Panic attacks are terrifying. Millions of people suffer from this anxiety disorder without knowing they are already experiencing the first signs of an attack. A panic disorder is a condition in which a person experiencing an attack feels a surge of overwhelming fear. The feeling of intense fear can catapult the emotions of out of control, helplessness and despair, with which Panic Attacks are mostly grounded from.

Anxiety is our body’s way of coping with pressure and stress. However, excessive worry, stress and paranoia will lead to an anxiety disorder, or commonly referred to as panic attacks. This is characterized by racing heartbeat, sweating, shaking, chest pains, choking sensations, and a sense of dread and panic.

It is important to understand that panic attacks happen suddenly, without warning and with no clear reasons. Most people who have experienced a panic attack develop a fear of further attacks. With this kind of fear, the fear to socialize or venture into a new environment where a panic attack is most likely to happen will develop.

These panic attacks are usually not dangerous. But they are quite terrifying for both the person experiencing it and witnessing it. This is largely due to the sense of being out of control and confusion. As these attacks come suddenly and can go on from a minute to hours, the idea of having a panic attack anytime certainly makes one feel crazy paranoid. Finding oneself in this kind of situation leaves one in a limbo, largely grappling for ways to understand the situation and looking for a way to overcome the disorder.

Understanding how panic attacks happen is the first step in overcoming our anxiety disorder. Recent studies have found out that major life transitions and stress heavy situations are driving factors for panic disorder. This is coupled with our everyday pressures, such as peer, social and self-imposed pressure. Big changes in our lives like moving cities, changing jobs, separation and divorce, recent loss of a loved one, financial loss or hallmark milestones are key factors in developing anxiety.

Anxiety disorder only happens when one cannot cope with the changes and feels lost for a real long time. When depression sets in, and is left uncared for, an anxiety disorder develops when one starts to fear of being out of control of his life.

Did you know that our children are among the most susceptible candidates to develop panic attacks? Our kids can understand and feel our problems too, thus it is a misconception that only adults can have access to world’s reality. Understanding that the real world will throw us multiple problems all at once will help us know the different ways in which we can cope with the pressures.

Since communication skills are not fully harnessed yet, our kids will have trouble conveying how they really feel. Helping them express their feelings and talking to them about real life decisions and transitions will help them come out of their nutshell and open up their emotions and opinion.

This same approach applies to adults to cope with change. A good talk with a good friend or therapist will surely help you sort out some major life issues. Merely confronting locked up issues and emotions will help reduce the chances of experiencing another attack.

Panic disorder is not some kind of ordinary personal issue that can be resolved in a matter of weekend heart to heart, but a sincere and serious conversation about life issues and fears will help curb the frequency of the attacks. Learning proper breathing and relaxation will also help you overcome panic attacks, lessen its impact and manage your fears.

Should your attacks get more serious and more frequent, it is advisable to seek professional help. Your therapist will help you sort your problems and other issues and may prescribe you with medications that can help you cope and sleep better. And you are well on your way to recovery.

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and can happen out of the blue for no apparent reason. So if you have an Anxiety Disorder such as generalized or social anxiety and panic attacks. Finding a way to lessen the effects and symptoms can be very challenging but also can be very effective.

The biggest challenge in coping with anxiety is usually finding techniques and activities that can help to keep your mind focused on reality and not on the irrational thoughts and worries that come a long with anxiety.

A hobby and/or something to do that you are passionate about can help to fill in some of the time in your day that would normally be spent worrying or letting your thoughts get the better of you. Choosing an activity is very simple. Just think of something you like to do and do it!This can sometimes be easier said than done.

If the activity you would like to take part in involves doing things that you have been avoiding because of your anxiety. Try exposing yourself to the activity a little at a time until you are comfortable enough to fully take part.

You can also try new activities that are easily done at home like, playing games, learning to play a musical instrument or anything that keeps your mind occupied. Basically what you are trying to do is to relax your mind with an enjoyable deversion.

I enjoy working with my hands so i chose to do things like wood working and playing the guitar. But you can pick anything that keeps your mind busy. Just try to set aside some time each day to devote to your activity, because consistency is the key to getting the full benefits of the hobby you choose.

Most people will have no problem coming up with something they like to do and some spare time to do it. A hobby does not have to be time consuming or costly either. If you enjoy sports or other physical activities, most of them can be done at home for little or no money. The same is true for pretty much any hobby.

Sometimes we have a certain amount of anxiety and this is normal. Anxiety is part of everyday life, although some of us have more intense bouts of anxiety and these are known as panic attacks. Anxiety attacks symptoms can be intensified and they are very frightening in the case of a panic attack. People who suffer from an attack are so filled with fear and terror that they think death is imminent.

An attack can strike suddenly at any time. A person suffering from a panic disorder will have many anxiety attacks symptoms. The main difference is that anxiety is mild but a panic attack can seem like something much more serious, like a stroke or heart attack. It will start out with an intense fear, or the thought that you might die. It can be accompanied by sweating, cold chills, hot flashes, tingling in the fingers and toes, feeling like you are about to throw up or lose control of your bowels, a racing heart and chest pain.

Although the symptoms of an attack are terrifying and sudden, rest assured that you will not die. Attacks can happen occasionally or there can be several attacks one after another several times in one day. The more often that a person experiences panic attacks the more fearful they may become of the next attack. Frequent attacks can lead to phobias and avoidance behaviors. Many people are unaware that they even have an anxiety disorder, but it is one of the most common mental health issues.

It is important to identify the symptoms and seek treatment. The sad fact is that many people go through life undiagnosed and suffer in silence. There are so many avenues of treatment these days, that there is a course of treatment that can be used in combination with medications, counseling and peer support to help anyone who suffers from attacks. Sometimes a person is mortified or embarrassed by the symptoms they displayed and do not seek help because they are embarrassed.

It is common for sufferers of anxiety disorders to fall victim to substance abuse issues. The reasons for this are self-medication to avoid facing these moments of intense anxiety. The problem is that these types of activities only lead to a person becoming more depressed which can compound anxiety issues.

Although anxiety and depression are normal emotional states, prolonged or intense periods of these emotional states can overlap and lead to more serious disorders. A person who suffers from intense anxiety attacks symptoms can be crippled emotionally and physically and will tend to avoid situations that may lead to a panic attack. Avoidance of situations can also lead to phobias, such as being afraid to fly on a plane, driving, or leaving the house. When a person’s life is affected to the point where they no longer take pleasure in everyday activities, it is time to seek treatment. With a variety of options, treatments can involve self help tools, medications, counseling and/or breathing techniques.

Understanding Panic Attacks and Anxiety Disorder Causes

Stress and anxiety are normal parts of everyday living. Both of these may cause panic attacks, which are the body’s innate reaction to danger. Present since prehistoric times, man’s brain triggers a set of reactions when faced with danger to prepare the body to either fight or flee. Called the “fight or flight” response, this reaction causes the brain to send signals to the rest of the body and ready itself for physical exertion. Some physiological responses to danger include increased heart rate, dilated pupils and faster breathing. Our bodies return to its normal state when the danger has been overcome.

Today, these chain reactions are triggered by non-life-threatening things such as exams, work and even traffic. The symptoms of panic attacks may disappear after 10 minutes, although some people may often experience more intense attacks, which can develop into anxiety disorders. There are a lot of anxiety disorder causes, some brought about by traumatic childhoods and others by drug or alcohol abuse. Although this disorder can be debilitating for most people, it can be treated and prevented, and the first step to stopping these attacks from developing into a serious disorder is to understand the underlying causes.

1. Family history and genetics. Most people who have anxiety disorders have first-line relatives who suffer from panic attacks. Various studies have proven that those with immediate family who suffer from anxiety disorders have a bigger probability of developing this disorder before they turn 20. Studies also show that women have a genetic predisposition to anxiety disorders.

2. Traumatic experiences. Although losing a job or even a divorce can trigger extreme stress and cause anxiety attacks, these are seldom anxiety disorder causes. More traumatic events such as a car crash may cause recurring attacks and make a person fearful of vehicles and driving. Abuse can also lead someone to display panic attack symptoms simply by just smelling the perfume of their abuser.

3. Chemical imbalance in the brain. Neurotransmitters in the brain send signals throughout the brain and the rest of the body. These neurotransmitters control emotions such as fear, joy, anger, depression and pain. When there is an imbalance in the neurotransmitters, such as low levels of serotonin, the brain gets mixed up and may cause you to feel fear and anger even without any danger or stressor present.

4. Certain drugs and alcohol. Drugs such as Amphetamines or Cocaine are anxiety disorder causes because they can trigger panic attack symptoms such as hyperventilation, increased heart rate and palpitations. Likewise, stimulants such as caffeine and the substances found in asthma medicine can cause symptoms similar to those of a panic attacks. Those who are withdrawing from certain drugs such as Barbiturates may also experience panic attack symptoms such as sweating, nausea and chills. It is, therefore, ill-advised for people to try to remedy the symptoms of these attacks by taking illegal drugs or by abusing alcohol.

5. Other medical conditions. Hyperthyroidism, epilepsy and asthma (particularly those who take asthma medicine regularly) can cause panic attack symptoms. Studies show that mitral valve prolapses, a heart condition characterized by the poor functioning of the valve between the upper and lower left chambers of the heart, may also cause panic attacks.

Stress, as mentioned before, happens to everyone and all of us have experienced anxiety attacks at some point in our life. Although they don’t often lead to serious disorders, recurring and intense attacks can become debilitating. One method to prevent an anxiety attack becoming debilitating is by understanding the different anxiety disorder causes. Congratulations, you have just taken the first step to managing and controlling panic attacks.

If you experience regular anxiety disorder panic attacks, you are well aware that you have a problem. There is absolutely no question in your mind that you are suffering and you wish you could find a cure for your condition.

For others, however, the disorder is difficult to understand. So for the benefit of those of you who have loved ones that suffer from from the malady, but you simply can’t comprehend what they are going through, I hope this article will help you.

Imagine for a moment that you are in a critical emergency situation. A fire is raging and the authorities just told you that you must evacuate your home immediately. You realize you must quickly gather up your kids, your pets, your important documents and then quickly assess what else of value you can save. Your brain signals your body that there is an emergency, and your body quickly responds.

Adrenaline begins to flow; you start breathing in huge amounts of air; your heart is beating quickly and your pupils are dilated. Blood courses to your legs and arms as you run from here to there quickly doing all the necessary things, knowing you have just minutes, or even seconds, left to do them.

For those who experience anxiety disorder panic attacks, the situation is very similar. Even though there may not be an actual emergency, there are certain people, places, things or situations that will trigger their minds to convince them they are in danger.

As an example, one sufferer said that his worst anxiety disorder panic attacks happened in the car — always in the morning, and always on the way to work. This individual explained that he pictured dying slowly and painfully in a violent accident. In reality, of course, this was not likely — but his imagination convinced him he was in real danger.

Now, when this man’s brain sent an emergency signal to his body, his body was put on alert - just as surely as if he were in a home that was about to be destroyed in a fire.

Suddenly we had a driver going down the highway who was gasping for air, had a racing heart, was pumping adrenaline, had dilated pupils and sweaty palms — the whole nine yards.

His physical reaction was real and appropriate, but it began because his mind (his imagination) forced him to believe a lie.

Needless to say, this can become very problematic.

Those with anxiety disorder panic attacks are best helped when they are taught how to isolate the fear(s) causing the attacks and labeling them as fraud. Once this skill is mastered, the individual will learn to invite the fear into his life in order to confront it.

Once this is accomplished, the individual usually finds they no longer a victim of anxiety disorder panic attacks.

Tens of thousands of people have mastered this technique and no longer suffer the consequences of their previous attacks, and you or your loved one can join them.

Imagine being panic free!

Imagine no longer fearing certain people, places, things, or situations. Just picture having the freedom to go where you want, when you want. Think of being able to do all of the things you want to do, never being held back by the fear of another attack!

Severe anxiety disorder, people who are victims in my books should be labeled courageous, not weak and pathetic. The thing that annoys me is someone who has never had the frightening experience can be so quick to judge an anxious person in way they do. They often think you’re just weird or unusual. You need to read this article and start thinking about your self in a whole different way, do not for one moment think you’re weak. I will point out why you should hold your head high.

Majority of the time it is quite difficult for an outsider to image someone could even fear something as simple as an every day task. Panic attacks sneak up so quickly, and they usually happen in an instant without any warning, and this can happens to any most normal person. You could be a normal happy person today then tomorrow this may be a whole different ball game, panic takes over your thoughts like a house invader whilst you sleep. It starts to take your control away. It can make you fearful of the things you have always taken for granted, going to BBQ s, visiting a shopping centre, even taking a short drive in a car.

The horrible thing about this is, you quickly start to begin to loose all faith in your own capabilities, you find your self frightened in situations that are so familiar to you it is ridiculous for you to even think about being scared. Unfortunately you then tend not go out as much, this is a protection thing so you do not have to face the fear of having an attack. Very depressing.

Do you actually know that sever anxiety disorder victims do the bravest things every day?

You rise every morning and get on with your day, you get up and dust your self off after every set back,and you continue to face the fear on a regular bases. You actually deserve an award for that effort. Many severe anxiety disorder victims fail, not once, but dozens of times daily, weekly, monthly, but you still continue you battle through, this makes you a very big winner.

The good news is there is light at the end of every tunnel!

I will be completely honest here, the hardest challenge I have ever had to face was the 13 years of fear I went through, but the biggest reward for me was, after I learned how to over come sever anxiety disorder, I then gained more confidence then ever before. There has been so many great opportunities and doors have opened up every where.

So for me it has been a blessing in disguise having been a victim to severe anxiety disorder, I personally do not regret a thing, the end result is all that matters and mine has been a good, no a great one.

Worrying if you might be suffering from anxiety? Well today in this article I am going to give you a quick checklist of the most common anxiety disorder symptom so that you can make up your mind for yourself.

As you go over this list just remember everyone feels sad or anxious over their bills, job, and family once in a while. This does not mean that you are suffering from an anxiety disorder - everyone feels this way once in a while.

The most common symptoms are.

Dwelling on unhappy and dismal thoughts - The thoughts of an anxious person will be extremely negative. They will think things like, I’m going to look stupid when I make that speech, I never know what to say at parties, this plane will probably crash”. Thoughts influence the way you feel and depressed anxious thoughts will have a detrimental effect on your life.

Apprehensive and depressed behavior - If you were close friends with an anxious and depressed person you would soon notice strange behaviors caused by their emotional turmoil. This is because bad emotions on the inside affect what people do on the outside. An anxious person will avoid socializing and may talk in a trembling voice; they may pace around when worried. They may have shaking hands and sweaty palms. The more of these symptoms you have the greater your chance of having an anxiety disorder.

Social problems - If feel anxious and depressed you will probably not want to spend very much time with other people. This in fact could be the source of all your problems remember - people need people and by cutting yourself of from others you are just making your problems worse. Ask yourself if any of the following apply to you. I get nervous when I meet new people, I feel uptight in crowds, I don’t feel like being with anybody, I don’t feel like to talking to people.

The above are some of the most common anxiety disorder symptom. You may have one or a combination of them just remember if you have these symptoms it does not necessarily mean you have an anxiety disorder it could just be everyday blues and worries.

Most people with panic disorder aren’t ever quite sure why they had their first panic attack. There is a reason for this. (A panic or anxiety attack is severe anxiety. Panic disorder is the fear of having attacks, fear of the effect of the attack and a significant life change as a result of an attack or attacks. I am using very specific terms, an attack and a disorder are not the same thing.) Because a panic attack is such a terrifying and intense experience people naturally think there ought to be an equally powerful cause or reason; something that would be severe enough to evoke such a reaction. But attacks often seem to drop right out of the blue, completely unexpected. That’s why it’s hard to put your finger on a specific cause. If there was a clear cause then the attack probably wouldn’t become panic disorder. An attack might be an occasional thing when it is connected to things you are worrying about. It can become a panic disorder because it doesn’t seem to make sense and feels unpredictable. To develop panic disorder you have to start fearing having a panic attack. When people write online about panic attacks they are usually talking about panic disorder.

Sometimes the hidden cause of an anxiety attack is purely physiological. For example, a heart arrhythmia can cause a general fight-or-flight response. Different things can signal your body to go into the prepare-for-danger mode. Sometimes it might be reaction to a medication. It can be an allergic reaction to something, it could be a virus.

Sometimes there is a trauma in the past and there is some similarity with your present circumstances not obvious in the moment. The brain remembers trauma in a general or impressionistic way. It doesn’t have to be exact, just close. If you’re terrified of snakes then a stick in the weeds might be close enough.

But most of the time, it is the result of a “perfect storm” of stress. No single element is fully responsible or strong enough; rather it is the accumulation of many things. It is set off by the proverbial “straw that breaks the camel’s back”. What causes the first attack is very important but it is what you do next that actually determines whether this is a single episode or a disorder.

Any and all kinds of anxiety involve the fight-or-flight response. Every single symptom of a panic attack is the result of the fight-or-flight response. In other words, these strange symptoms are actually normal physiological reactions from your nervous system to prepare you for danger. It is how they are interpreted that makes them seem so different. If you’re zooming down the interstate and have to slam on your brakes the fight-or-flight response makes perfect sense. But, if you’re sitting in your car at a stoplight and you are not aware of anything dangerous then the fight-or-flight response seems threatening, overwhelming and bizarre. In the first situation, the fear is directed toward avoiding hitting cars in front of you. Your body’s reaction makes total sense. In the second situation, your fear is directed toward how you are feeling (terrible!) and that it makes no sense. Since there is no apparent external danger you may think you are either sick or mentally unstable (you are not). Something subtle happens right then. You become afraid of your body. The fear from this point forward, only requires your fear about yourself. You, up there in your head, is not in control of the you below in your body (actually not the case but seems this way).

This emotional ambush is the heart of what goes wrong. The fight-or-flight response, technically, is not something that you choose; it’s your body’s automatic response to danger. Although it happens in a split second, the neurological sequence is 1) react and then 2) think. Nevertheless, the danger response normally fits the situation so that it feels under your control and expected. In other words, it seems congruent with the circumstances and even if you didn’t have time to choose it you would have (unless it is a result of an obnoxious friend who jumps out from behind a door to scare you, in which case you think about going into the “fight” part of the response:-)). The beginning point for a panic disorder, on the other hand, seems extremely incongruent with the circumstances, unexpected and therefore, out of your control. It is this feeling of being out of control that provides the fuel for an ongoing problem. Once you begin to believe that your panic has control of you rather than you having control of it, then you are under its grip.

The necessary treatment for panic disorder, whether medical or psychological, is to restore your sense of control over your own body. I will describe those treatments in a companion article.

These are the classic symptoms of a panic attack:

? Your heart starts to pound.

? You begin to feel dizzy or faint.

? You experience shortness of breath.

? You feel tingling or numbness in your hands and feet.

? You start to feel pressure in your chest.

? You think you may be dying or at the least having a heart attack.

? You think you may be going crazy, but you’re NOT!

Millions of people everywhere across the globe have panic attacks every single day. You may be one of them. Or you may know someone that is battling with this nightmare, for those who are not aware of the facts, the world can be a very scary place if you suffer with this debilitating condition.

Today, I’m a very different person to the one I was two years ago. I know what it is I am battling with on a daily basis. I know I’m not the only one who struggles with it, and I know that this will be a condition I will most likely have for the rest of my life. And I’m okay with that. Because I know that I suffer from Anxiety Disorder but it wasn’t always that way, what if you dont know what’s wrong with you? The first thing should be a visit to the doctor to establish that there is a problem and the severity of it.

So once the problem has been identified what can be done about it?

There are two main forms of treatment for panic disorder - psychological therapy and medication. Depending on your individual circumstances, you may require either one of these types of treatment or a combination of the two.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is thought to be one of the most effective forms of treatment for panic disorder. CBT is a psychological form of treatment, and will involve you having weekly sessions where you talk to a therapist.

Regular therapy sessions can teach you positive ways that you can change your behaviour, and change the way you think about certain situations which should make it easier for you to deal with future anxiety attacks.

For example, they may be able to show you breathing techniques which can be used to help keep you calm during the stress of an anxiety attack, or ways to refocus your mind which should help to distract you from the situation and ease your symptoms.

Once negative thoughts and beliefs have been identified, you can begin to work on replacing them with more rational and balanced views.

“So who else suffers from it?” People who you would never suspect in a million years!

In fact, Anxiety is such a widespread disorder that virtually anyone can suffer from it.

But, because Anxiety is one of those ’sweep it under the carpet’, “embarrassment-type-I-think-I-might-be-going-crazy” disorders, people don’t like to talk about it. Or admit they are long time sufferers

If you have anxiety disorder, you may feel constantly stressed and anxious, constantly wondering when its going to happen again Learning to relax can help to relieve some of this stress and tension, and may also help you to deal more effectively with your panic attacks when they do happen, many people find that alternative therapy’s like massage and aromatherapy also useful in helping you to relax.

The other type of treatment comes in the form of antidepressant medication from your G.P this is not suitable for everyone and is usually prescribed when CBT has been unsuccessful or symptoms of anxiety particularly severe.

However frightened or isolated you may feel it is important to remember that you are not alone, the problem is far more widespread than you may think and there is always someone who will be able to help you to find ways of effectively managing your anxiety and your panic attacks.

Anxiety comes from many different aspects… Alcoholism, Depression, Grief and Stress etc. Whatever the cause your mind is invaded by worrying and frightening thoughts. In order to control these thoughts, you first need to understand why they affect your lives so much. So how do you stop the intrusive thoughts that cause Anxiety and Panic Attack.

Understanding that it is not the the intrusive thoughts that are responsible for your despair is the one of the steps in overcoming Anxiety and panic attacks. It’s the way you react to the thoughts that causes your mind and body to go into panic mode. Anyone who suffers from Anxiety and Panic Attacks know only to well how frightening that panic mode can be. I found it terrifying when I had a panic attack when I was out of the house, but found it extremely distressing when I found I wasn’t even safe at home.

My home was my safe place and when I found out the anxiety intruder could invade my home..it left me felling pretty helpless. It’s amazing how these intrusive thoughts can turn your life upside down and badly affect the wiring in your brain. I like to to compare the worrying thoughts the self esteem. Just like some people find it hard to except the positive words spoken to them, yet have no problems believing the negative things that people say to them.

It works very much the same with your thoughts, when you have negative or worrying thoughts, you tend to concentrate on them and not the positive and happy thoughts… and then so it goes… off into panic mode. The symptoms as frightening as they are can be controlled, it’s just a matter of understanding your anxiety disorder and learning some coping skills to help you over come the fear that Anxiety brings on.

Learning to control our thoughts is another step towards beating Anxiety and Panic attacks. In my case I learned that these attacks couldn’t hurt me, that was the hard part. I then learned that if I faced my thoughts and the things that made me anxious, I could take control again and not be crippled by my Anxiety Disorder. Anxiety can be overcome, sometimes in a very short time, for some people it might be a longer process but it’s one you can overcome with a little help.