From Anxiety to Comfort - A Guide to Treating Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are becoming a common cultural issue affecting more people than one might think. Seeking relief comes naturally under the influence of anxiety and often leads to developing coping mechanisms, which are not necessarily healthy. What might help your anxiety in the moment may make it worse later on hence it is important to draw a distinguishing line between techniques that help and the techniques that do the rather opposite.

Generally avoid the following:

Alcohol and cigarettes - sure they bring immediate relief with each gulp and puff, but also cause considerable damage if you rely on these aids daily and solely. Both exhibit neurotoxic and carcinogenic properties and fighting anxiety by inhibiting/pruning already malfunctioning neural connections does not induce relief, but on the contrary, produces anxiety.

Consuming excess sugars - dwelling on soft, sweet drinks as the primary source of fluids is a habit you might consider dropping. It is true that glucose is absolutely necessary for proper brain function, but only to a certain point. Beyond a saturation point you are inducing more brain fog and mood swings than clarity.

Lacking sleep - Sleep is absolutely necessary for proper body and brain function and regeneration. You might have noticed that a day after an inadequate sleeping session you find yourself experiencing elevated anxiety or depression levels, both of which you are here to avoid.

What you might consider implementing into your daily routine in order to bring relief without sacrificing, but rather preserving, long-term health:

Exercise - Aerobic exercise including jogging, swimming, cycling and many others do more good for your mental health than you would expect. Exercise results in formation of new neural connections within the brain region, inherent to memory formation and retention, known as hippocampus, so it actually induces morphological changes!

Meditate - Meditation too causes changes in brain's structure for the better - it results in thickening of the cerebral cortex, which is associated with a broad set of cognitive functions including self-control and focus.

Eat healthily - try to include, often repulsive yet healthy, vegetables and fruits in your diet and spread your meals into several small ones rather than few ample portions. A healthy diet equals a healthy brain. All the essential amino acids and vitamins, deficiencies and imbalances of which might contribute to the feelings of anxiety, are usually found in green foods.

Follow this basic guideline, or at least a part of it, and enjoy the gained benefits for yourself. If you do not feel like taking up on some of these tips then just supplement/substitute the items on the list with any additional techniques you consider are worth employing, you never know what might work the best for you.

As my guide to treating my anxiety I have used this web-page:
Treating your depersonalization -
It provides all the information about the supplementation, medication and natural techniques that will help you reduce and finally overcome your anxiety

I wish all of you the best and a quick recovery!

Paddy

Original article

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Panic Attacks

If you experience an unexplained, sudden, and intense fear and anxiety that causes your body to have intense physical symptoms, such as, rapid heartbeat, sweating, chest pain, or hyperventilation, you may be having a panic attack. If you experience regular attacks, your doctor may diagnose you with panic disorder.

The two typical panic attack treatments are medications and psychotherapy. Sometimes, the two are combined. However, medications have many potential side effects, some of them serious. For this reason, you may want to consider therapy first.

The most common, and studies suggest the most effective, therapy for panic disorder attacks is cognitive behavioral therapy (also called CBT). CBT usually lasts for 10 to 20 sessions with a cognitive behavioral therapist.

Goals of CBT

The goals of cognitive behavioral therapy for panic attacks are for you to understand the nature of your attacks, reduce your fear of attacks and their physical symptoms, and reduce your fear and avoidance of situations that in the past have triggered panic attacks.

CBT will teach you to change your reactions in situations that provoke anxiety and panic and to change how you associate panic attacks with certain situations and bodily sensations. In other words, you learn to replace thoughts that support attacks with more accurate thoughts about yourself and the situations in which you find yourself.

How CBT Works

Although your therapist will use CBT techniques specific to your condition, the basic steps of CBT are:
You learn how to identify anxious thoughts and reactions as they happen. One technique is to keep a daily journal where you record anxious and panicky thoughts and the events related to them.
You learn to understand and challenge your well-established and automatic thoughts and reactions.
You complete behavioral homework assignments from your therapist to help you change your behavior.
Through observing yourself and your reactions, you start to recognize the false assumptions underlying your anxiety and panic.
As you recognize these assumptions, you find and implement new ways to deal with your fears.

According to the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, CBT typically has a lasting effect, with low rates of relapse, without continued psychotherapy or medication. Other supportive therapies that are part of CBT include general counseling and deep breathing exercises for relaxation.

If you experience panic attacks, help is available. Talk to your healthcare provider about cognitive behavioral therapy and other panic attack treatments.

Carol Wiley is a freelance writer who writes a lot about health and wellness, among other topics. For more information about panic attack treatments, visit http://www.squidoo.com/panic-attack-treatments-for-you.

Original article

Tips for Fighting Panic Attacks May Not Have Considered Before

People, who suffer from panic attacks must remember that such a problem is nothing but a feeling. It should be allowed to have full control on mind. One may feel some signs of sweating, fast heart beat and other erratic movement of the body, for example, trembling and shaking. When a person goes through continuous fear and isolation, then these can make the attack more serious.

For the person who is suffering from attacks, it is advantageous to know that they do not have to be embarrassed of their situation or feel disgraced. Just have to know that how to be able to control it and help it in soothing.

Constructive tips for battling panic attacks;

There are a few tips may not have considered before when trying to get rid of attacks.Here, are a few tips that one should consider battling panic attack:

To avoid attacks must realize what caused them. There are many causes why people have these attacks such as, phobias, drugs, heredity and distressing events.

It is hard to remain calm particularly in a busy schedule crowded with monotony, stress and many other problems, but above all these, should try to be relaxed. Panic is called for when severe conditions occur. But trying to be relaxed daily one will gradually get use to the thought that small issues should not cause panic or mess in mind.

Avoid cigarettes and coffee and other caffeinated drinks. These common things cause much harm to one's system. So, too much of these will make exposed to panic attack. It is also suggested getting away from diet tablets, and non-sleepy medications as these can hold tonics.

Try to get more and more exercise. It also aids blazing extreme adrenaline. By constant exercise, one is able to release panic.

Panic attack without any medication is muscle relaxation. Soothing the body by targeting one muscle group at one time can reduce overall tension. The more relaxed one is the less anxious one will be.

Learning to overcome feelings of panic and fear begins with a mental state because to what one thinks can either aggravate the condition. One's panic will continue if persistently expects failure or that anything awful will occur. The power of constructive thoughts can succeed over negative thoughts.

When one feels that is on the edge of experiencing a panic attack, it is advantageous to take a bath with warm water or cold water.

Read books and solve puzzles to keep mind busy, so that one does not think about core panics. There are many puzzles and books are obtainable for people who experience anxiety problems or panic attacks.

If feels that anxiety takes over the body, it is advantageous to drink a glass of water comfortably and promptly and it is also advantageous to have a cup of tea.

Taking deep breaths can be helpful to eliminate attacks because one is able to power the hypertension. When one is competent to control the velocity of breathing, can also control the racing of heart. This will develop the feeling of being faint, trembling and any other sign of attack.

These easy tips can help to cure stress and panic attack and keep the whole lot under control, so one can recover one's life and do not influence by this depressing feeling that can harm one's way of living.

Visit http://www.anxiety-and-panic.net/ to get more information on panic attack.

Original article

Anxiety Disorder - The True Causes

For a very long time, I believed that anxiety and depression are illnesses that "just happen", something that we do not have any control over. I am thankful now for the increased awareness that there is not an external reason for what happens to us physically, rather we are the creators of our life. This knowledge gives us greater control over our lives and allows us to challenge limiting beliefs that we hold.

Increased adrenalin prepares our body for the "flight or fight" response. This causes us to experience physical symptoms. When the perceived danger disappears, the physical symptoms also disappear. Think about when you are watching a scary film, your fear (flight or fight response) returns to normal once the film has ended. If however stress continues over a long period of time, the increased adrenalin can cause complications. For some people this results in anxiety, depression, insomnia and various other conditions.

When I suffered from post natal anxiety I experienced a few panic attacks but mostly it was generalised anxiety. The physical and mental symptoms were quite extreme, including breathlessness, shaking, tingling sensations, constipation, extreme insomnia to name but a few. These symptoms were all a result of the increased adrenalin in my system.

The biggest problem with prolonged anxiety is that your body starts to believe that this increased level of adrenalin is the norm and the body resets itself to produce this amount of adrenalin. As we go about our daily lives we have the fight or flight response when doing completely "normal" activities i.e. shopping, going out, in the house. What is our response to this? We start to adapt our lives in many ways to avoid the "perceived" danger. But it is danger that does not exist, well only in our mind. We can see why many people attempt to use behavioural approaches successfully to re-train the mind.

The irrational thinking can quickly escalate out of control. The thoughts can continue to a level that is disturbing to anyone. This can very easily lead to feeling depressed, depressed at the inability to control the anxiety. With very few options available it is no surprise that many people take anti-depressant medication.

The adrenal glands also produce steroids including corticosterone. People who are depressed tend to have high levels of these steroids. Basically as was described with the adrenalin, the feedback loop is out of control and the body continues to produce these excess levels. People can get stuck because the feelings get retained in the memory. To break the feedback loop you have to stop sending the message to produce more steroids and reduce the chemical levels in the body.

It is also understood that serotonin levels (neurochemical) are low within people who are feeling depressed. Anti-depressant drugs can be used to block the re-uptake mechanism, allowing excess serotonin to flood receptors, aiming to correct the imbalance.

My own experience is that antidepressants are a short-term fix when there does not appear to be an alternative option. They do not cure, they are like a plaster and the wound still needs to be healed when you remove the plaster.

Top tips

Look to eliminate or reduce all stress in your life.
Avoid sugar in your diet, try to keep your blood sugar levels steady.
Take control of your mind rather than letting it control you!
The Law of Attraction teaches us the importance of what we think and speak about. We will attract more of this in to our lives. It is therefore very important to become aware of the way you think and speak so that you don't attract more of this in to your life. Start writing affirmations etc that will help to challenge the irrational thoughts. The quicker you can reduce your adrenalin levels you will start to feel better.
Make a list of all the things that you have adapted, avoided because of your irrational fears. The sooner that you return to everyday activities without adapting because of irrational fears the quicker life will return to normal for you.
Find activities that will help you to relax and divert your mind, watching TV does not work! Something that will help you to focus your mind will help.
Think carefully about taking antidepressants whilst they can be useful for a short-term fix, it is worth noting that no studies have been carried out as to the effect that these medications can have on other areas of our body.
Be aware that our body has a natural way of producing all the hormones that we need, we just need to know how!
Serotonin can be increased naturally through a healthy lifestyle including diet, exercise, laughter, sex and reducing stress levels.
Most of all never believe that there is an external factor causing your illness or believe that you need medication to manage your life longer-term. This will mean you live your life in fear, fear of it returning! Fear of not being able to control it again.

Kelly Menzies, Change and Personal Development Leader has been working in HR, Change Leadership and Learning and Development for ten years. She is currently working with fitness and nutrition professionals, using personal development techniques to help them attract and retain more clients and build their business. Get started today with her FREE 7 Day Training Series, "Build Your Client Base and Make More Money" http://www.life-is-now.co.uk/

Original article

Debunk These Common Anxiety Myths

A few common Anxiety Myths are:

Anxiety is a mental illness.

Anxiety attacks stem from a lack of courage.

Anxiety can only be cured with prescription medicine.

An actual panic attack or anxiety attack causes harm to your body.

Although the scientific cause of an anxiety attack or a panic attack is yet to be proven in the medical field, many doctors attribute the body's specific symptomatic reactions to a chemical imbalance, thus treatable with medicine.

This diagnosis is attached to many other illnesses for the motivation of prescribing medicine to a particular client. However, there is no medical test to diagnose an "imbalance" in the human brain. Therefore, the label "chemical imbalance" can be attached to certain patients to justify the need for medication. It is important to note that anxiety can be cured without the use of medication.

The most common triggers of anxiety or panic disorders stem from exhaustion that is either physical, mental or emotional. Internal conflict such as past issues of trauma or various categories of abuse can also trigger panic attacks.

Physical exhaustion can be the direct result of poor diet, any type of substance abuse, or hormonal changes such as menopause.

Mental exhaustion is the result of extreme worry or stress. Emotional exhaustion might be related to life's traumatic issues such as grief from the loss of a loved one or divorce from a spouse.

If any one of these exhaustions linger, the mind and body try to cope with the change by experiencing feelings of "different" and "heightened" bodily sensations. The heart beating fast, the tightness of chest, the feeling of being closed in are all sensations felt by a person having a panic attack also known as an anxiety attack.

The mind tries to decipher the different feelings in the body. Since the response the body goes through seems abnormal, it then becomes anxious or fearful in dealing with these bodily responses that are unusual.

The fear and heightened sensitive feeling becomes ever-present in the body of the person who has experienced these same symptoms previously. As a result, the lingering fear that the feeling will return stays in the thoughts of the person who has suffered from a panic attack. The mere thought of the attack returning again and the intense occasion of fear is a constant reminder of endangerment and entrapment of the person who has suffered from an anxiety attack.

The panic attack sufferer then continues this cycle of fear thus avoiding all circumstances which serve as a reminder of the fear and entrapment experienced previously. A person can then develop a fear of flying, driving, social interaction, public speaking, etc.

There is a cure for Anxiety Disorder that does not involve medication. Medication only serves to mask the feeling or cause the heightened sensations of anxiety and panic to subside.

To read more information and resources about this topic visit http://no-more-panic-attack.com

Tiffani has suffered from anxiety attacks, panic attacks and depression for many years. She successfully cured herself from these disorders without any medication or professional intervention. She now dedicates much of her time to helping others experience the same freedom from fear, panic and worry. To read more about how to cure yourself from anxiety visit http://no-more-panic-attack.com/

Original article

Suffer From Driving Anxiety

Does your heart rate increase every time you get behind the wheel of a car? Does your chest feel tight and do you experience difficulty breathing? If you experience these emotions, you suffer from driving anxiety. Many people suffer from this problem, and while some have been able to conquer their fear, there are those who have given up driving all together. It is important to understand why this happens, and why you are scared of driving. Having the knowledge and understanding is the best way to overcome the problem.

Those who suffer from driving anxiety find that it is extremely difficult to do many things. Visiting family and friends becomes difficult, and even the act of going to work everyday becomes nearly impossible. Fortunately, this does not have to be a permanent condition. Many people have managed to overcome the problem, and they do not have to suffer anymore. Once people understand what the anxiety is, and what causes it, they can find out what to do about it. They will be able to overcome it, and can start living a normal life.

Anxiety occurs due to brain conditioning and the subconscious mind. Those who experience the anxiety, do so because the brain has been conditioned to experience fear. They feel the presence of danger every time they are behind the wheel. This fear often develops and increases over time due to certain experiences, or situations that occur on the road. With time, the experiences cause the subconscious mind to develop an association between driving and the danger. Fortunately, these conditioning can be reversed. In most cases, the reversal is fairly simple and takes a short time once the concept has been grasped.

Once you have understood how the anxiety was developed, it is easy to overcome it. Everyone has something they fear, and in most cases, the fear is quite irrational. We tend to build up negative experiences, and every time you do this you create a problem. For most people, their fears do not affect their daily life and can be set aside. When the fear affects or interferes with your normal life, it has to be dealt with. Your brain and your subconscious mind have learnt to associate driving with the fearful experiences you have gone through.

It is important to remember that while there are dangerous situations while driving, the same can also be said of walking, crossing the street, and virtually everything we go through every day. It is important to see the fear for what it is. Once you are able to confront it, you can deal with it. The anxiety is brought about by blowing fear out of proportion.

Original article

PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and NLP

What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (or simply PTSD) is categorized as an anxiety disorder. PTSD develops'post-trauma' which means the individual was exposed to life-threatening and extremely frightening incidents or situations both natural and man-made. While people are experiencing trauma long before the word was coined, PTSD was only recognized as a diagnosis in 1980. NLP has gained credibility as an effective therapy for PTSD as more and more people have benefited from it. When you have PTSD, your brain still continues reacting with nervousness even when the original trauma is over. PTSD is a delayed reaction by which the symptoms may manifest themselves after months of experiencing or witnessing the traumatic event. NLP helps the patients to better understand the changes that they may experience and to interpret their experiences in a positive manner.

Is it fatal?

A person with PTSD suffers both physiologically and Psychological. This means that the brain activities and functions are being altered somehow. PTSD sufferers are likely to become delicately sensitive even to usual life experiences. Nonetheless, sufferers tend to overlook the physiological effects as they are often mistaken as physical issues like headaches or dizziness. NLP therapists are able to provide help to the patients in a manner that they learn to change their brains' physiology back to normal. Psychologically, PTSD sufferers are likely to develop self-destructive behaviors, eating disorders and psychoses. NLP therapists are skilled in diagnosing and helping with the symptoms of destructive behaviors or other disorders.

Is it age related?

Anybody who is exposed to a traumatic event may develop PTSD, and so it is not really developed with age. Nevertheless, what you have experienced earlier in your life may affect your ability to cope with traumatic events in the future. People who experienced traumatic event in childhood are more likely to develop PTSD when an equally terrifying event or incident happens again. Thus, children and adolescent who experienced or had witnessed a traumatic event are at more risk of developing PTSD when they are older.

Is it gender related?

While more men experience traumatic events in their lifetime, women are twice as likely to develop PTSD. There have been incidences where men in combat suffer from PTSD after they return. NLP therapists use can use a gender specific therapy to help men and women as the reasons for PTSD may vary between them. While women are not exposed to these types of violence, however, women are more likely to experience sexual assault like rape and or suffer from domestic violence which explains the prevalence of PTSD among them. Further, women almost always describe their experience as a perceived life threat and extreme fright. On the other hand, women are more likely to cope with PTSD than their male counterpart. Women report about the disorder as an anxiety disorder but men commonly associate the disorder with external factors like substance or alcohol abuse. NLP techniques can help in better understanding reasons for the symptoms and hence in a better treatment.

Is it transmittable?

PTSD is very subjective since it relates to a specific life experience either experienced or witnessed by a person. However, PTSD may also develop without actually experiencing or witnessing any life threatening event. When a family member is harmed, for instance, another family member may develop PTSD. There are people who suffer from PTSD after watching movies or news programs which contain visual presentations of a terrifying event. NLP therapists need to explore the underlying causes as well as vulnerabilities in order to develop an accurate NLP approach for individual patients. PTSD is effectively treated by the help of NLP. NLP training enables the victim to rethink and readjust his mental coding about the traumatic event and to view it in a less hurtful manner. NLP therapy encourages the victim to tap into his inherent strengths and to face the traumatic event in a manner that renders it harmless.

Visit our website today to learn more NLP Australia

Original article

How To Overcome Your Fears Of Anxiety And Panic Attacks

Controlling the amygdala is the main thing to mastering precisely how to halt panic and anxiety attacks naturally. These symptoms believe it or not execute a useful purpose as their purpose is to alert one of approaching threat so that one can do something to assure ones own survival. This procedure is called the fight or flight response. Panic and anxiety symptoms occur once this process becomes too easily induced due to over excitement of this response. The good word is that panic attacks and anxiousness are a behavioural patterns which one acquires over time when one is in contact with stressful stimulus.

Any kind of behaviour that is accepted may be unlearned as well. This is how to stop panic disorders naturally. Although there are natural remedies for these symptoms such as natural herbs, they simply give you short-lived reduction because the secret is to understand this behaviour, rather than manage it using drugs. Learning how to overcome one's anxiety and panic attack, necessitates finding out how to do a few easy techniques that can halt this pattern. It is easy to avert anxiety and panic attacks as soon as one feels anxious by carrying out psychological exercises which have been intended to retrain the amygdala.

The essential approaches to getting to understand how to halt panic attacks naturally is searching out how to breath the right way. When a panic attack arises ones breathing becomes quicker and shallower, It is a sign of the fight or flight response being triggered. By taking action over ones breathing by taking extended deep breaths one will be able to seize control prohibiting an anxiety attack. It is important to make deep breathing exercises a part of ones everyday process because this will help one to become a more calmer individual and less at risk from the stimulus that bring about these symptoms. The most rewarding step you can take with regards to ending panic attacks naturally would be to take vitamins or supplements each day. They are the most safest and most reliable way to help people with this condition. The best help I have found with regards to understanding how to halt anxiety symptoms easily are with vitamins and supplements. They are easy to take and you do not need a doctor's prescription. These self-help products are made for assisting one to simply triumph over any form of panic and anxiety disorder. Myself and also 1000's of other people have found these products to be effective in helping them with their anxiety and panic attacks.

If you are having panic attacks, or you are feeling down and depressed and you would like something for your condition, than just follow this link to a new you.

http://www.vitaminssupplementsnutritionalmedicines.info/

Original article

How Much Stress Has To Do With Your Attacks Of Colitis or Crohn's Disease And What They Are Saying

Does stress cause Colitis or Crohn's attacks as many suggest or is it just hearsay?

Just recently while driving into work, and listening to a popular talk show in the Detroit, MI area WJR 760, the announcer said something that immediately caught my attention. The topic of this particular morning segment happened to be Colitis. And the reason that this particular digestive disorder happened to take such a prominent place in the lineup of news issues of the day, was because the Mayor of the city of Detroit...Mayor Dave Bing had recently been hospitalized for a particularly severe attack of Colitis...so severe in fact that he had to be admitted to the hospital, and receive emergency surgery to repair a perforated intestine caused by the disease. As part of the show prep, radio announcer Paul W. Smith had selected an area physician to interview and get information to the listeners about Colitis, including, what were the symptoms, and some of the possible causes of the disease.

One of the first questions that Paul W. Smith asked the doctor, was did he think the cause for the Mayor's Colitis might be due to the high degree of stress that he had been under over the past several months in trying to solve the huge debt problem that the city of Detroit was experiencing and the threat of possible bankruptcy. Paul W. Smith commented that he had heard that stress was a very important contributor to the cause of Colitis or digestive disorders like it. The doctor responded that in his opinion stress was not in fact the probable cause, suggesting instead, that it was more likely the effects of the Mayor taking antibiotics that led to the mayors Colitis condition. The doctor said that antibiotics, when they are consumed, tend to kill the good bacteria as well as the bad that exist in our bodies, specifically the stomach and digestive tract. The good bacteria exists in our stomach for the purpose of digesting our food. Without these vital bacteria in the stomach, proper digestion is disrupted, which in turn causes the stomach disorder Colitis.

However, I have a question as to if maybe the radio announcer might have been right in suggesting that stress could have been the major cause for the Mayor's Colitis attack. Many of the people I have written to recently about this possibility, who are actually Colitis sufferers themselves tend to agree that stress really could be the major contributor.

First of all, I have no idea if the Mayor did take antibiotics prior to his attack of Colitis or not, or whether it was the primary contributor to his condition. However, when I put the question of stress and its impact on their condition to other people who also suffer from either Colitis or the similar digestive disease, Crohn's disease, they agreed unanimously that stress was the most significant and long standing contributor to their relapses of Colitis/Crohn's than anything else they could think of. I have suffered with Crohns disease myself for many years (a digestive disorder related to Colitis) and I can definitely say that my flare-ups many times have coincided with heightened stress periods in my life, like during work, job loss, divorce, school or the loss of a close relative.

One gentleman from Minnesota responded to me in an e-mail with this statement: "There has been a lot of research done on stress and how it affects your body. It's not good. My own experience is even though the onset of the disease was antibiotic driven, every flare up since then (20 years ago) can be linked directly to a very stressful period in my life. Even while on maintenance meds, if a lengthy stressful period is occurring, I can almost count on a flare up. This one was brought on during a work project that had me traveling a LOT and things were not going well and 3 weeks into being gone from home, I had to return to go see the doc."

A person from the United Kingdom wrote: "I have never had any issues with my gut, and the first time I noticed any symptoms was just after my husband had an invasive cardiac procedure a year ago."

Another contributor wrote that while he didn't think stress was the cause of his Colitis he was diagnosed with, he definitely believes that it does make his symptoms worse.

One woman wrote that many of her past flare-ups were stress related, usually when she was experiencing a lot of stress either at work or at home. Her doctors however told her that stress was not the cause. Another person wrote "Anytime I am super stressed I get a belly ache. So I do believe that stress plays a big role in developing disease."

So the end result is this... for many Colitis/Crohn's disease suffers, stress really is an important contributor to flare-ups and steps need to be taken to reduce it in their lives in order to experience any relief from their digestive disorder.

Jim Gonsler is a health and wellness consultant whose mission is to help Crohn's Disease sufferers, like himself, overcome the restrictive effects of the disease and truly regain the quality of life that becomes compromised with this and other autoimmune diseases. For more information, check his website at http://www.getyourlifebacknaturally.com/ and get his Free Report.

Original article

Social Anxiety Disorder Quiz

Using a Social Anxiety Disorder quiz or test can help you discover whether or not you need to seek further advice on your anxiety condition. Social Anxiety, also known as Social Phobia, is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States today. Around 20 million of the American population has it at any one time. The statistics do not include those who have not reported their condition to mental health experts. If you feel you may be suffering from this type of anxiety, taking a social anxiety disorder quiz will help you make your own assessment. Asking yourself the following questions will help you verify if you are a potential sufferer:

1. Do you have an extreme fear of being in a social situation?

2. Do you always fear that people are judging you in whatever you are doing?

3. Do you prefer to be alone rather than going out with a group?

4. Do you need to drink alcoholic beverages before engaging in public speaking or performance?

5. Do you hate attending parties and other social gatherings?

If your answer is yes to the majority of the questions in the above social anxiety disorder quiz, then you are probably at risk for having social anxiety. Take note that doing a self-assessment is not a conclusive method of diagnosing the disorder. You would still need to consult the opinion of a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental healthcare professional for a definitive answer. Your Doctor would probably do another social anxiety disorder quiz, test or assessment before they can verify whether you have the disorder or not.

If your doctor does indeed diagnose you as having social anxiety disorder, they will recommend that you start some sort of treatment right away. Mental health disorders are highly treatable when they are still mild, because they have not yet caused any significant disturbances in your way of thinking. In this early period of the disorder, counseling is an effective form of treatment. Through counseling, your thoughts about your social anxiety are addressed and then challenged. In this manner, you will be able to construct positive thinking about this condition that will help you recover faster.

In cases where counseling has not proven to be effective, the Doctor may prescribe medications. Anti-anxiety and antidepressant drugs are given to relieve the symptoms of the disorder. The doctor can also give medications that will control the physical manifestations of anxiety. It is important to continuously monitor for side effects of medications, especially the psychotic drugs. Psychotic drugs can induce irreversible side effects when taken in high doses.

If you are presently undergoing therapy, it is important for you to cooperate with the Doctor to facilitate fast recovery. The treatment can be very frustrating and difficult to cope with, especially during its initial phase, because you are subjected to a lot of changes and interaction with different people. It is also important to be compliant with your medication schedule. When you miss or do not take the prescribed dosage, your treatment can be rendered ineffective and this can set you back in your recovery. Improper treatment will eventually lead you to Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD, which is very difficult, but not impossible, to manage.

If your social anxiety disorder quiz suggests that you have social anxiety disorder, do not hesitate in going to the Doctor for assistance. Your information is kept confidential, so there is no need to worry about other people knowing of your condition.

George Hunter is a writer and blogger about Social Anxiety Disorder and other anxiety related topics. He has created a website resource to help fellow sufferers find a solution to their condition. Why not try out one of the most common Social Anxiety Disorder Tests right now. It only takes a few minutes to run through it.
Also, have a look at http://www.socialanxietydisorderguide.com/ to find out what you can do about Social Anxiety (Social Phobia) and other Anxiety and Panic disorders.

Original article

Overcoming Test Anxiety To Pass Any Test

I have written other articles talking about abuse issues and how verbal abuse can be so harmful to self-confidence and self-esteem. In this article I will talk about how this impacts children and even adults with test anxiety. When we think of having test anxiety we normally think of kids. Not true many careers institute tests for promotions. Police Officers and Fireman for example have to pass a test to be able to advance in their careers. Law students must pass the BAR to be able to practice law. My point is that test anxiety needs to be addressed as children. The Institute of Heart Math and Claremont Graduate University states that students high levels of anxiety may jeopardize validity, thereby compromising testing results. What does this mean. 61% of all students report being affected by test anxiety. 26% of students reported frequent high levels of test anxiety. Twice as many females experienced high levels of test anxiety as compared to males.Students with high levels of test anxiety scored on the average, 15 points lower on standardized tests in both Mathematics and English-Language Arts than students with low test anxiety.

Why does this happen? As I have talked about in my previous articles, the mind can be your friend or your enemy. This means it responds out of programming from the input it hears. If the student hears negative be it from teachers, students, parents or even from outside stimuli. The confidence is effected. These are called blocks in the hypnosis world. Have you ever studied all night, went to take a test and totally forgot everything you know you remembered before taking the test? What happened? Blocks. The subconscious has retained the information it just will not allow you to retrieve it. Hands start to sweat, heart raises, sound familiar. Ever been there?

What do you do about that. As hypnotist we work with the subconscious. The first step is to get rid of the blocks. The next step is to give the subconscious a trigger that will be allow the subconscious to retrieve the stored information. When self-confidence is restored, relaxation is replaced. With relaxation, the subconscious will allow the stored information to come forward. Sounds easy? It really is to a trained professional. The rewards are life long.

I would like to talk a little bit about what I call the writing on your walls. This is your belief system. If we believe we cannot do something where does that come from. We are born with only 2 fears the fear of falling and the fear of a loud noise, the rest of the fears are learned. They are instilled in us by what other people have written on our walls. If your Grandma instills her belief that you must always be an over achiever, that very well by be your belief. Lets explore how that may impact you in regards to test anxiety. Let me be clear some anxiety is good. It keeps up motivated, but when it becomes emotionally stifling, that is a condition that can stay with you your entire life. Hence test anxiety occurs. In the instance of the Grandmas writing on your wall being an over achiever you may be very hard on yourself and expect perfection from your efforts. The result? Nervousness and anxiety about failing not only the test, but yourself and others you think may be disappointed in you. When I work with a Client the first thing I talk about is relaxation. This is the key. Some of the methods that work are meditation, yoga and self-hypnosis. How does self-hypnosis benefit someone with test anxiety? Simply this it not only teaches relaxation but also helps to train the mind to think differently. More positive, productive and respond to retention of what has been read and studied but also being able to retrieve what has been learned. With this method a trigger object is used. For example a pencil could be used as a trigger object that will stimulate the retrieval process during a test. Relaxation is important. With self-hypnosis someone can learn to use his or her mind to automatically relax.

With this article you will learn techniques to use to over-come test anxiety. If you suffer from test anxiety you can learn the signs the solutions to solving this problem and the possible causes of test anxiety.

Original article

Helpful Tips for Dealing With Blackouts and Disorientation From Anxiety Attacks

If you have anxiety or panic attacks, a good way to deal with them is learning to refocus. If you have an attack and stop what you are doing, it will not help. If you have an attack and keep doing what you were when the attack happens, it will not seem as severe. Having hobbies or other activities will help with this. When you have something else to do when an attack comes on, it will take the focus off the attack and make dealing with it easier.

If you are on the job and have an anxiety or panic attack, continue with your duties and the attack will be gone without much notice of it. If you don't have hobbies, finding one is also a good way to deal with the attacks. If you like knitting or crocheting, finding websites with instructions for knitting or crocheting and patterns for projects is a good way to divert your attention from an attack. Also, taking online courses through distance learning or other sources is a good way. Getting into the lessons or projects will help you be able to refocus and move from an attack. You will have to train your mind to do this. It is possible to do it. If you like to read books from the library or have an e-reader, this is also a good way to take your mind of the anxiety attacks.

If you are getting counseling from a psychologist or counselor, they will be able to suggest ways to deal with an anxiety or panic attack. Sometimes medication is suggested for patients who have anxiety or panic attacks. The medication is usually an anti-depressant and it will help you with an enzyme condition of some kind that may be causing the attacks. Your counselor will help you with this. Even talk therapy is a good way to deal with the attacks. If you choose not to take medication for the attacks, the counselor will focus on talking about the things that are making you have them. You will have to concentrate on handling the issues that may cause them. The counselor will help you with how to do this. They may suggest writing down things that are causing the attacks and help you learn what to do to refocus. You might have to do the thing that is causing an attack in an effort to learn how to do this.

Original article

Tested Tips for Alleviating Anxiety

Anxiety, just like any other emotion, is an abstract phenomena and therefore can be experienced in myriad ways. Psychological symptoms including shortness of breath, shifts in perception, impulsiveness, and inability to focus are only a few possible manifestations. Unfortunately, anxiety extends beyond our psyche and frequently victimizes our physical self too, making us lethargic, inflicting digestive discomforts and even muscle weakness or pain. This is a lot to handle, and I know this from experience, but luckily for us, there are also a lot of techniques that will mitigate, or even eliminate, anxiety:

Exercise - Aerobic exercise is a versatile weapon effective in soothing a diversity of mental disorders. Try to invest 15-20 minutes three to four times a week and judge for yourself. The results are not only anecdotal, exercise has shown to facilitate the formation of new neural connections within a brain region, called hippocampus, essential to memory and commonly attacked by depression.

Face your fears - Deliberately indulging in anxiety generating or apprehensive situations, such as being in large crowds of people, will desensitize your anxious response and eventually the feared situation will provoke little to no anxiety. This will be difficult at first, but if you manage to hold on you will soon recognize the inadequacy of your worries.

Meditate - Meditation will enable your mind to relax and supply you with lucidity necessary for rationalizing and analyzing the very sources of your anxiety, making its deciphering and solving an easy task. On top of that, meditation too, as exercise, causes morphological changes in the brain (thickening of cerebral cortex) that will directly benefit your problematic symptoms.

Drink water - Brain needs glucose to function properly, but all in moderation. Too much of sugar in your diet can promote unwanted mood swings and brain fog, none of which take away from your anxiety. Try to drink water instead of soft drinks as a subtle compromise and feel the benefits.

Patience - Although the above-mentioned techniques will bring you initial relief, their true, full potential can be felt with continuous use. Therefore try to be patient and experiment with any method you choose for a while to see whether it suits you. I know that being patient goes against the rules of anxiety, but try it nonetheless as it is an useful trait.

If you are eager to explore and experiment with techniques outside the scope of this text then go straight ahead, you never know what might work best for you. If that is the case I have included a link to an extended list in the resource section to satisfy your curiosity.

Here is the promised link to an extended list of techniques that will rid you of your anxiety: Anxiolytics - I wish all of you the best and a quick recovery!

Paddy

Original article

What Happens When You Have A Panic Attack: Who Has Them And When Do They Start?

In terms of differences amongst the sexes, some medical trials appear to indicate that it is as usual for men to face them as women,but other reports suggest that more women than men have them. Many issues come into the fore as to when, why and to whom they happen. It is a complex picture, but in general, it has been suggested that people who fear tend to demonstrate a high degree of behaviour: always doing what they are told and what is expected of them. There is only one answer; there are many more to think about. Many people's first seizure tends to follow the same pattern. One will be doing something quite like reading, driving, watching television, and before they know what is happening, they realize that they are in the centre of their first panic attack. Some people have their initial attack while they are asleep and find themselves suddenly frightened into waking but, not because of a dreadful dream.

Instead, they will have been sleeping soundly when suddenly it strikes; this must be terribly upsetting. Most people have their first panic attack automatically, apparently with no prior indication; but some do have them during a particularly tense time,such as when they are giving a speech to a lot people, taking an exam, or attending a noteworthy event in which they have to take a leading part. No matter where or when they begin, there is a vast deal of similarity in the symptoms people experience. Whatever you learned in yours, you can be confident that others will also have felt the same.

There are a number of symptoms which you have experienced not only during your first,but during subsequent attacks. See if you have gone through any of these following scenarios. Your body freezes like a statue. Your pulse would race extremely quickly. Your sense of reason and intelligence would become totally disoriented and confused. A ringing in your ears would happen, and your body temperature would drop. It can occur suddenly you begin to feel faint, hot and sweaty. Your heart begins to beat quickly, and you can not act or speak, and you just want to lay down. A strange feeling comes across your mind that you are going to have a heart seizure. You can also experience dryness of mouth, tingling sensation down your left arm, constant pain above the chest and cold sweats. You will experience shortness of breath, needing to bring in more air, sheer panic and uncontrollable shaking. Although frightening, none of these thoughts and emotions ever comes to anything. There is no proof that anyone has ever passed away from a panic attack, and no one has ever gone mental. Neither has anyone totally lost control of themselves. There is no evidence of anything untoward ever happening to anyone during a panic seizure, no matter how scared they have felt. So be reassured that although what you think is extremely unpleasant, you will come to no harm. It is essential that you realize this.

If you are having panic attacks, or you are feeling down and depressed and you would like something for your condition, than just follow this link to a new you.

http://www.vitaminssupplementsnutritionalmedicines.info/

Original article

More on Driving Anxiety - Scared While Driving

For many drivers, once they get behind the wheel, they are totally calm and the act of driving is so natural, it becomes second nature. There are, however, those who get anxious about driving and every time they are behind the wheel, they experience different levels of anxiety. There are many ways to define anxiety and panic attacks. Most people define them as feelings of tension, fear or dread, in the absence of a direct threat or any clear justification. Those who get driving anxiety can not explain why they feel the way the do.

Psychologists describe anxiety as irrational fear. While it is common for most people to feel nervous or stressed when driving in heavy traffic, this is not the same as having anxiety. In some driving situations, some degree of fear or anxiety may even be justified. With driving anxiety, the physical and emotional symptoms are severe and go beyond nervousness. Those who experience the fear get physical as well as an emotional reaction, and the tension is often very high. This condition has left a number of people too scared to drive.

A number of people who get the driving anxiety often find that getting off the road and stopping, will often help to calm them down. The minute they feel an attack coming on, they can pull over and calm down which often takes a few minutes. Once they are off the road, the obsessive thinking that comes with the anxiety attacks is diminished. It is, however, important to get back on the road after the attack has passed. Like with most fears, the best way to deal with it is by not giving in to the fear. The more you build up a negative experience, the worse it becomes.

Most people who have given up driving all together, are those who chose to give in to the fear. What started off as anxiety has been magnified to larger proportions and they are too scared to drive? In order to deal with the panic attacks, it is important to reduce the level by giving yourself permission to fail, without remaining in that position for too long. You should never feel guilty about the need to pull over until you are relaxed. As long as you do not attach much significance to the act, then you will find that you will need to do it less.

Those who fail to conquer the fear are people who do not allow themselves to deal with it. They feel that they have to get it right every time, and the pressure they put on themselves causes them to fail. You must give yourself permission to deal with the anxiety by pulling over until the panic subsides.

Original article

Amazing How Fish Oil Can Help Those Who Suffer From Anxiety and Other Psychiatric Problems

We know that fish oil supplements can help individuals with various problems, including heart disease, diabetes, psychotic, Parkinson's disease and many others, now; however, research studies now reveal that fish oil my help with chronic anxiety too. Medical students in random controlled tests who received omega-3 supplements for 90 days demonstrated a 20% decrease in anxiety scores. This is quite amazing since we all know how stressed medical students are during their struggle to graduate medical school. The 20% is a considerable and surprising outcome of these random trials.

Omega-3 is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and if we consider that the medical students in the study listed above are younger people, the outcome for older individuals suffering from anxiety, if they too take omega-3 supplements, could have even greater benefits not only for anxiety, but for other conditions as well.

Inflammation is one of the major problems we face within our bodies today. It is the root of so many conditions we deal with on a regular basis. Chronic inflammation is seen in such health problems as cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke, diabetes, and a myriad of other problems as well. Depression is thought to have roots in chronic inflammation and studies show that eating more fish or ingesting omega-3 or fish oil supplements can have a positive effect on people suffering from depression and help prevent many inflammatory problems.

In other research studies the outcome is that the fatty acids contained in fish oil may help mood disorders and assist with symptoms of clinical depression. Apparently the increase in production of "proinflammatory cytokines" goes along with both anxiety and depression. Omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish and in natural fish oil supplements can combat those cytokines and fight inflammation at the same time and, thus, help with anxiety and depression.

More research is underway to determine exactly what benefits are achieved by ingesting omega-3 either by diet or by dietary supplement, but to date generalized anxiety has been shown to respond to omega-3 therapy positively.

That is not to say that everyone should immediately run out and buy fish oil supplements. However, if you suffer from the symptoms of anxiety and/or depression, it might be a good idea to consult with your primary health care provider. You can determine whether using natural fish oil supplements can be a positive addition to your daily regime, can alleviate your symptoms. and assist in your health care goals.

Virginia takes a keen interest in all maters relating to health and fitness. She also does research in the areas of natural dietary supplements. I am sure you are concerned about your health; therefore; it is suggested that you visit Healthy Supplement to obtain additional information on the best natural fish oil supplement on the market to support a variety of health issues.

http://stayhealthyinfo.com/

Original article

Child Anxiety Treatment Is Sure to Become Easy

Suppose your minds unite, there are heavens to be explored. The converse also holds true; when minds are divided against each other there is a kind of fear which grips and doesn't let go of the person's subconscious. The period of activation of this kind of behavior varies from person to person. Here and there we may encounter some person who also exhibits rapid mood swings which exacerbates the condition of anxiousness. To know the ways to cure it, one must understand the child anxiety treatment is sure to become easy. In the first place eliminating the surrounding distress signals becomes the problem. The cognitive-behavioral understanding is necessary. It may not be manifested as a separate facet in itself; one may not show the changes to irrational behavior as something which is tangible but rather be making rationality to become the part which is irrational. This is easily recognizable in speech therapies and interactive sessions, where the recognition stops short of normal things and processes. Helping the child to recognize the way one goes about reacting to the two different things will help it to come to some conclusion regarding how to see the problem in perspective.

Acceptance Commitment Therapy is a child anxiety treatment found to be useful in relieving stress situations. The way the spontaneity is brought out to make the persons realize themselves and their actions is very helpful in bringing about the cure. Therapy Dialectical Behavioral (DBT) is used for persons who are capable of minding the behavioral aspects and could take control of situations. The responsibilities should be gradually increased without any accent or importance being given to the results.

Anxiety is now being understood as a state of mind where the physicality is at once in disharmony with the actions or the feelings of the person. Once the person is reconciled with the feelings and the physicality is removed then the person will start to overcome their anxiousness all by themselves. If they have trouble doing it on their own, they need to attend some social interactive sessions which will show them how the problem that they face is not unique. Then they will get the confidence to confront the problem on their own.

In the first case the separation of the real life and the imaginary life itself is a problem for some. This may be brought on by the action of drugs used to cure some other medical condition or it may be some inherited form of disability. In rare cases, the condition could be brought about through shock or accident in which the person will suffer a severe disturbance and often finds it difficult to recover from it. Most adults are able to deal with the situation on their own. The kid however is yet to understand the realities in the broader perspective and therefore the problem becomes severe.

If the child is treated in time, the shocks will go away and the person will start to behave normally to the social circumstances. Medication such as SSRIs and antidepressants are used commonly to treat these conditions.

Original article

The Anxious Person's Guide Managing Panic Attacks

Are you a ball of anxiety all the time? Do you go through life avoiding certain situations because you just can't take the red face, the racing heartbeat and the trembling, sweaty hands? Well you don't have to live that way any longer. By using a few simple techniques, you can get through life just like everyone else. Some people try to cure their anxiety by taking certain pharmaceutical drugs. But that's not curing the situation at all. It's only treating the symptoms of something much deeper that's going on. Thankfully, these tips are going to help you not only get rid of the anxiety and the symptoms associated with it, but you'll also get to the root of the problem which will erase these feelings from your life forever.

Write Everything Down

If you are a man and the thought of keeping a diary seems 'girly' to you, call it a journal. And if you are a woman and you haven't kept a diary since you were younger, then there's no better time to pick it back up. When you write down your thoughts and emotions, you are forced to deal with them in an in-your-face manner. When you record everything that happens to you during the day, and also the things that bring on your feelings of anxiety, you can often start to see things as not as serious as you once thought they were. This can really help you rid yourself of these anxious tendencies and focus on what really matters in life.

Talk to People

Oftentimes, anxious people are so afraid to tell people things because we're embarrassed about what they may think. This is nonsense. If people think that way about us, then we don't need them around. Instead, talk to your friends and loved ones about what you're feeling. Tell them about your anxiety and your possible panic attacks, and ask them for advice. Sometimes, hearing things from another person's perspective can really help us determine exactly what's bothering us. So open up to others. You never know what you may learn about yourself.

Meditate

When you meditate, you completely drown out the world and you lose your ego. This exposes your subconscious mind allowing you to program it with more positive thoughts. Therefore, whenever you are meditating, bring your mind to places that you'd love to be. Places like the beach, or going out with friends, or spending time with your family at a theme park, etc. When you think of these happy thoughts whenever you are meditating, you will actually calm yourself down, even when you aren't meditating. That means the more you practice this, the less anxiety will affect you.

If you practice these tips every chance you get, eventually you won't be bothered by anxiety or panic attacks, no matter how severe you now have it. You don't need prescription drugs and you likely don't need a therapist. You only need some know how, some patience, and a willingness to try new things until you find exactly the thing that works. Some day you'll be able to get through life without feeling anxious. But until that time comes, you'll have to work for it using the tips we just discussed as well as any others you may come up with.

There is a technique out there that will work specifically for you. You only have to find it. So start with these, and if these don't do it, move onto something else until you are once more calmer, more at peace with yourself, and anxiety free.

Don't let anxiety take control of your life. Click Here, to read about how I finally found the answer to beating Anxiety attacks once and for all.

Original article

EFT for The Hunger Games

Recently my husband and I went to see The Hunger Games. Being one of the few people on Earth who hadn't read the books, I was unprepared for the dark tone of the story, only enhanced by the incredibly detailed and realistic special effects. After finding my fingernails buried deep in my husband's arm (just kidding... they weren't buried thatdeeply) I found a way to make it easier for me to be in the theater.

First, I rubbed my fingertips into the karate chop point on the side of my hand. As I was kneading the karate chop point I said to myself, Even though this seems like real life, I know that it is a movie, and I love and accept myself. Even though this movie seems almost as real as life, it is only a movie, and I accept myself. Even though my adrenaline is pumping really hard, this is only a movie, and I accept myself.

Anytime during the movie I started feel so anxious that I thought I might explode, I remembered to rub the karate chop point and remind myself that it was only a movie, and it was OK that I was feeling scared.

So, you can use this for any movie (or anything else, from sitting in the dentist's chair to taking an exam) in which you are feeling scared. Tap or rub the karate chop point on the side of your hand, and say:

Even though I'm feeling (scared, anxious, terrified (or whatever you are feeling) I'm OK.

Repeat the rubbing and owning your feelings three times or so or for around 30 seconds.

You can repeat it anytime you need to.

After the movie, if you are still feeling agitated, you can do more tapping.

Start off by assessing the intensity of your emotions, with 10 being the highest, and 0 the lowest. You would start with the same (or similar) set-up phrase:

Even though I'm feeling (scared, anxious, terrified - or whatever you are feeling - I'm OK.Repeat the rubbing and owning your feelings three times or so or for around 30 seconds.

Next, narrate what is bothering you while tapping on your body points.

I usually start inside the eyebrow and say what I'm feeling. It could be something like:

I get really excited at a suspenseful movie like this.The tension was so thick, it was hard to breathe.It felt so real.I didn't feel comfortable with ____________.Part of me felt like getting up and leaving...But I was caught up in the drama.It is a movie.It is not real.I enjoyed certain parts of the movie more than others.I release the parts that I don't want to carry around in my mind and body.I easily let it go.No I don't.I choose to let go of any parts of the movie that were really scary.I choose to remember the parts I liked and let the other images go.I am free.I feel relaxed.I am safe.

This a script you can adjust to suit your situation.

JoAnn SkyWatcher is a Spiritual Coach. She uses Emotional Freedom Techniques as a sword to cut away old negative programming, beliefs, stories, events, and self-talk that are getting in the way of experiencing your Essence. JoAnn has great success over the phone which can save gas and driving time. She is a great listener and empathetic healer. You can phone her at 707-462-2501 or 707-972-7683.

Original article

Panic Attacks - Why Dealing With Them Quickly Is Smart

Trying to find a way to stop panic attacks from happening can be a daunting task especially if you have already tried everything out there to prevent and stop it from happening. This includes medications, yogic exercises, and sleeping. Nothing seems to work and you have no hope. Well, fortunately for you there is a way to combat panic attacks and eliminate them once and for all.

Before you try any major steps toward fixing your health problems do know that you should try to understand what you are dealing with first. Sometimes recklessly fighting panic attacks can result in nasty symptoms that will harm you more than help you. Asking a doctor beforehand would be the wisest course of action to take if this applies to you.

If you are experiencing claustrophobic symptoms such as a fear of closed spaces and are panicking as a result of it then you may need to find help fast. People with this problem usually have a hard time sleeping at night or living alone. This can be a very serious condition if not treated and may cause migraines as well.

Another issue with panic attacks is that it can affect your family as well. If you have small children living in your house it can have a negative effect on their personality and emotions if their mother or father is in a state of suffering. Make sure your kids do not see you in a sensitive state and look for help if things get too bad.

Why should you wait months or even years for a good treatment plan that works just because you cannot afford it or any other excuse society comes up with nowadays. There is no reason why you should deal with these symptoms for any longer.

Getting the right treatment from a trained professional, such as a doctor, can help enormously in aiding in the recovery process of a panic attack. It usually does not matter how long the symptoms have been inflicting you as a good medication can usually cure them almost instantly.

A lot of patients like to wait it out and see if the symptoms simply disappear and go away with time. I can almost assure you this never happens. You should not hesitate to seek help as the symptoms will get worse the more years that pass by. Do yourself and your children a favor, and arrange a doctor appointment as soon as possible.

Imagine having no more need to worry about panicking all the time, whether it be at work or sleeping at night. You could enjoy life the way it was meant to be, without any need for distractions that plague you constantly. Once cured, you can finally do things without worrying about something bad happening ever again.

Ignoring treatment can sometimes hurt you both financially and socially. When you are sick your grades and reputation start to go down, and you are more likely to get fired from your job as well. Bills from the doctor are another issue to deal with too.

Hopefully by now you can see the advantages of getting a panic attack treatment as soon as possible and not waiting to the last minute.

Get Rid of Panic Attack - A great resource for eliminating the most strenuous of panic attacks whether they be severe or minor.

Original article

Anxiety Disorder - The True Causes of Anxiety

The exact cause of anxiety disorder is unknown. Some people think anxiety is a result of weakness or some kind of character flaw. This is not the case. Research shows that these disorders can be caused by changes in the brain or environmental stress. People who are in situations such as unemployment can get anxiety disorder because of the stress connect to it.

Anxiety disorders may also be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. Long-lasting stress can change the balance of the chemicals in the brain and cause anxiety disorder. People with certain types of anxiety have changes in the brain that control memory or mood. Anxiety disorders can be inherited. Sometimes several members of a family may have tendencies toward these disorders.

Millions of Americans have anxiety disorders. Many of these disorders begin in childhood, teenage years, or early adulthood. Women have them more than men. They occur with the same frequency in whites, African-Americans, and Hispanics.

These disorders are diagnosed by an evaluation by a doctor. He will ask questions about medical history and may perform a physical exam. The doctor may do tests to find out if there is a physical cause for the symptoms.

If no cause is found, you may be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist. These are mental health professionals that are trained to treat mental illness. They will use an interview and other assessment tools to evaluate people for anxiety disorder.

Diagnosis will be based on a patient's report of how intense the symptoms are. They will also look at the duration of the symptoms. This will include daily functioning with the symptoms and observation of the patient by the doctor. They will look for the behavior and determine if the symptoms and degree indicate a specific disorder.

Progress had been made in this area in the last few years in mental illness including anxiety disorders. The exact treatment approach will depend on the type of disorder, one or a combination of several therapies may be used. These include:

Medication: medicines used include anti-depressants and anxiety-reducing drugs.

Psychotherapy: This is a type of counseling which addresses the emotional response to mental illness. A trained mental health professional will help the patient by talking through strategies for understanding and dealing with their disorder.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy--People can participate in the type of therapy in which the person learns to recognize and change thought patterns and behaviors that lead to troublesome feelings.

Anxiety disorders cannot be prevented, however, there are things that can be done to control or lessen the symptoms. These include stopping or reducing the consumption of caffeine in coffee, tea, cola, or chocolate.

Ask the doctor before buying over the counter medicines or herbal remedies. Some of these may contain ingredients that can increase anxiety symptoms.

Seek counseling.

Original article

Cuing Into What Makes You Tick: Overcoming Your Anxiety

We live in an age that wires us to worry. We get way too much information from the TV, radio, and especially the internet. There are no more secrets and almost everyone has 900 "friends" keeping them busy every minute of the day. There is never enough time to do the things we want to do. We often feel rushed, overwhelmed and frustrated that it is never good enough, fast enough or satisfying enough.

We want instant gratification and become angry or anxious when it doesn't occur. We have less and less patience and are becoming more and more anxious. This doesn't just affect us as adults, but also seniors, teens, and it is now showing up in our children who are exhibiting symptoms of school and social anxiety, as well as fear of being bullied.

We know that anxiety is not life-threatening, and we do survive it, but it can take over your life. People who experience anxiety attacks describe it as one of the most unpleasant feelings one can have, without being physically ill. People often are misdiagnosed as having heart attacks when actually it is an anxiety attack. Feeling that you can't breathe, hyperventilating, sweating, shaking, feeling flushed, overwhelmed with heart palpitations are only some of the symptoms.

The best way to deal with these anxious feelings are to observe them early on and use your toolkit of techniques to decrease their power. What most people do is ignore the signs, hoping it will go away, and then it just gets stronger and stronger until you feel overwhelmed with a tidal wave of anxiety and at that point nothing will work but riding out the storm.

If you have experienced your extreme worry or anxiety as a 10 on the scale, you want to be noticing it coming on when you are a 4 or 5. If you cue into the early warning signs and you use the techniques I am recommending, it should greatly lessen the anxiety and in some instances, when used often enough, clients have reported anxiety attacks ending completely.

1. Become aware of your body's signals. For example, let's say you have to make a phone call or confront someone, and your palms start to sweat or your mouth becomes dry. This is the time to start your deep breathing exercises. Inhale slowly, through your nose, to the count of 4, hold it in slowly to the count of 4 and exhale it through your mouth to the count of 6. This exercise is VERY effective in reducing worry and anxiety, but like all tips I will give you, they only work if you use it. If you are a worrier, you should be doing the breathing exercises at least 5 times a day.

2. Another technique known to quiet worry is to ask yourself the question, "In 5 years from now, how much will this matter?"

3. It also helps to be more proactive in certain cases. If you found a mole on your skin and are worrying about it, taking action will help you to eliminate the problem. Calling your dermatologist and arranging an appointment will help you find out if everything is ok and if not the doctor will take care of it.

4. Statistics help too! When you are worried about something like skin cancer. The statistics I believe are something like 95% of skin lesions are curable if caught early. Of course, the worriers will say, what if I am in the bottom 5%. But just knowing that there is a 95% cure rate is reassuring and will lessen the anxiety.

5. Distract yourself. One of the things that most worriers tend to do is over think and over analyze. You know you won't come up with a better plan, but you can't seem to stop yourself from re-thinking it. This would be a good time to take your dog for a walk and notice the trees, the sky, the peace in nature. Other options are going to the gym, taking in a feel-good movie, Distract yourself from the nagging thoughts.

6. You know the expression, "Misery loves company". Well worriers also tend to attract other worriers. While, it may initially make you feel better that you're not the only one worrying, it can just multiply other worries. Try to find a supportive friend who will validate your concerns but help you see the positives in the situations or at least make some helpful suggestions as to how you might deal with it. That way you won't feel so alone and will feel supported, which will also help lower the anxiety.

7. Another statistic worth remembering is that they say that 95% of the things you worry about, never actually happen.

8. Become aware of your self-talk. The average person thinks 60-80,000 thoughts a day. If you are feeling anxious and worried that means that those are the thoughts you are thinking right now. While you can't be aware of each of these thoughts, you always know how you are feeling. Notice it and then ask yourself if it is true. Is this a real concern? How likely is this really to happen? Is there something I can do about it? Are these old tapes from my childhood or my parents voices? Figuring out where these worries are coming from can help you to see that it may not even be your worry. These may be old tapes you have inherited from your parents.

9. If you are a parent who worries, there is a good chance that you have a child who worries too much also. Your child learns how to deal with life, not just from the words you use, but by your behaviour and how you handle stress. If you are anxious and worried, the messages many children receive, is that the world is not a safe place. If you are a worried partner, chances are it affects your ability to feel confident, to trust and relax and have fun in your relationships. Worry isn't an issue only affecting you, it affects the tone, the joy and feelings of peace that accompanies you into your home and with your family.

10. If you have tried these and other tips and still you live your life with anxiety, worry, and a constant feeling of distress; it may be time to accept some outside help. Whether it is some anti-anxiety medication from your doctor or cognitive tools and techniques from myself or another therapist, please consider it. See this as an opportunity to take back control over your life and find the solutions to lowering the anxiety, increase your confidence and learn how to dance with life.

Rhonda Rabow, M.A.

Author's Bio Rhonda Rabow is an author and a psychotherapist living in Montreal, Quebec Canada. She has over 25 years experience counseling individuals, couples and families facing a variety of life challenges; from parenting, grief, depression, and self-esteem issues, to conflict resolution and marriage counseling. Her approach is empowerment and she accomplishes this by helping her clients find solutions to their problems and teaching them the skills and tools they need to feel back in control of their lives. She has also recently published an e-book called, "Discover the 3 secrets to living happily ever after".

http://www.helphelpmerhonda.ca/
http://www.rhondarabow.com/

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Stress Incontinence - What You Should Know

Stress incontinence is not a disease but it is a symptom of other problems. It is important that an appointment be made to visit the doctor once you notice the first symptoms of this condition. Your doctor will give you a thorough examination before prescribing treatment. There are several causes of incontinence such as vaginitis, urethritis and urinary tract infection but all these can be treated effectively with medication. There are other factors you might want to consider once you are being treated for this condition such as possible side effects from the medication you are taking. The doctor will now be able to focus on the organs directly affected.

Stress incontinence affects the muscles which support the bladder and the sphincters which control the flow of urine. These organs are often damaged or weakened by this problem. Once these muscles are stretched or torn, or if they lose their tone you are unable to control your bladder and the urge to urinate. Additionally, it can reach the point where picking up a heavy object, a laugh, or a sneeze can put considerably stress on your bladder and cause a spontaneous flow of urine.

An exercise regime is usually the treatment used for stress incontinence and Kegel exercises were developed to strengthen the group of muscles affected by this condition. When the exercises are performed consistently for the period of four to five months they can impact your health immensely and can also present a cure or lessen the symptoms.

There are other common treatments for stress incontinence. These include staying away from natural diuretics and spicy foods, losing weight and controlling your fluid intake. Obesity puts more pressure on your bladder which can cause a worsening of the condition. Visiting your doctor will be the best thing to do as the doctor will decide which treatment is best for you.

Another therapy which has been in use for several years is bulking. In bulking, some form of material is injected into the sphincter muscles to 'bulk' them up and make them less prone to abdominal pressure. The materials which are injected can be any of the following: synthetic materials, collagen, or cells taken from the patient's own body.

This particular procedure usually takes only thirty minutes and can be done on an outpatient basis. The medical professional uses a local anesthetic to inject the material directly into the muscles involved. This treatment is very effective since about twenty- five percent of the people who undertake this procedure is cured, but for others their symptoms can decrease to a half. There is a drawback to this approach, in that the materials which are injected may lose their effectiveness, requiring a repeat injection every two or three years. Although this is considered to be a successful treatment for this problem,it does not really decrease the urge to urinate spontaneously.

If you are suffering from stress incontinence it is best to take the necessary steps to either control or cure it.

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Discover A Super Powerful, Yet Simple Technique to Stop Panic Attacks Forever

Believe it or not anxiety is just like any other phobia, in fact, you could compare an anxiety disorder to having a phobia of heights. Anxiety is the fear of having panic attacks. If we were to try to overcome our fears we must change our state of mind, we have to use our fears proactively to overcoming our disorder. To overcome our fear of heights we would have to slowly introduce ourselves to the very thing that makes us uncomfortable and that is heights. We would have to first educate ourselves on height and safety, and practice what we learned. To overcome our phobia we would begin by climbing a ladder maybe you would start off with a 3 foot ladder, but then gradually you would increase it to 6 foot, 8 foot or 10 foot ladder. You also realize that experience with heights makes you more comfortable, once you know you can do it, you know, you got it and you are in control over your fear.

In literally three weeks of time I learned some very powerful lessons that helped me get back in control of my life. You can use these same lessons to help you to become free.

One of the powerful techniques I learned was to instantly stop anxiety in its tracks the very second I felt anxious. I would begin to breathe deeply and shift my "focus" away from anxiety and on to something else. I needed to focus on, relaxation instead of focusing on my anxiety symptoms. I needed to focus on being calm and relaxed. I would begin to tell myself that I was only having anxiety that it would not harm me in any way shape or form I would continue to breathe let go of my muscle tension and allow myself to get into a state of relaxation. My focus had to be directed in a completely different direction than anxiety.

My Result was a success.

Our mind is powerful and once you learn the secrets that keep you in an anxious state you can begin to reverse the effects, you can go from feeling helpless, tired and anxious to being, relaxed confident and free. Here is an example of how easy it is to shift our focus.

What the mind can conceive you can achieve.

A very young child is angry over a broken toy, he is crying and red in the face. He is pissed off. His emotions are only due to the fact that his mind is focused on the broken toy. I can instantly get him to focus on something other than his anger, by distracting him. If I tell him to go and get a piece of candy out of the pantry, his mind instantly shifts to "Candy in the pantry" which makes him very happy. Your mind can instantly shift states by directing it to a desired focal point. If you are feeling anxious you can focus on relaxation just as easy.

I am not a PHD medical Doctor. I am somebody who had anxiety, I am a real person who beat Anxiety and panic attacks. "Discover The Secret To Breaking The Cycle Of Fear With A Tool That Will Allow You To Never Fear Another Panic Attack again free anxiety report!

I also have a blog about anxiety and how to stop panic attacks please feel free to visit. http://www.tostoppanicattacks.net/articles

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What Triggers Anxiety While Driving, and What Are Some of the Solutions?

Anxiety while driving is a mental disorder affecting both males and females. This involves feelings of immense dread, anxiety and or apprehension towards driving with no justifiable reason. Experts have shown that this condition affects about one in ten people at some point in life. Anxiety while driving falls under mental disorders known as neuroses. Neuroses are phobias that affect individual´s behaviour but not their rational thinking. They may exhibit anxiety every time they sit in a car driving or not. Though it affects both men and women, women are more affected by this condition regardless of their age.

This condition may be triggered by a traumatic experience in the past that affected the motorist like a collision, car accident or any other event. This may cause a motorist to be more apprehensive, unsafe and insecure while driving. The condition may also be triggered by driving under stressful conditions like speeding vehicles on a motorway, or traffic congestion regardless of previous driving experience or accidents encountered. The signs that show a motorist experiencing an anxiety attack are dizziness, trembling or shivering, nausea, headaches, flushing and stomach upset. As these anxiety signs progress, the motorist develops driving phobia. Phobias tend to protect the body against potential dangers. This is when the mind conditions the body into believing that driving is dangerous, so the person may be apprehensive and he may experience panic attacks while on the road.

A motorist may consider consulting a medical professional like a psychiatrist or a psychologist after experiencing such symptoms; he must get a proper diagnosis and know which treatment options are available. This condition is not permanent and, with help, one can overcome it. A motorist may positively affirm him or herself by thinking positively, instead of thinking about the bad experiences in the past. He can reaffirm himself by saying that he is an excellent driver and by thus doing boost his confidence on the road. He or she may also avoid hesitation as this triggers anxiety and panic while driving. If a motorist stops without knowing which way to go, he may worsen the situation causing snarl ups, and he becomes unsure. A motorist may try to relax the body and mind, and ease tension every time he sits in the car, through meditation and he may strengthen his respiration system by trying out some breathing exercises. Another therapeutic means of trying to get back to driving is taking a few minutes a day driving from home, around the neighbourhood and back.

Medical experts suggest that an affected person should do this every ten minutes and have regular five minute breaks. This helps the motorist view driving as a relaxing experience.

Original article

How To Treat Social Anxiety

Being nervous before a presentation or a performance is normal. Almost everyone who stands up in front of people to speak admit that they are, to some extent, scared because they do not want to be embarrassed. But when it becomes excessive, to the point that it interferes with the individual's daily activities, medical attention must be considered. The condition in which a person is extremely anxious over social gatherings and meeting people is known as social anxiety or social phobia. There are different ways on how to treat social anxiety or phobia. Some treatments are more effective than others and prompt treatment is better than leaving the condition to get worse. On occasions failure to treat can result to a generalized anxiety disorder, a condition wherein the person is extremely worried about everything.

In the United States alone, more than 20 million people suffer from social phobia, making it one of the most common mental disorders in the country. One of the most effective methods on how to treat social anxiety revolve around cognitive and medication therapy. During the initial phase of the treatment, the root cause and underlying issues regarding the social phobias are examined. It is also during this time that the doctor makes an assessment of the severity of the situation. This will help him decide on how to treat social anxiety experienced by the individual.

In the cognitive-behavioral aspect of treatment, the patient will undergo a series of counseling sessions with a psychiatrist or a psychologist. The doctor can use a variety of methods to relieve the patient's social anxiety. He can perform an exposure therapy, where the patient is encouraged to face his fears in a gradual manner. It can start with imagining the fearful situation until he is able to actually immerse himself into it. Social skills training is another form of cognitive-behavioral treatment where the patient is taught on how to improve his people interaction skills so he can adapt to his condition. The patient's negative way of thinking can also be changed through cognitive restructuring. This method eliminates the patient's ideas and mental images that can trigger social anxiety. Lastly, symptom management helps the patient control the physical manifestation of an anxiety attack.

In conjunction with cognitive-behavioral therapy, the doctor can prescribe medications to aid the patient's treatment. Here are some of the medications that are commonly used by patients who have a social anxiety:

• Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors - these medications are known to relieve the depression associated with anxiety. It is important for the patient to stay away from foods that contain tyramine, such as aged cheese and wine.

• Benzodiazepines - these drugs are known for their fast-acting effect, making them useful in emergency situations. They are habit-forming though, so people who have substance abuse problems are prohibited from taking them.

• Beta-blockers - these target the signs and symptoms of anxiety such as an increase in heart rate and rise in blood pressure.

Any use of medication should always be taken under strict medical advice from a doctor.

Constant monitoring and followup is essential to ensure that the patient experiences recovery from their problem, however a combination of these forms of treatment is certainly a highly effective way in how to treat social anxiety.

George Hunter is a writer and blogger about Social Anxiety Disorder and other anxiety related topics. He has created a website resource to help fellow sufferers find a solution to their condition. Why not have a look at http://www.socialanxietydisorderguide.com/social-anxiety-disorder-treatment/ to find out what you can do about Social Anxiety and other types of Anxiety and Panic disorders.

Original article

What Is Child Anxiety And How To Deal With It?

Anxiety is a phase people go through when they have feelings of worry, fear, nervousness, discomfort and dismay. It is perfectly normal to feel this way, however, this becomes a disorder if it becomes too much and doesn't go away even if you, as a parent, tries to comfort your son or daughter.

Anxiety in children is said to be a normal phase that kids go through and experience in childhood, however, it has become a common problem, somehow, in today's generation of children. Child anxiety may occur when they first start going to preschool or kindergarten. Many would suddenly generate a sense of fear when they see new faces, which, therefore, will make them afraid of trying new things that they may end up not wanting to go to school yet.

Types of Anxiety Disorders in Children

1. Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD. Infants and kids with OCD are those that can't control their obsessions, such as, constantly repeating certain words, always counting, frequently washing hands and many more, which is what they do when they want to control their thoughts and feelings and focus their mind on something else.

2. Phobias or fears. Phobia means being extremely scared of something. For children, this could be dogs, hospitals, blood, water, heights or the dark.

3. Generalized anxiety disorder or GAD. GAD is an illness wherein kids have uncontrollable fears all the time about normal, everyday events, for example, certain family issues, grades, good performance in school, bullies and many more. They want everything in their life to be perfect, for example, regarding grades, they will want it to be the highest possible. This illness and its effect on kids make most of them become perfectionists when they grow older.

4. Separation anxiety disease. This is common among toddlers and infants, as they don't want to be separated from their mother or father. When they are old enough to go to school and parents have to leave them behind, they would usually cry, throw tantrums and demand that their parents stay with them and not leave them behind, or, they would insist for their parents to take them along. Those with this disease fear that something bad will happen to their parents whenever they are not around.

How to help your child in dealing with these diseases

1. Make sure that they stay healthy. Make certain that whatever your child eats is healthy for him or her. Make sure that he or she eats more vegetables than meat, and, completely avoid those that contain fats and other unhealthy substances. Also, make sure that your son or daughter sleeps early at night and gets at least 10 hours of sleep every night.

2. Show your kid how to stay calm. It may be hard for you to show them how to stay calm, especially since there are so many things in the world nowadays that make life extremely stressful. However, you need to do this for them. Show them how it is to stay calm. You should know that they look up only to you for help and comfort. Set a mood and feel of calmness into your home. Don't show any feelings of stress and frustration in front of your kids. If you can do this properly, then, anxiety in children won't be a problem in your family anymore.

3. Consult professional help. If you feel that your children are suffering from child anxiety, you may seek for professional help, such as, going to the pediatrician or visiting your child's school counselor or a child therapist.

For more information about anxiety in children and child anxiety, visit our website childanxietymom.com.

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How to Prevent Anxiety Attacks From Ruling Your Life

If you have ever experienced a panic attack, you know just how debilitating they can be. They can make you freeze up, they can cause you to feel like vomiting, and you can even pass out in some cases. Some people have mild panic attacks and others avoid social and other situations completely for fear that another serious attack will occur. Fortunately, there is help. But it's not pharmaceutical help. This country is quickly becoming addicted to too many pharmaceutical drugs. The following are ways to stop a panic attack without the use of medication entirely.

Medication

If you currently take medication for your anxiety and panic attacks, keep taking them. Do not listen to anyone about whether or not you should take your medicine except your doctor. Only he or she can tell you with authority that you should stop taking your meds. That being said, hopefully you'll get to a point where you can tell your doctor you know longer need them. Keep up with the following tips and you may get to that point.

Deep Breathing

It may sound cliché to tell someone to breathe deeply in order to calm a panic attack, but this technique really works. However, for it to be effective you have to really concentrate. You can't just take in a few deep breaths and expect to be fine without doing a little mental work. You need to close your eyes and picture you are somewhere else while you do your deep breathing exercises. For this exercise, it's important that you have that spot picked out before hand. It could be the beach; it could be an image of you and your loved one at the park, or anything else that brings happy thoughts to your mind. Then, whenever you feel a panic attack coming on, you just breathe as deeply as you can while imagining you are somewhere else entirely. This is very effective at calming even the worst of panic attacks.

A Comedy

This may sound like a funny tip but whenever you find yourself in a situation that typically brings on panic attacks, imagine it's a scene in a comedy. You should even go so far as to imagine a laugh track. This isn't as easy as it sounds, but it's terribly effective at calming panic attacks. If you can picture yourself watching the situation through a TV or movie screen, things don't seem as serious as they did before. This really works so it's recommended that you try it whenever you feel an attack coming on to stop the panic attacks from occurring.

Practice with a Reminder

If you suffer from anxiety attacks, it's recommended that you work on curing them every night before you go to bed. You need to imagine yourself in a happy place while you meditate and focus on everything positive in your life. It's at this time that you will probably feel most calm. You will want to preserve that feeling for the real world so that you can use your new found confidence to stop panic attacks from controlling your life forever. So the next time you're practicing, use a reminder in your meditations. This could be a special stone, a rubber band, or anything small you can carry with you that will remind you of your nightly practice sessions. Then, whenever you feel an attack coming on, touch the stone, or look at the rubber band around your wrist and you'll instantly calm down.

The above tips will take practice but with time you'll be able to stall and even stifle panic attacks completely so that they no longer affect you.

Anxiety doesn't have to rule your life. Click Here and read about my battle with Anxiety attacks and how came out the winner.

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