Treating Anxiety Disorder

There a wide range of options now nowadays to treat sufferers and the best one for you will be decided by your health professional any yourself. The symptoms that you have will also be considered when decided on the best treatment. If the symptoms are secondary to another illness, such as depression, the treatment will be structured to focus on this.

Treatments include psychological and drug treatments, and depend to a certain extent on the type of symptoms or disorder the person is suffering from.

A person’s full range of symptoms needs to be understood; this enables any underlying disorder that causes the anxiety symptoms to be treated. For example, if the anxiety symptoms are secondary to a depressive illness, the focus of the treatment will be on the depressive illness.

Usually, the first aim of a treatment will be to discuss the symptoms with the patient. This is to help them realise, that although the symptoms are frightening, they are in no danger medically from them. Ultimately, it is the fear itself which is the problem and once the underlying causes are revealed, work can be started to rebuild confidence. Visualization and relaxation techniques have proved valuable and should be used regularly.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mentally debilitating condition and often begins as a response to stressful situations. The individual affected will repeat behaviours many times, sometimes physically and sometimes in their head. Techniques have been developed specifically to help stop these thoughts and can be taught to sufferers. Again, it is important to seek help and not allow OCD to take over your life.

Phobias are often treated by first encouraging the person to visualise the thing that causes the phobic response. This would include having them also recreate the symptoms they experience. Once they begin to realise that there is no actual danger in the situation, they can move onto exposing themselves to the object of their fear in a controlled and safe environment. The key is to take small, measured steps, until the negative thoughts about the phobic trigger are replaced by positive, confident ones.

Medication specifically designed to help alleviate can also offer relief from symptoms. Diazepam and lorazepam are known to be effective, but only for up to three weeks as the body quickly becomes used to them. They can also be addictive.

Antidepressants are often the first medicines prescribed for treating an anxiety disorder, as depression and anxiety are often closely linked. It is important to remember that each medicine is designed for a specific task and should therefore only be used in association with medical advice after a professional assessment.

There are many avenues of help that sufferers of an anxiety disorder can choose and many people who suffer from disorders who never actually seek help. Do not think that you have to suffer in silence and simply `put up` with anxiety and stress. Help is available, you only need to ask for it.

Sleep Panic Attacks

A colleague of mine who used to suffer dreadful night time panic attacks, said that not only was she often too afraid to go to sleep, but too frightened to go upstairs to bed at all. This poor girl had to literally force herself to get into bed. A male client had to watch the television or listen to the radio until he fell asleep, because he constantly felt as though he would not wake up from his slumber and die in his sleep.

Although only half of all panic attacks occur whilst the sufferer is asleep, over fifty percent of people who experience daytime panic attacks will also suffer nightime attacks. Panic attacks during sleep hours are especially unpleasant because the sufferer often feels more vulnerable than in daylight hours and may even feel as though they are overwhelmed and powerless to react when the attacks strike. They also have an irrational fear of suffering a heart attack, stroke or some other cause of death. Fortunately, this is not likely to happen, although that does not make the fear for the victim any less frightening.

As is the case with daytime attacks, night attacks happen out of the blue and without warning, although they do usually follow a trigger. This trigger could be verbal, visual, or simply just a reaction to a chain of events, either way a panic attack is our bodys way of protecting us from perceived danger. The mind will react to the threat as though it were real and prepare our body to either flee from the danger or stand its ground and fight. Unfortunately, this is no consolation for the individual who is experiencing the shortness of breath and the increased heart rate that accompany a panic attack.

If the body did not exhibit these symptoms, there would be no release from the pressure of the situation and the result would probably be even more stressful than the panic attack itself.

Many people believe that panic attacks during sleep are a form of nightmare, but this is not the case. Most attacks occur during the early phase of the sleep pattern, whereas dreams occur during the latter part, which is why we are so often able to remember the events or our dreams or nightmares.

Of course, if we do not sleep restfully, we will be unable to perform any of our usual daytime activities to our fullest capabilities. Our concentration as well as our energy levels will be significantly reduced and over time the lack of sleep will quickly escalate into a potentially serious situation. If the situation is not resolved fairly quickly, co-ordination, balance and general well being will also feel the negative impact associated with sleep deprivation.

Medication is available that can control panic attacks at night, however, some people prefer to use medication as a last resort. Relaxing the mind during the day and practising relaxation techniques, will help to center and focus the mind and the attacks will become less frequent as the stress levels come down.

Cure for Panic attacks

When I suggest to my clients some tips that may help alleviate the symptoms of a panic attack, they look as me as though I have gone totally mad. Do I not realise that panic attacks strike suddenly and without warning and that when in the midst of one it is virtually impossible to think clearly, due to the total fear and confusion that the sufferer is feeling? Well, yes I do realise that and I realise that advising sufferers to “breathe, focus, relax…etc” may not be the best advice under the circumstance.

Most suffers find it difficult, if not impossible to act in a rational manner when they are in the grips of an attack. That is because the part of the brain that deals with the attacks, is not the rational part, it is the part that is well enough equipped for surviving potentially life threatening situations, but not for solving problems.

With that in mind, I have put together a few techniques that I use with my clients.

Find yourself a quite space where you can sit and relax while you think about the different experiences your body has during an attack. Think about each one calmly and dispassionately and take a guess at why your body may be reacting that way. Once you can see each for what it is and realise that, as frightening as it may be at the time, you are in no physical danger from the symptoms, move on to the next one.
Picture a huge screen and see yourself having a panic attack from a disassociated point, as though you were watching a film. Once you reach the end of the `film`, run it backwards, really quickly. Now add your favourite music while you run the entire film through from start to finish. Remain calm and focus on breathing rhythmically, how do you feel now?
Remind yourself that panic attacks have never hurt you, they have never hurt anyone else and never will. Be aware of why they happen and that they pose no danger. You will immediately dis-empower the attack.
Visualise the huge screen and see yourself handling a panic attack exactly as you want. If this is difficult, don`t worry, it will get easier with practise. Pretend that you are a director of your own home movie and you want to make it the best it can be. Edit it until it is just as you want it to be. Now, associate into the picture and imagine you are handling the attack the way you saw. Now think what cue or trigger will remind you to use this new skill in the future and enjoy the positive feelings you have about the situation.
Practice relaxation techniques such as yoga, tai-chi and the Alexander Technique.

Practice these techniques daily, until the panic attack holds no fear and each episode will be less traumatic than the one before. The worst part of an attack is often the fear itself. As Mark Twain famously said:

“I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened”.

Anxiety Stress Disorder

We all have feelings of anxiety at some point during our lives, in fact over 18% of adults in the United States, apparently suffers from an anxiety disorder in each year. Often feeling anxious can be useful in order to keep our minds focused on the task at hand. It is when the anxiety creeps into our every day lives and becomes excessive, that it turns into a real problem.

The problem isn’t the actual fear or phobia itself, we all have things that we`re afraid of , it’s the effect we allow those feelings to have on us. There are people who feel threatened by situations and circumstances, where most of us would not give a second thought to. To a sufferer a harmless event, could become something so traumatic, that they will never repeat the experience again. As Mark Twain said “Some bad things have happened in my life and some weren`t just in my head”. The danger is that the sufferer will allow these fears to grow to such an extent that they plunge into a deep depression. Negative thoughts are the only ones they can think of and these people will always see the downside of any situation. Of course, none of this is by choice and it is important to seek professional help.

If you have physical or emotional symptoms of stress or anxiety that interfere with your ability to lead the life you choose, then you are suffering from a major anxiety disorder. The symptoms must be present for at least six months.

Below are a few of the most common type of anxiety disorder:

General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Panic Attacks Disorder (PAD)
Phobias of Specific Places, People or Items

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder usually begins with a shocking event such as war or a violent occurrence. It leaves the victim so traumatized that they may lose their temper quicker than they used to do, become nervous around people or react with uncharacteristic aggression. Sufferers may also withdraw into themselves and be reluctant to talk about the event that they witnessed.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder apparently affects approximately 2.2 million adults. Quite often sufferers will show no outward signs that they have the disorder, but their compulsions to perform specific ritual acts, can become so severe that it takes over their life. The more anxious they become, the more they will perform the behaviour to relieve the anxiety, until eventually they find it impossible to stop.

Panic Disorders respond very well to treatment, providing sufferers seek help. Symptoms experienced during an attack can range from confusion to clamminess.

Specific Phobias also responds well to treatment and the person may be asked to imagine themselves faced with their phobia in order to desensitize themselves to it.

Anxiety Disorder Symptom – Hyperventilation

A young client of mine had been given an important assignment, which she saw as a hugely important step up the career ladder and of course she was keen to do well. When the day finally came for my young client to give a presentation in front of her colleagues, she had a major panic attack and totally fell apart. Her head began pounding, she had difficulty in finding the next breath and her heart was beating so loudly that she was convinced the whole room could hear it and were in fact laughing at her dilemma. By the time the room started to spin, she had had enough and fled the scene. Afterwards, it turned out that her colleagues were in fact very sympathetic of her plight and encouraged her to present the assignment the next day, which apparently she did very well and with no anxiety at all.

Recalling the incident in our next session, the strongest memory of the whole event, was she felt that she was fighting to catch her breath. This is hyperventilation and over half of all attacks are accompanied by this horrid symptom. It is important know, that although hyperventilation often feels as if you cannot get enough oxygen, the opposite is in fact true. Your body is getting too much oxygen.

Whilst hyperventilating, your body does not have enough time to retain the amount of Carbon Dioxide that it requires. That means that you cannot use up all of the oxygen that you are taking in. During an attack, some symptoms you may experience are:

Giddiness

Shortness of breath
Confusion
Clamminess
Chest pains
Heart palpitations

How to Cure Hyperventilation

Breathing in and out of a paper bag you will be able to inhale the carbon dioxide that you just exhaled and this will help to calm down your breathing
Holding your breath for around 10 seconds or as long as you find. comfortable, will help to stop the dissipation of carbon dioxide. Repeat a few times and you will find that your breathing returns to normal pretty quickly.
Practice breathing deeply, check that your shoulders remain still and that you take the breath into your stomach area and not your chest. Think of blowing air into a balloon and watching it fill from the bottom up. If you place your fingertips facing each other on your tummy, as you inhale, your diaphragm should expand and push your fingertips apart. Be sure to exhale fully, as this is when the relaxation really kicks in.

Imagine each inhale leading naturally to the exhale, almost like a circle of breath maintaining a steady, even rhythm throughout. Practise breathing this way every day, until it becomes second nature and you will find that you have much more control over your levels of anxiety. The more you are able to relax, the less your body will produce stress hormones and so the less stressed you will become. And it all starts with something as simple as breathing!

Symptoms of Panic Attacks

A key symptom of a panic disorder is the actual fear of having future panic attacks. Most people who have had one panic attack are likely to have others and this could partly be due to the fear triggering the attack.

The fear of experiencing an attack again can cause the person to avoid places and situations where an attack has occurred in the past or where they believe an attack may occur. They may even develop a phobia about these situations that they feel unable to control.

Panic attacks are different from other types of anxiety because they can happens so suddenly and unexpected. They can occur without being provoked and are often times disabling, because on a conscious level, they are totally unexpected.

The panic attacks themselves can be a symptom of an anxiety disorder. Once in a pattern of anxiety and avoidance, the person is said to have a panic disorder.

A Panic disorder can have a serious impact on a person`s life unless the person receives effective treatment. Panic attacks are serious health problems that are not as uncommon as you may think. Three million of adult Americans – or 1.7% – suffer from an attack at some point in their lives. The peak age at which an individual might experience their first panic attack is between the ages of 15 and 19. This is clearly a vulnerable age anyway and the onset of an anxiety disorder could become a major problem unless treated.

A panic attack will typically lasts for several minutes and is one of the most distressing conditions that a person can experience. Since its symptoms can closely mimic those of a heart attack, the individual fears the attack itself by believing what is happening to their bodies will lead to death. Panic attacks can take place while an individual is sleeping as well. These are nocturnal panic attacks but they occur far less often than panic attacks during the day. 40%-70% of individuals who suffer from daytime panic attacks will also suffer from nocturnal panic attacks.

These attacks tend to cause sufferers to wake suddenly from sleep in a state of sudden anxiety through no apparent cause and can have all the other symptoms of a panic attack. Although nocturnal panic attacks tend to last less than 10 minutes, the time that it takes to fully calm down after such an experience can be much longer.

While typically, individuals tend to suffer in certain different ways when it comes to panic attacks, the symptoms for all individuals fall into the dame state of mind; an uncontrollable fear.

Panic Attacks Help

Panic attack sufferers are thoroughly familiar with the shortness of breath, pounding heart, dizziness, and stomach issues that are associated with their anxiety. What an outsider might not understand is that panic attacks are a very private thing. The person who is suffering from them is typically worried about an irrational fear. In the depths of their soul they might know it is irrational but, that does not excuse them in fearing it. They typically feel shame about how far their fear has gone and how much it has affected their life. Because of this, a lot of panic attack sufferers do not seek help. Those who do seek help can find it in a variety of ways.

Most specialists agree that a combination of cognitive and behavioral therapies is the best kind of help for panic disorders. A lot of the times a person can find the help they need by simply being informed and understanding what a panic disorder is. These cognitive restructuring changes the way that person it thinking; they are not going crazy. They are not having a heart attack. And they are not going to die from a panic attack. Cognitive therapies help sufferers to replace their negative thoughts with more positive and realistic thoughts.

Behavioral therapies focus on exposure to the actual physical sensations that someone experiences during a panic attack. Most people are not afraid of the experience or object, they are afraid of the attack itself. For instance they are not afraid of the people in a social setting, they are afraid of having a panic attack in a social setting. Behavioral therapies consists of exposing a panic attack sufferers to the symptoms of the attack in a controlled setting and allowing them to see that symptoms like an elevated heart rate or hot flashes do not always erupt into a full blown panic attack. Behavioral therapies also include allowing the sufferer to go through small manageable steps of the action they are afraid of. Again, using social settings as an example, these practices entail maybe just getting in the car to go to a party. This allows the person to just deal with the feelings and emotions of just being in the car. They soon learn to not focus on the situation that lies ahead or the consequences of their fear. They soon learn that sitting in the car will not produce a panic attack. Everyone goes through these steps at their own pace. One sufferer might need to arrive at a social setting, stay for ten minutes then leave a dozen times before they show progress. Another person might be able to force themselves through the situation with the heart palpitations and other symptoms to learn that they were able to get through the event and the next one will be easier.

Panic attack sufferers might also find the help that they need through medication. Medication is typically used to control the symptoms of panic attacks. Medications can also reduce the number of panic attacks as well as their severity. Plus, they will reduce the fear and anxiety associated with having another attack. Relaxation techniques can also help someone deal with an attack. Some relaxation techniques include breathing exercises as well as positive visualization. Also, a support group with other people who suffer from panic attacks can be helpful.

Panic Attack Medication

Panic attacks can be a debilitating affliction that causes the individual that is suffering from it great stress and discomfort. They are seen in someone with a panic disorder but luckily can be treated through the use of therapy and medication. Therapy focuses on changing certain thinking and behavior patterns. Typically when these two therapies are combined, relapses of panic attacks occur far less frequently than when only one treatment is used. Medication can aid the rehabilitation efforts.

Several different types of medications can be used to treat panic attacks or to control the symptoms of panic attacks. Medications can also reduce the number and severity of panic attacks plus, reduce the anxiety of having another attack. There are several effective medications that will treat panic attacks like Prozac, Zoloft or Paxil which are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). SSRI are antidepressants and commonly prescribed drugs to treat depression. These types of medications affect chemicals known as neurotransmitters that nerves in the brain use to send messages to one another. Neurotransmitters, are released by one nerve and taken up by other nerves. The same nerves that released them will “reuptake” the neurotransmitters that are not taken up by other nerves. SSRI’s inhibit the reuptake of serotonin, an action which allows more serotonin to be available to be taken up by other nerves. Before SSRIs were available, medications from the group known as the tricyclic anti-depressants (TCAs) such as Tofranil, Norpramin, or Anafranil were often used to treat panic disorder. Although TCAs can equally as effective in treating panic attacks as SSRIs, SSRI’s have been proven to be safer and better tolerated in individuals. TCAs have been used less often as a result. Although, when used in the right individual with close monitoring, these medications can be an effective treatment for panic disorders. But like most medications, there is the risk of side effects wich can vary from minor to life-threatening in some cases. So, it is important to work closely with the prescribing doctor to decide whether treatment with medications is an appropriate intervention and if so, which medication should be administered. Pregnant women should not be treated with these kinds of medications due to the possible risks to the fetus.

Several medications from the benzodiazepine families are also approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat panic attacks or panic disorders. These medications include Xanax, Valium, Ativan, or Klonopin. These medications are effective in reducing anxiety and nervous tension. They are sometimes prescribed to be taken as needed for immediate relief to symptoms unlike SSRI’s which have to be taken every day.

Panic disorder symptoms should start to improve within a few weeks after beginning medications. If there is not improvement within 6 to 8 weeks, a higher dose or another medicine may be prescribed by the doctor. Most medications that are used to treat panic attacks need to be continued for a year or longer. After this time period they might be decreased gradually over a period of several weeks. Sometimes after the medications have been decreased, the individual might experience panic attacks again. In that case the medication might have to be continued for at least a few more months. Some individuals might need to stay on medications for a long time to keep symptoms under control.

Causes of Panic Attacks

A panic attack is described as “the sudden onset of intense anxiety,” this is accompanied by a feeling of intense fear, apprehension and heart palpitations. Sweating, shortness of breath and trembling plus several other symptoms are also part of suffering an attack. It is not known for certain what the exact trigger of a panic attack is but several factors are known to play a part, including biological and environmental.

Experts have looked at genetics for a possible cause for panic attacks in some people. In the same way that hair or eye color is passed down by one or both parents, a panic disorder has also been shown to run in families. It might be that a person is predisposed to having these attacks. Some panic attack sufferers have been shown to have a family member who has or had a panic disorder or some other emotional disorder like depression.

Another possible biological cause for panic attacks could be abnormalities in the brain. A panic disorder can be the result of certain changes in the way that parts of the brain function. Recent studies have suggested that panic attacks often co-occur with psychotic disorders like schizophrenia or post traumatic stress disorder. It is also possible that psychotic symptoms may lead to panic attacks. Psychotic episodes may precede or predict the onset of specific anxiety disorders as well like post traumatic stress disorder. Some research also suggests that our body’s natural fight-or-flight response to danger is involved in panic attacks. The bodies natural alarm system is a set of mental and physical mechanisms that allows a person to respond to a threat with an accelerated heart rate and an increased breathing pattern. During a panic attack, these feelings are triggered unnecessarily when there is no danger. It is still a mystery as to why a panic attack should occur under these circumstances.

Major life stress in some cases may be a cause of panic attacks as well. Stress may come in the form of a stressful event or a major life transition like the death or separation of a loved one. Some researchers have found that in these cases, when stresses lower your resistance, the underlying physical predisposition kicks in and may trigger an attack.

An environmental cause of panic attacks might be seen through an addiction. The intoxication or withdrawal of drugs or alcohol due to substance abuse can also possibly contribute to a panic disorder in an individual as well. Biological and environmental causes of a panic disorder might sometimes work together. Typically, attacks come out of the blue. But, eventually the sufferer might bring them on themselves by responding to physical symptoms associated with an attack. For example, if a person suffering from a panic disorder experiences a racing heartbeat caused by an outside source like taking a certain medication, they might interpret this as a symptom of an attack. They might bring on an attack because of their anxiety since a lot of the fear associated with an attack is fear of having another panic attack. Since the exact cause of panic disorders are not fully understood, it is important to seek treatment through several different forms of therapy.

Anxiety Disorders in Children

Most children will experience a typical fear or anxiety during their life time. They might be nervous about taking a test or starting a new school. In most cases, these fears do not turn irrational or develop into a panic attack or a panic disorder. But, there are some children that may show signs of a panic disorder for other reasons.

As much as we would like to protect the innocence of children and prevent anything from interfering with their lives, it is not always possible. Children can be afflicted with certain types of anxiety disorders that are also seen in adults. A generalized panic disorder might be seen in children in a variety of ways. They might excessively worry about everyday events like school or things at home. They tend to be extremely hard on themselves and strive for perfection. They might redo tasks in an effort to get them to come out perfectly. They might also seek constant approval and reassurance from others.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is another type of anxiety disorder that might be seen in children. OCD is intrusive or unwanted thoughts or obsessions that can’t seem to be removed from a person’s head. They also might display strong urges to repeatedly perform ritualistic behaviors and routines to try to ease their anxieties. Although the peak age at which a child might be diagnosed with OCD is ten, it can be seen in children as young as two or three. This anxiety disorder might be seen in children through excessive hand washing, the feeling of terror that they will accidentally do something wrong, rechecking or counting items excessively to ward off unwelcome thoughts, etc.

A panic disorder is another anxiety disorder that might be seen in children. A panic disorder can be diagnosed in children who suffer from at least two unexpected panic attacks followed by at least one month of concern over having another attack. Typically it is not seen in young children but it can be diagnosed in adolescents.

Children can also exhibit an anxiety disorder though specific phobias; irrational fears towards specific objects, places or situations. Although childhood fears like being fearful of animals, storms or the dark can go away on their own, if a fear is persistent within the child for at least six months and interferes with their daily activities, the child is said to have a phobia. Symptoms might include suffering from a stomach ache or headache, a tantrum, becoming clingy, or freezing in place when confronted with the fear.

Children who are exposed to an extreme stressor like a sudden death of a parent, a natural disaster, an accident or a physical assault, or children who witness a traumatic event can suffer from post traumatic stress disorder which is another type of anxiety disorder. These children might display symptoms of not eating or sleeping, emotional numbing, reliving the event through nightmares or through playing, or fear that the event might happen again.

Although these types of anxiety disorders can be both found in adults as well as in children, the physical and emotional signs might be very different. For one, children do not have an understanding that their fears are irrational plus, they might not be able to verbalize their feelings either. Children might display symptoms such as crying, throwing tantrums or becoming extremely clingy. Children how are suspected of having an anxiety disorder should be referred to their regular pediatrician.