Agoraphobia and Panic Attacks

There is phobia that is linked to the experience of panic attacks, and that is agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is the fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places such as shopping markets. It is a fear associated with leaving a safe zone, such as the home.

Because of a feeling of being vulnerable, people who experience this fear often suffer from panic attacks in these “open” situations. It is true to say many people who have regular panic attacks experience different degrees of agoraphobia. Some have a lingering background anxiety about being away from home should they experience a panic attack. Other people are so immobilized by this fear that they find it very difficult to leave their home for even a short period.

The thinking behind agoraphobia usually follows the line that were a panic attack to occur, who would look after the person, how would he or she get the assistance and reassurance they needed?

End Anxiety & Panic Attacks

• Young Adults with ADHD
• Useful Tips To Cure Anxiety Attacks Naturally
• Therapy For Panic Attacks

From historical figures to celebrities to everyday people, there are many people with bipolar disorder. Whether one hears of these people on television or in real life, the question often arises as to how they know they have bipolar disorder. So, what are the Bipolar disorder symptoms?

Since there are two distinct parts of bipolar disorder, there are also two separate sets of Bipolar disorder symptoms. These symptoms of bipolar disorder many times reflect opposites from the manic to the depressive sides of the illness.

The most obvious of the opposites in the symptoms of Bipolar disorder disorder is level of energy and activity. In depression, the person will feel a loss of energy and suffer from fatigue. That person may even appear to be slow. On the other hand, the manic person will have an increased level of energy and much more than usual activity.

Degree of self-esteem is another of the symptoms of bipolar disorder. A depressed person feels unworthy or is guilt-ridden. A manic, though, is so full of him- or herself that he or she has unreasonable ideas of him- or herself or even delusions of grandeur.

This loss of self-esteem may be what leads the depressed person to be indecisive, and overblown self importance that urges the manic to become reckless. Neither the depressed person nor the manic one sees these decision-making processes as symptoms of bipolar disorder. But that is exactly what they are.

The symptoms of bipolar disorder differ from the depressive to the manic mostly because the general themes are different. In depression, everything is slow, dull, small, introverted, and hopeless. In mania, things are overblown, huge, fast, outgoing, and full of impossible dreams.

Some symptoms of bipolar disorder seem, on the surface, to be similar. For example, The poor concentration of the depressed person may appear similar to the distraction of the manic person. They both, in fact, have trouble holding a thought in their heads. This happens for different reasons, though. The depressed person has fewer thoughts but just cannot focus on any, while the manic person has excessive thought and goes rapidly from one to the next.

Sleep cycles vary in both depressed people and manic people. This is one of the symptoms of bipolar disorder which cause trouble for both. The depressed person may not care whether he or she sleeps or not, sometimes sleeping for long periods and sometimes not bothering to go to bed. The manic person will most surely feel little or no need for sleep. He or she may go without sleep for days.

The symptoms of bipolar disorder which vary the most from depressives to manics happen at the far ends of the spectrum. A person who is extremely depressed is likely to think dark thoughts about death, suicide, and even plans to commit suicide. The person who is manic enough can have strange thoughts such as delusions, and bizarre perceptions such as auditory and visual hallucinations.

If a person is truly bipolar, he or she will display some, if not all, of the symptoms of bipolar disorder on both the depressed and manic sides of the line. Because this illness is so serious and can have life changing consequences for the person with it, it is important to recognize the symptoms of bipolar disorder.

What You Should Know About Anxiety Medicine

There are some in the world that say you should suck it up and get over things when something goes terribly wrong. There are others that know that this is easier said than done. Neither is wrong, as everyone deals with things in their own way, and there are things that are almost impossible to handle on your own. When your life seems to have a huge series of highs and lows, you may find that you are having more and more trouble coping with all that is going on in your life. This is when anxiety medicine might be what you need to get through a rough period in your life.

Anxiety medicine should not be taken by everyone who may be going through a rough time. This is a part of life, and these things can be handled with time, or even by going through therapy. However, when things pile up, and anxiety seems to be taking over someone’s life, anxiety medication might be what keeps them going. Those with anxiety problems may find that they can’t work or they can’t leave the house, and that means anxiety medicine is something that is needed very badly.

There are many different types of anxiety medicine that a doctor or psychiatrist might want someone to try. There are some that work when someone needs them, and those tend to be the ones that most try first. However, when anxiety is out of control, and a person is unable to function normally, there are some types of anxiety medicine that needs to be taken daily. These are tricky medications, but they are worth the time and effort. Some must be adjusted over a period of time to get them right, but they do help in the short term even when the dosage of the anxiety medication might be a little off.

When you think you need anxiety medicine, always talk with your doctor about your symptoms and what things may be contributing to your problem. You should always be totally and completely honest about what is going on so you can get the right medication for anxiety that works best for you. If you feel depressed, or having any other underlying condition, that might mean a different medication will work better. Honestly can only help you in this case, and you don’t have to worry about the stigma that is attached to some conditions. Your doctor is there to help you, not to judge you, and to make your life a better one for the long haul.

author: Caroline Bourke

Nutritional strategies you can use to reduce anxiety and panic attacks

Anxiety and panic attacks are absolutely no fun! In fact, panic attacks can be a terrifying event. The sudden onset of heart palpitations, tightening of the chest, sweating or chills along with the sensation of not being able to swallow or breathe is the Granddaddy of stressing out. The person who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks often develops a cyclic pattern, feeling anxious most of the time and living in fear of their next panic attack.

Be sure to consult with your physician to determine what medications and therapies may be helpful in managing your condition. While there are a number of factors that play into these disorders, including genetics, allergies and trauma-related events, there are plenty of dietary changes which may provide you with significant benefits in improving the degree of anxiety and reducing the number of panic attacks you suffer. You might be surprised at how much diet matters.

In some cases, food allergies have been discovered to be a major culprit implicated in triggering anxiety and panic attacks, so discuss this with your physician.

Try to eliminate processed and refined foods from your regular diet, including as much whole foods as possible. Processed foods include chemical additives that can exacerbate anxiety. Try switching to natural meats, that is, from animals that have not been fed growth hormones. Reduce your intake of sweets, as spikes in your blood sugar can lead to that racing sensation which is often a precursor to anxiety and the dreaded panic attacks. When you shop, check food labels for the inclusion of MSG. Many people are quite sensitive to this product, which can adversely affect your nervous system, resulting in a stressed out feeling and often, headaches. Reduce your salt intake and use a salt substitute or herbal ‘salt’. This is good medicine for your heart and helps keep your blood pressure in line. These basic changes in diet can produce substantial results.

Ask your doctor to check you for vitamin deficiencies. Deficiencies of certain nutrients can definitely aggravate your condition. Calcium and magnesium, in a balanced ratio, can play a major role in reducing both anxiety and panic attacks. Deficiencies in these nutrients can produce many of the symptoms you experience! The same is true for the B complex vitamins, which affect proper functioning of the nervous system, as well as a direct effect on your degree of stress and energy. Deficiencies in the B complex group can result in depression!

Not only does it matter what you eat, but how you eat. Anxious, stressed out people commonly eat too fast. Give your digestive system a break. Chew your food well and slow down. If you don’t chew your food well enough, you’re indirectly contributing to stress, because your body won’t be able to absorb all of the nutrients.

If you’re an avid coffee lover, try to confine yourself to just one or two cups a day. The caffeine can increase your susceptibility to both increased anxiety and panic attacks.

Try making these changes in your diet, work with your physician to devise techniques that relieve stress and see if you don’t start feeling better soon.

Author: Caroline Bourke

• Young Adults with ADHD
• Useful Tips To Cure Anxiety Attacks Naturally
• Therapy For Panic Attacks

Acute Anxiety Disorder

There is nothing so paralyzing as acute anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders vary, but they can include feelings of disorientation, physical discomfort, blinding panic, unreality, paranoia, and intense fear. Sometimes the symptoms are emotional, but very often they involve psycho-somatic symptoms as well. Acute anxiety disorder can make your stomach cramp, your head spin, your legs feel wobbly, your back tense up, and your body fill with pain. To say that it is unpleasant is understating the fact. Acute anxiety attacks can be dreadful.

Fortunately, for a strong anxiety panic disorder, there is strong medicine. When I had my first instance of acute anxiety disorder I got some prescription Xanax from the doctor to get it under control. It took me from feeling extremely anxious to blissful oblivion in moments. It was really nice for awhile. It let me get my life back together and treat anxiety and panic attacks every time they struck. It wasn’t enough by itself, but it was a start.

Treating acute anxiety disorders can be complicated. You see, the causes are usually complicated and varied. People develop anxiety panic disorders because of career, personal relationship stress, lingering emotional traumas, or chemical imbalance. Particularly with an extremely acute anxiety disorder, a combination of factors is usually responsible. It is often difficult to isolate one thing, which means that you have to treat every cause at once.

Usually one of the first steps is to get into an anxiety support group. Being around other people with anxiety disorders can help you to understand that you aren’t alone. You can have group therapy sessions where you talk about what makes you anxious and try to get to the bottom of your problems as you help other folks get to the bottom of theirs. Even if the support group alone do not cure your acute anxiety disorder, it will help you to cope with it.

Exercise is usually helpful when dealing with an acute anxiety disorder because it can help you blow off some of the tension. On the other hand, people suffering from acute anxiety disorders sometimes get stressed by extra time spent in the presence of others, so they may want to exercise at home. Once you get your symptoms somewhat under control through therapy, medication, and nutritional supplements, you can start to exercise normally however. As a matter of fact, some people never have to give up exercising or other outside activities to begin with. If you can continue to live a normal life with outside relationships instead of withdrawing when you first have anxiety attacks, it will help you recover. After all, the further you withdraw into anxiety and fear, the further you have to come out. That is why many people with anxiety problems take medicine, seek therapy, and continue living their lives as normal. There is no reason you need to stop everything until your treatment is complete.

Author: Caroline Bourke

• Therapy For Panic Attacks
• Recognizing The Symptoms Of Anxiety And Stress
• How To Control Anxiety Panic Attacks