What is an Anxiety Disorder?
Your heartbeat is going fast, and at any moment it’s going to come right out of your chest. Your throat is feeling tight, it’s hard to breathe and at any moment you could lose your lunch thanks to the nausea. The overwhelming fear is becoming too much, and at any moment death is around the corner.
Even though it doesn’t always feel this way, this is a panic attack. If you’ve experienced any of this, you may be one of many who have a panic disorder. It’s important to understand that a panic disorder is a category of an anxiety disorder. While the number may seem small, 2-3% of anxiety sufferers are affected by this condition. However, around thirty percent of the patients may experience panic attacks at some point.
Panic disorder is a somewhat misunderstood condition. No one knows exactly why it occurs or what makes some people more susceptible to it. It tends to appear in the teenage years and early adulthood. Statistically, more women are diagnosed with the disorder.
It’s also important to understand that the symptoms won’t always be the same either. They can last only a few minutes or even a half hour. The only way you can figure out whether you’re actually having a panic attack is by looking at the symptoms. Whether it’s chest pain, difficulty breathing, feeling the eventual doom around the corner, and a host of other you’re most likely having one. Then again, they can come out of nowhere.
Sufferers may begin to avoid the activities or places that they associate with their panic attack. In some cases, they may become agoraphobic, scared to leave their own homes, preferring to remain in comfortable, familiar surroundings. However, this doesn’t always resolve the problem. Left untreated, panic disorder can have a widespread effect on not only the sufferer, but others around them.
Research has found some potential causes of panic disorder. If the person previously had a bad experience, they may relate any symptoms experienced then as a harbinger of bad things to come.
There are several avenues of treatment for panic disorder. The doctor may prescribe SSRI or tricyclic antidepressants. Anti-anxiety medications may also be prescribed, but medication as pretty much been proven not too work. They just freeze your emotion, they are addictive and they also have bad side effects.
For those that prefer more natural means of treatment, there are some options. Sleep, exercise, diet and relaxation can all play a role in anxiety disorder. According to scientific research, getting eight to ten hours of sleep a night can reduce anxiety by up to 50%. They are also some very good self-help book worth reading.
Some experts believe that stress can play a role in panic disorder. Exercise is an excellent stress reliever. In addition to relieving stress, exercise helps you maintain a healthy body weight, necessary to keeping hormone levels in balance.
Food is another important area. The research over the years suggests that some foods increase anxiety. Some things you might want to stay away from are coffee, dairy products, refined, sugar, honey, and maple syrup. The best thing to do is keep a food log.
Relaxation can also be helpful. Whenever you are relaxed, anxiety and fear seem to diminish. It allows the nerves to become more stable, which in turn helps for those stressful situations and times. So you may want to try something like Yoga and meditation. Then of course there is aromatherapy, which helps you relax and keep the stress at bay.
While it may not be possible to completely cure your panic disorder, these treatments can help reduce the severity of it. This will enable you to live a somewhat normal life without the constraints imposed by the disorder.
Meanwhile, Julie U. Stevenson has endured panic attacks for over thirteen years. We recommend taking a look at her story by visiting here website: and discover how she was able to rid herself of this burden and get her life back.