Grasping Anxiety Disorder

By Julie U. Stevenson

Is your heart going faster? Does it feel like it's about to pound right out of your chest? Then of course your throat is feeling tight, and your ability to breathe seems to diminish. Add in the nausea and you'll find that all of these are accompanies with overwhelming fear. You can't get control over yourself, and death is right around the corner.

This is a common panic attack. If this sounds like an experience you've had, you may be one of the many who have a panic disorder. A panic disorder is just one of the many categories of anxiety disorder. You will find that 2-3% of anxiety sufferers are afflicted by this condition. However, around 30% of the patients will go through a panic attack at one point in their lives.

One thing to understand is that panic disorders are often misunderstood. The truth is we don't know exactly why they occur, or even what makes a person susceptible to them. We only know that it appears in the teenage years and early adulthood. On a statistical standpoint, more women are diagnosed with the disorder.

The symptoms won't always be the same between each individual either. In fact, some situations last a few minutes while others can last for 30. If you're wondering if what you're enduring is a panic attack, then you need to look at the symptoms. They are anything from chest pain, breathing difficulties, the feeling of doom or shaking and trembling to, nausea and vomiting, hot or cold flashes, or feeling faint. The important issue is that they come out of nowhere.

There are ways to control a panic disorder, and one of the best ways is by avoiding the places associated with your attacks. Maybe its small spaces, the mall, or a million other places, but the point is if you can stay away from them you can control your panic disorder a little better.

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.

You will find that there are several treatments for panic disorder. Whether or not they're the right one for you remains to be seen. For instance, if you head to the doctor and they prescribe anti-depressants, they probably won't work. In fact, they've pretty much been proven not to work. Instead it's more like they freeze your emotion, and come with side effects and possible addiction.

Since medication of that nature is out the window, a natural approach might be your best bet. Having the proper rest, exercising, and changing your diet may play a major role in controlling and reducing your anxiety disorder. Heck, just getting 8-10 hours a sleep can reduce anxiety by 50%. You can find some good self-help books on this and other natural benefits online.

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.

Another area to look further into is the use of food. Research has discovered that some foods can increase anxiety. Things like coffee, dairy products, refined sugar, honey, and even maple syrup on those pancakes or waffles. So we recommend keeping a food log and figure it out for yourself.

Just relaxing can also be helpful. Just being relaxed can actually diminish the anxiety and fear. This will allow the nerves to become more stable, and help with those stressful situations. A good combatant for this is Yoga and meditation. Oh, and let's not forget about aromatherapy, which relaxes you and keeps 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. - 31520

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