Thursday, June 9, 2011

Most Common Panic Attack Causes

Panic attacks are a condition that accompanies the lives of many people, and while some manage to live on without even noticing it, for others it's far from so simple as the attacks cripple their ability to live their lives normally and interfere with their everyday lives. Knowing what the most common panic attack causes are is the first step towards preventing the condition from manifesting itself so frequently.

If you're suffering from recurring panic attacks, this probably indicates an underlying problem with your health condition, and if you've got a parent suffering from it, it's very likely that you may inherit it as well. This can make it a bit more difficult to pinpoint a specific trigger, but there should still be one.

Look at your fears and phobias as the most probable potential cause - can you associate the onset of panic attacks with a particular event? A setting? A person, even? Various things can subtly add to the severity of a panic attack, and being able to spot all the factors is crucial in maintaining the condition under control.

Substance abuse can also be very problematic for sufferers of the condition, and is among the most common panic attack causes. It's not so much the actual abuse itself, as the negative effects associated with the withdrawal period when you decide to quit. Your body will undergo various changes - most negative and very painful - and this can quickly build up and release in the form of a panic attack, which will bring you back to the drug, or alcohol, or whatever you were abusing, as a form of retracting to your safe zone.

Sometimes it's not that simple though - if the problem lies in your psychology and there's something in your mind that keeps triggering these panic attacks, then no regular approach will be able to help you regardless of what you do. The best thing to do in that case is to seek professional help and get in touch with a mental healthcare specialist who can guide you through therapeutic processes aimed at relieving your mind from the burden of whatever is causing the attacks for you.

With counseling for severe attacks you can hopefully bring yourself some relief from them. It's not guaranteed to work, but it's definitely better than nothing - but you must be persistent and patient to make it work as giving up too early will negate the whole positive effect of the process.

Do you feel like you will never find A cure for this terrible illness? If you want to learn how to overcome your panic go to www.panicdisorderreviews.info for more information.

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Warning - Don't Let Your Mild Panic Attacks Progress Into a Full Blown Panic Disorder

Have you ever felt that when you have to go to the grocery store to shop for the month, that you would rather send a friend or family member instead because you fear you will have more mild panic attacks?

Well you're not alone. Millions of people suffer from this condition but rarely open up and talk about it with others. There is often times a feeling of shame or embarrassment associated with this problem which causes even more anxious thoughts.

Like many people that experience mild panic attacks, you have learned how to make adjustments in your life, and just "live with it" without much support from others.

If you experience mild panic attacks all the time, it starts to interfere with your daily activities and your relationships. It's common to start avoiding certain places and people that you associate with causing an attack.

It's sad to note that a lot of times family and friends just don't get it! It's even more frustrating when many of the professionals you consult don't fully understand the best method to treat your mild panic attacks, other than prescribing addictive medications. This is when it really gets scary! If the Dr.s don't know how to help you, who can?

Some of the more obvious physical signs of mild panic attacks include, tightness in the chest, rapid heart beat, extreme sweating and uncontrollable shaking. If you experience this for the first time, you might think you're having a heart attack or even dying.

You may also feel that it is difficult for you to focus on any given task, or even pay attention to what people are saying. At this point racing thoughts and a feeling of heightened sensitivity and awareness usually follow.

Mild panic attacks can happen at any time and usually peak within 10 minutes, which can feel like a lifetime for the sufferer. The only difference between these types of episodes and more severe ones, is the intensity of the symptoms listed above.

These types of episodes are exhausting and those that deal with this on a daily basis, usually feel depressed and drained. If you are in a constant battle with these types of attacks, it isn't surprising that you feel this way.

Keep in mind though, that the more you try to fight an anxiety attack, the stronger it becomes. It feeds off of your fear. In contrast, practicing relaxation and breathing techniques at the beginning of an episode is very difficult, if not impossible.

Many people have just one attack and never have another. So not everyone who has these episodes will develop a full blown panic disorder. However, early diagnosis and proper treatment for this condition is important if you don't want your mild panic attacks to progress into a more severe anxiety disorder.

Want to learn more about how to treat your mild panic attacks? Go to www.bestpanicattackhelp.info for a free mini-course on this condition.

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5 Ways to Stop a Panic Attack

Panic attacks can seem to emerge out of nowhere, and their side effects can be paralyzing. Learning to stop a panic attack either before it occurs or shortly after its onset is a key element to dealing with future episodes. Once you master techniques in controlling panic attacks, you will be able to break free from the vicious cycle of anxiety and fearful thinking. Here are five instant strategies to control panic attacks.

Stop Everything
One of the worst ways to deal with a panic attack is to add to your adrenaline rush by rushing to find an escape. Instead, find a place nearby to sit down and gather your thoughts. Recognize that fleeing the situation is not a cure; you have to control yourself first. Concentrate on lowering your anxieties either through meditation or deep breathing. Find composure first, and then calmly leave if necessary.

Focus on Small Goals
If you find yourself in a situation where you cannot concentrate on the first strategy, the next approach is to formulate goals. One of the ways to stop a panic attack is to occupy your thoughts to distract your anxieties. The easiest way to do this is to identify simple goals needed to remove yourself from the panic-inducing atmosphere. If you are at the mall for example, concentrate first on exiting the store. Then set your goals to the mall exit. Congratulate yourself on each accomplishment and continue to reinforce the next necessary step. Your last goal should place you in an attainable "safe spot".

Embrace Your Adrenaline
Not all adrenaline is negative. Athletes use adrenaline to make extraordinary plays, or to reach new heights in training regimens. You can replicate this strategy with your panic attacks by utilizing adrenaline as a positive. Instead of succumbing to the negative flight response, use your panic attack to push you over your boundaries. When you get to a point in day where you normally concede to anxiety, take a chance and continue on. Use the adrenaline rush to boost you over your hurdles. Each step you make beyond your boundaries will be invigorating.

Laugh at Yourself
Panic attacks are scary, and dealing with them is no laughing matter, but sometimes it helps to laugh at the tricks your mind plays on you. When you first begin to feel the onset of a panic attack, take a second to look around you. You are likely to see people smiling, laughing and going about their day. Think about how simple the situation really is and laugh at yourself for making it so difficult.

Engage Your Environment
One of the downsides to panic disorder is that most victims feel alone or embarrassed by their condition. They prefer to suffer alone for fear of rejection and ridicule. But one thing you can do to alleviate anxiety is to force yourself to socialize in a tense situation. Talking with the people around you helps you to feel more comfortable and confident. Smile and seek out conversation. It may be hard at first, but you'll find that occupying yourself is much easier than worrying about the onset of panicky thoughts.

No matter what you do to successfully stop your panic attacks, the most important thing is to have a plan and practice it. You will not be able to beat anxious thinking until you have faith in your own remedy. If you are having trouble finding a successful strategy, then visit Control Panic Attacks for proven resources to elimnate panic attacks and anxiety.

Reclaim your life from prison of anxiety. ControlPanicAttack.com offers strategies and resources for overcoming panic attacks and anxiety-related disorders.

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Controlling Panic Attacks and Anxiety

If you are reading this then I can make a fairly safe assumption that I don't need to explain what a panic attack is, or just how real the symptoms are. The good news is that controlling panic attacks is something that can be done by any anxiety sufferer. I suffered for many years with this disorder and throughout those years I learnt something very important, the ability to recognise the varying levels of anxiety that lead to the eventual panic attack. Understanding this allowed me to put to use a few techniques that will prevent a full blown attack.

You have probably heard the idea of breathing into a paper bag. You may have tried this and found it didn't work for you, or if it did work, it wasn't long before you were back into panic mode. State of mind plays a massive part here, if we could allow our minds to forget all about the fear of panic then we simply wouldn't have panic attacks. Unfortunately this is much easier said than done. Recognising the various stages of anxiety is the key to controlling them.

Mild anxiety is something that probably everybody has experienced at some time and would have no trouble recognising it. Maybe a slight tightening of the chest combined with feelings of deep worry. If this progresses into severe anxiety then the feelings intensify, the chest can tighten up more, you might find your breathing is very rapid and you get short of breath among various other symptoms. This is the point when a panic attack can emerge, the heart will race, you might have pains and numbness, palpitations and dizziness feeling like you may pass out. The fight or flight response kicks in and you are now into a full blown panic attack.

The worst symptoms of an attack are caused by breathing too much oxygen and not retaining enough carbon dioxide. This is the opposite of what many sufferers believe and the shortness of breath makes them attempt to breath in harder and faster to intake more oxygen, making the whole thing worse. What the paper bag trick does is allows us to breath back the carbon dioxide we have just breathed out, thus resetting the balance. So if it's that straightforward then why doesn't it always work for every sufferer?

The main reason is because balancing the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels will indeed calm the symptoms of a panic attack reasonably quickly but it won't so immediately calm the feelings associated with severe anxiety, i.e., the level of anxiety that comes just before the onset of a panic attack. Why not? Because at this level of anxiety the symptoms are caused by the release of too much adrenalin, which are very similar to the symptoms associated with a panic attack.

This is what makes it so difficult for many anxiety sufferers to control their panic attacks. It is very difficult to recognise them as different things when logical thinking is always telling you they are one and the same. To reiterate the paper bag example, a few breaths into it will balance out your carbon dioxide levels which in turn will prevent the effects of full blown panic. However, because you are still in a state of quite bad anxiety you immediately feel like it hasn't helped, your breathing may remain heavy or rapid and as a result, you enter into a perpetual cycle.

Once you understand the way anxiety progresses through these different stages you can train yourself to prevent a panic attack by monitoring your breathing (without the need for a paper bag). The fear of a panic attack is what brings on the attack in the first place, when you realise this you will stop fearing them. This will have the added benefit of calming the effects of severe anxiety and aid your recovery. Different methods are required to cure anxiety itself but this is much easier to live with than panic disorder. Curing panic disorder is the first stage to full recovery from anxiety, which at it's worst is nothing more than an unpleasant feeling that does not debilitate you. This is something you must continuously remind yourself. You can do it!

Discover tips and advice for controlling panic attacks and find out what I learned throughout my years as an anxiety sufferer.

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Discovered! Panic Attack Headaches & Migraines Linked to Panic Attack Disorders

Panic attacks appear suddenly without discretion and often are very intense. The fear that is associated with this condition will cause a person to experience anxiety to the point they will have a panic attack headache.

People who regularly suffer from migraines are the ones most susceptible to having a panic attack headache. Migraines are intense and severe and often are debilitating to the point of putting a person in bed for days. The intense pain and sensitivity to light make this type of headache the most difficult to bear.

Many studies have shown that migraines usually have some sort of a trigger. In cases of people who suffer from panic attacks the attack is often the trigger that sets off the headache.

Other people who do not suffer from migraines may also suffer from a panic attack headache. If the fear and anxiety is severe the person may find that they are unable to relax. Tension restricts blood flow and will often cause headaches and dizzy spells.

Normal symptoms of a panic attack can last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. The longer the duration of the attack the more likely you will develop a panic attack headache. It is best if you are prepared to deal with a this condition before it gets to that point.

When a person goes into a panic attack the body produces a sudden rush of hormones such as adrenaline which is produced to help protect the body from harm. This sudden adrenaline rush will cause the heart rate to increase and can produce symptoms such as sweating, chest pain, extreme fear and anxiety, and a sudden headache.

In most cases when the panic attack subsides, the adrenaline level will revert back to normal and the headache will subside also. For others, the headache may last several hours. In the more severe cases where the panic attack headache becomes a migraine, over the counter medications may not be helpful. For the minor headache that occurs you may find relief with something such as ibuprofen or Tylenol.

Panic attacks affect people in different ways. There is really no way of knowing how this condition will affect you until you have experienced them. Some people only experience fear but other experience physical symptoms such as a headache. Knowing how panic attacks affect you can help you deal with them more effectively. It may even be possible to prevent this condition from turning into a panic attach headache. Learning to relax and work your way through an attack can go a long way in relieving the symptoms.

If you suffer from panic attacks that lead to panic attack headaches you should consult your doctor to determine ways to help you work through your attacks. Suffering from this condition is very disturbing for many because of the physical symptoms that go along with them. Having a severe headache can take you away from your family and ruin your life. With a throbbing headache you will not be able to function and think properly. Getting the help you need to prevent them is of the utmost importance.

Ty Lamai is an expert in Panic Attack Disorders. To subscribe FREE to his new 10-day mini eCourse "he Mystery Of The 7th Cure!, please visit: http://www.analyze-more.com/panic-attack-info.html today (limited copies available).

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Dealing With Panic Attacks - Natural Treatment For Panic Attacks

Do not allow the fact that you are feeling anxious and stressed get you down. You have to believe that you can become more relaxed by using natural panic attack treatment. There are now many herbs available which can cure panic attacks. Through using these natural herbs as well as other natural remedies you can become calmer, more relaxed and more in control of your own thoughts and feelings.

Panic disorder and panic attacks have been found to be caused by neurotransmitter levels in the brain. These are chemicals which affect our moods, if you are in a low mood then you will also find that you will be more stressed. You should not automatically just start taking medication to cure panic attacks, these medication often have side effects. Instead there is now a natural remedy which is called tryptophan, this used to only be available on prescription but you can now get this remedy in your local heath food stores.

You will be required to take three of these tablets every day, one before breakfast, one before dinner and one before you go to bed. The distinct advantage of this natural remedy is that it has no side effects. Tryptophan has also been found to restore neurotransmitter levels in the brain which will allow you to have more control over your moods. The remedy takes some time to get to work although you should see impressive results within two to three weeks.

If you suffer from panic disorder then you should increase your daily supply of vitamins. Vitamin B in particular is good for people who suffer from panic disorder as this helps to strengthen the immune system which is important to fight off stress and anxiety.

You should also have a diet which is rich in protein and carbohydrate, this will help to control your moods. You should practice relaxing, meditation is a great way to make yourself feel calm, relaxed and in control. Start by sitting in a quiet room and practice the art of deep breathing.

Cut down on your intake of caffeine, tobacco and alcohol, all of which have been found to make the symptoms of panic disorder more severe.

Panic Away is a great program for anyone who suffers from panic disorder, this program contains proven natural techniques which can end panic attacks permanently. This is a long lasting solution to panic disorder and the program provides relief for people who suffer from panic disorder.

For more information on how to treat anxiety and panic attacks, visit the link below:

http://panicaway17.blogspot.com

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Panic Disorder With Agoraphobia - Do You Have It?

If you are wondering whether you have Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia then you must read on to find out whether it sounds like you. Panic Disorder is a mental illness that can have a significant impact on your life, especially if you experience Agoraphobia as well.

Do you have Panic Disorder?

Panic Disorder is characterised by panic attacks that are recurrent and unexpected and accompanied by constant worrying about having another attack. If you have the following three symptoms then you probably have Panic Disorder:

1. Panic attacks- occur when you experience an overwhelming sense of fear or panic coupled with a range of physiological symptoms such as rapid heart rate and shortness of breath.
2. Worrisome thoughts- especially about having further attacks and the physical implications that panic may have. For example if you worry that you may have an undiagnosed medical condition despite being reassured by a medical professional that you there is nothing wrong. These thoughts are an indication of Panic Disorder development if they occur for one month or more.
3. Behavioural changes- if you change your behaviour drastically in relation to the panic and anxiety attacks. For example, you may avoid exercising as the increase in heart rate creates similar physiological changes in the body to a panic attack.

Do you have Agoraphobia?

Agoraphobia is characterised by a fear of having and attack of panic as well as avoidance of situations where panic attacks could occur. If you have the following two symptoms then you probably have Agoraphobia.

1. Anxiety- related to being in particular places or situations where you fear having a panic attack. The situation is usually feared as it may be somewhere that is difficult to escape, help may not be easily obtainable or it could be really embarrassing or distressing if you did have a panic attack. The anxiety is usually generalised across a range of situations that usually occur outside the home such as being in crowded places or travelling on public transport.
2. Avoidant behaviour- when the feared situations are avoided due to the above reasons or they are endured with apparent distress or only with the presence of a trusted person.

Do you have Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia?

If you experience the range of symptoms described, including panic attacks, worrisome thoughts and avoidant behaviour then you probably have Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia. This is a serious mental health issue and when left without treatment can be quite disabling.

So if you want to know how to beat Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia, then click below to find out not just how to cope with this condition - but how to cure it totally and eliminate it from your life forever! Don't you deserve to live a life fear with infinite possibilities?

Overcoming Agoraphobia

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