Anxiety is a universal human phenomenon. It is defined as a strong feeling of fear or dread with an unknown cause. Everyone has experienced being anxious at some point of their life. Everyone may feel anxious, especially when facing an unfamiliar situation. Once anxious, you want to run away from the feeling and want to go back to normal but you just don't have control over it. You only wish that things go back to normal again.
There are people who regularly experience anxiety. They feel that they are facing an unfamiliar situation more often than a normal person does. Almost everything feels strange to them. This type of anxiety is already an alteration of mental ability. It has been believed and studied that frequent anxiety attacks are related to regular exposure to stressors. According to studies, anxiety is part of the human reaction to stress.
There are four levels of anxiety. People who experience increased pulse and blood pressure experience mild anxiety. These people are still alert and can solve a problem. People with elevated vital signs, tense muscles, and diaphoresis, a state when there is excessive sweating, are in the moderate level of anxiety. They are usually tense and fearful. Their attention is focused on one concern. The third level of anxiety is severe. They are in a state of fight-or-flight response, dry mouth, and numb extremities. They are the ones who could barely move due to extreme anxiety. Their sensory perception is decreased. They can only focus on details and are unable to learn new information. The fourth and last level of anxiety is panic. Panic's physical manifestation is more severe than the third level. They are totally overwhelmed by the anxiety. They tend to ignore external cues, focused only on internal stimuli, and are unable to learn.
People who experience anxiety more often need proper attention and intervention. This problem should not be taken lightly. Dealing with these people requires a lot of patience. To help lessen anxiety, careful listening is needed. Looking at the person with unbroken eye contact is necessary. Always maintain a calm and unhurried approach. When it is your turn to speak, talk in a slow and clear manner. Use a firm voice, not loud. Offering of a hand or giving a back rub helps the anxious person control his or her emotions. And if possible, decrease noise and bright lights to elicit calm behavior. Apart from these interventions, it is suggested to seek for a medical help. Medical doctors may prescribe anxiolytic drugs to decrease anxiety levels. What is really important here is that this condition should not be ignored. Proper and prompt care should be given.
The fact is, panic attacks and panic disorder are real conditions that have definite diagnostic criteria. We don't know all the reasons why these conditions might develop, but we do know its not a failure of personality. To know more about it, check out http://www.panicattackrelease.com/
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