best person to talk to about the event would be a psychologist, counselor or psychiatrists because they have a better understanding and more sources to help you work through things.

When you see your health care professional they will help you with dealing with PTSD. They will find a way to help you ease the distress of the memories that you have. Some things they might have you try are relaxation techniques, controlling your breathing and other things that are commonly used when treating PTSD.

Some things that might also help you are:
1.    Exercising and eating right
2.    Returning to your old routine. This will help give you some structure back in your life.
3.    Don’t over do it with drinking or other drugs. The feelings you get from that stuff won’t last.

Another thing that your doctor might suggest is putting you on some medication. They will discuss the various drugs that can be used and the benefits and disadvantages of each one with you. The most common that are used to help with PTSD are antidepressants. Some will use them only for a short time while others might need them for years. It really depends on the person and the situation.

Copyright Patricia Adams

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Help for Panic Attacks

A panic attack is when a person gets a sudden feeling of anxiety or fear. The panic attack often happens when a person gets the feeling that there is danger approaching even though there is no real danger.

Learn To Keep Your Cool

When you have a panic attack your body will act as though you are in serious danger and either prepare you to stand and fight or turn and run away. This is a method used our bodies to help protect us, it is better known as “fight or flight”.

A panic attack comes on quite suddenly and without warning. They can  last anywhere from a few minutes to a half hour in length. After a panic attack the body will sometimes feel tired or worn out and it might take some time before you start to feel better even though the attack is over.

Panic attacks are not uncommon, in fact one in five people will experience at least one at some point in their lives.

Many people fear that once they experience a panic attack for the first time that it will happen to them again. As a result of this worry they often try to avoid doing activities or being put into situations where they think an attack might be triggered such as being alone to much or even going to crowded places like shopping centers to often.

There are many different symptoms of a panic attack, and they vary from person to person. Some of these symptoms include:

Sweating a lot
Feeling as though you can’t get enough air
Your heart pounding faster then normal
Having chest pains
Feeling of unsteadiness or weak kneed
Feeling like you are choking
Your mouth going dry
Having either hot flashes or cold flashes or both
Tingling in your body
Feeling like you are going to faint
Trembling or shaking of your body
Feeling like you are going to be sick
Feeling like you have no control over what is happening and no escape

If you get any of these symptoms for no real reason then it is important that you continue to read this so you can learn how to control panic attacks.

The actual cause of a panic attack is still unknown, but scientists are continuously doing research to find out. They have discovered that very stressful situations can trigger panic attacks though. They say that stress causes the chemicals in your brain to react in a way that causes the body to sense danger even though it’s not there causing a panic attack to be triggered.

Not all symptoms automatically mean that you are having an actual panic attack. Some of the same symptoms can be triggered by a different illness entirely like diabetes, asthma or something as simple as an inner ear infection, so it is very important to talk with your doctor about any unusual symptoms you might be experiencing.

There are also other disorders that people sometimes have that will also contribute to a panic attack. These disorders can be obsessive compulsive disorder, depression or even having anxiety.

There are many different treatments for panic attacks and the majority of the treatments don’t require the use of any medication for panic attacks. You will find that there are natural remedies for panic attacks that can be very effective.

Self-Talk: Letting yourself know that the feeling will pass and that the feeling of danger isn’t real. Many times this will work if you can distract yourself by thinking about a different topic entirely. Try counting either to 100 or backwards from 100, reciting your favorite poem or singing your favorite song. This will make you have to focus on something other than the panic attack you are experiencing. This is actually quite effective when trying to stop a panic attack.

Diet: There are certain foods with caffeine or other stimulants that can trigger a panic attack so beware of items like coffee, soda, and energy drinks. Other things like alcohol, drugs and even smoking can cause an attack.

Exercise: During a panic attack your hormones go into action creating adrenaline. These hormones are what keep that feeling of panic going. One way to get rid of these hormones is to increase your heart rate. A perfect and quick way to do this is to start exercising. The more you exercise you do the better chance you have of preventing panic attacks.

Relaxation: If you know any relaxation techniques these too, can be quite effective. If you find that you are having a lot of panic attacks try getting a relaxation CD and listen to it on a daily basis for a half hour or so. This will help to reduce the stress that you have in your life. You can also try things like yoga, any form of martial arts, meditation, or going for a walk.

Slow Breathing: This is something that will be helpful during an attack, but before you can use it to help control panic attacks first you need to learn the correct way to do it. Once you have learned how to slow your breathing down when you are not having an attack then you can try it when you are having one. The key is to practice slowing your breathing during times of calmness and once you have that down then it will work during a panic attack. Here are some helpful tips to slow breathing:

1.    Hold your breath and count to 10 before releasing the air.
2.    Breath in through your nose and while you are doing this count to 3. Then breath out through your mouth again counting to 3.
3.    Repeat step 1.
4.    Try doing this for 20 minutes a day. If you’d like you can even break it up into smaller times like 4 times a day for 5 minutes each time. Also, if you start to feel panicky practicing it would be a great idea.

Seek Help: If you find that you are experiencing a lot of attacks and they are starting to interfere with your life than perhaps it is time to talk to somebody because there is a good chance that you are actually suffering from a panic attack disorder.

Sometimes it helps to see a psychologist that specializes in anxiety disorders or seeing someone that deals with cognitive behavioral therapy. Both of these specialists can be very helpful when learning to deal with panic attacks.

Having a panic attack can be a very frightening experience, but if you can learn to deal with them than you can actually learn how to control panic attacks. The most important thing is that you first and foremost take care of yourself and seek help from others if needed.

Copyright Patricia Adams

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