Panic Attack Help

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Firstly, what is a panic attack? A commonly accepted definition of a panic attack is ‘an exaggeration of the body’s normal response to fear, stress or excitement’. 20% of the adult population have experienced a panic attack which if left untreated can become a more regular occurrence. Some people have one or two panic attacks and never experience another while others have attacks once a month or several times each week. Even the fear of anticipating the next attack can be quite overwhelming for most people.

Typical signs of a panic attack area pounding heart, profuse sweating, higher sensory alertness and thoughts racing through the head which can be brought on without warning during any daily activity. Other symptoms include a tingling sensation in the limbs and a feeling of faintness. All of these sensations are brought on by adrenalin flooding the body in response to a potentially threatening situation. Some people can get so panicked that they will admit themselves to the emergency room in the mistaken belief that they’re having a full blown cardiac arrest. In fact twenty five per cent of those people who are admitted to hospital for chest pains are experiencing panic attacks and not heart attacks. Panic attacks can come on very quickly and usually last for between five and 20 minutes.

One of the causes of panic attacks is chronic stress which can be caused by financial worries, loss of a job, or perhaps a divorce, but more generally through unresolved emotional issues. People can have a full blown panic attack because they have grown up with some type of emotional trauma which they have repressed and never really dealt with. The situation can be exasperated through lack of sleep and the use of drugs, nicotine and alcohol or a poor diet which is high in sugar and caffeine which can all contribute to feelings of anxiety.

Psychotherapy can also be just as important in treating panic disorders as medication. Mental therapy helps establish the irrational fears which can then be addressed with relaxation techniques. A combination of both medical and psychological treatment can ease anxiety and prevent panic attacks, together with proper lifestyle choices.

Panic attacks can affect both men and woman, but women are much more likely to seek help whereas men typically tend to internalize anxiety and stress and may even turn to alcohol in order feel more relaxed. Use of alcohol is not a long term effective treatment and can even lead to
alcoholism.

If you do experience a panic attack the first thing to concentrate on is your breathing. When we’re anxious we tend to breathe more shallow which in turn leads to increase in heart rate. You should take deep breaths and try to relax. Longer term treatment should include therapy, medication and a healthier lifestyle. Follow the basics of self care with exercise and diet, and surround yourself with a support network that you can talk and discuss any issues, so that you don’t have to live in fear.

Hugo Davenport
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/dealing-with-panic-attacks-669417.html

Pregnancy for women is nature’s boon to them. It is a specialty which their counterpart (male) can not share. Pregnancy is one of the most joyous moments of any woman’s life! But, when panic attacks occur during pregnancy it becomes not just a bad experience but also a very dangerous experience for both mother and baby! Within society, panic attacks are nothing unusual, in fact they can be very common and are suffered by many people nowadays, some more severe than others. Now during pregnancy this common condition/situation can be extremely dangerous for both mother and baby and is a completely different ball game.

Panic attacks while pregnant can result from the immense stress and anxiety that occurs during pregnancy. It is natural because at this time the stimulative hormone ’serotonin’ is produced in large quantities. So, during pregnancy a woman comes under influence of panic attacks in two ways - first the natural secretion of the hormone and second, anticipated fear.

So, bearing a baby and suffering from panic attacks can make the situation dangerous. So here are some crucial tips you can follow to help with avoiding panic attacks while pregnant!

1. Practice Breathing Exercises - When you are feeling nervous, it is advised to put your hand over the stomach and take deep slow breaths. Expand and compress your stomach softly while inhaling and exhaling. By doing these exercises you can relieve your stress and worries. Try to do this on a regular basis to help avoid attacks surfacing!

2. A Healthy Balanced Diet - You must pay attention to your diet as you are not only feeding yourself but also your baby. Your diet should contain more fruits and green vegetables as they are easily digestible and above all, essential elements required by the body during pregnancy. These foods contain chemicals which are helpful in controlling panic attacks during pregnancy. You should also include protein in your diet like egg white, meat, fish etc. This will enable you to keep your diet balanced!

3. Plenty Of Sleep - Pregnant women are advised to rest and take ample sleep during their pregnancy period. A research, titled ‘Curing Illness by means of Sleeping’ reveals that good sleep can cure many ailments including stress related ailments. The body gets the opportunity to heal by itself, and no medicine can compete with this healing technique.

4. Maintain Balance - You should maintain balanced behavior to avoid panic attacks during pregnancy. Control your emotions - be it positive or negative. Over joy or depression is dangerously harmful during pregnancy. Try to refrain from anything that is associated with extreme emotion.

The best thing you can do to avoid panic attacks while pregnant is - eat healthy, sleep well and think positive. Maintaining this type of attitude is hugely important and will help you cope with panic attacks and ultimately avoid them while pregnant!

Ethan Grays
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/crucial-steps-you-can-take-to-avoid-panic-attacks-while-pregnant-723337.html

If you have had the misfortune to suffer from a panic attack you know what a truly terrifying experience it is.

Suddenly and without warning you start to feel dizzy or light-headed, you can’t seem to catch your breath, your body starts trembling or shaking and most frightening of all your heart starts to race and you can literally feel it pounding in your chest as if it is about to explode. Your mind screams: Help! I must be having a heart attack!

The first time I suffered a panic attack, I felt sure I was either having a heart attack or about to have one, and took myself off to the local hospital. Oddly, even as I was on my way to the emergency room I felt the symptoms decrease, until by the time the doctors saw me I was feeling much better. Later I was told that this is one of the ways you can tell whether it’s a panic attack or heart attack. Panic attacks symptons generally decrease in a short time, whereas heart attack symptoms generally increase or stay at the same level.

After that first panic attack, I learned that my feelings and thoughts produced the physical symptoms, which in turn fed the feelings and thoughts of panic and terror. Which is why, as I was on my way to the emergency room, the focus of my thoughts naturally moved from how terryfing the symptoms were, to thinking about how much better I would feel at the hospital were I could receive help. I literally stopped myself from being panicked by the panic itself.

Panic attacks usually lasts less than ten minutes, although some of the symtoms may last longer. As soon as you feel yourself in a spiral from anxiety to sheer panic, try and focus on your breathing, and think about how you are feeling. Remind yourself that the actual fear of a panic attack feeds on itself like a raging fire, and that this fire will quickly burn itself out. Fortunately, despite their frightening nature, be reassured that panic attacks themselves do not lead to heart attacks, loss of control, mental illness or death.

A panic attack is a mental thought process that produces the physical symptoms, whereas a heart attack produces physical symptoms that leads to the mental thought process of panic.

Quite simply, you panic first, and the panic attack itself produces the symptoms that make you think you’re having a heart attack. Conversely, you have the physical symtoms of a heart attack, which then produces the worry that makes you get to the hospital.

So in answer to the question, is it a panic attack or is it a heart attack, simply try and ask yourself what came first: the mental panic or the physical pain?

If you have suffered a panic attack, please either get yourself to a hospital or see your doctor to rule out any physical problems. Panic attacks and generalized anxiety are very common and are treatable a variety of ways, but you should be diagnosed by a professional before embarking on any treatment.

John Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/how-to-stop-panic-attacks-697910.html

While you may not believe it, using natural remedies for panic attacks can be just as effective as a prescription medication. These natural remedies are often better for you as well, with fewer or no side effects. Contrast this with prescription anxiety medications, which can cause all sorts of unpleasant side effects; some of the side effects commonly experienced are: heart palpitations, racing heart, dry mouth, sexual problems, constipation, and drowsiness. These are just the more common side effects. Also, in some individuals, these prescriptions can have the opposite effect they are supposed to, increasing anxiety instead of decreasing it.

using natural remedies can avoid these unpleasant side effects. It is entirely possible to feel calmer and have fewer panic attacks using these natural remedies. Unlike prescription medications, however, natural remedies are usually not approved by the FDA for the treatment of any condition. Just be aware of your own reactions to a natural remedy and stop using it if you experience any side effects that bother you.

A few of the natural remedies available for panic attacks are lemon balm, lavender, and passiflora. These herbs are said to be highly effective in the treatment of panic attacks and for general stress and anxiety relief. Most often these are available in products with other ingredients that enhance their relaxing effect. There is a particular brand of herbal mixture called Pure Calm. This product contains all three of the above ingredients, and is very effective at relieving stress and anxiety, reducing the number of panic attacks you experience.

Another name brand herbal remedy is called Panicyl. This product contains ginseng, ashwaganda, Rhodiala Rosea, and a mixture of various amino acids that work together to relax and enhance your mood by balancing neurotransmitter levels in your brain. This acts to reduce your anxiety and help with depression, which reduces the frequency and severity of your panic attacks.

Another herbal remedy that is well known is St. John’s Wort. This herb is usually taken in capsule form to provide many of the same benefits as Panicyl, and has been proven to significantly reduce the frequency of panic attacks if taken regularly.

Some of these products should not be taken with certain prescription medications, as they may produce an adverse reaction or interfere with the effectiveness of the medication.. Always talk with your doctor before starting on any homeopathic treatment plans.

When taken regularly, natural remedies for panic attacks have been shown to be as effective in some cases as prescription medications, but with a far lower occurrence of side effects. They are all available over-the-counter, and are usually reasonably priced. You can start taking them immediately. But if you are on other medication, always talk to your doctor before taking any of these natural remedies for panic attacks.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/natural-remedies-for-panic-attacks-how-to-use-homeopathy-for-relief-709328.html

Medical disorders as well as psychological disorders are responsible for panic attacks on humans. Panic attacks caused due to medical disorders depend on the way the person handles anxiety in him. Medical disorders might also disturb a body with its effects that you might not have had a problem handling earlier. Panic attacks become harder and tougher to treat because of a few medical disorders.

Most of the doctors advise for a blood test when you are struck with a panic attack or just its symptoms. There are a lot of medical reasons why panic attacks happen quite often. Blood test happens to be the simplest and the cheapest way to find out the loop hole in these panic attacks on the body. Doctors are afraid many of these panic attacks might just mask the medical disorders as these are liable to become worse without even a treatment.

A thyroid disorder test is a must when it comes to testing for a medical caused panic attack. The doctor’s advices a thyroid disorder test immediately as it is known to cause irritability, anxiety and a few other psychological symptoms. These symptoms could be quite dangerous as they can build up to something more serious. A blood test is sufficient to test your thyroid disorder.

An example of a medical cause is sleep disorder. A good night’s sleep can lead from anxiety and frustration to panic attacks. Hence, it is very essential that good sleep is always encouraged and got. Everyone knows the importance of a good sleep and what it can do if you are deprived of it. Frustration and anxiety lead up to panic attacks when you are deprived of some good and healthy sleep. A sleep disorder check can confirm your panic attacks and help you solve them comfortably.

IBS or the Irritable Bowel Syndrome is when you are either having a chronic diarrhea or unable to have proper bowel movement. Uncontrollable diarrhea is a hindrance when it happens in public places where you have to keep excusing yourself. It might be embarrassing to keep going to the restroom if you are in school or a work. Frustration and irritation starts to creep when you have to keep visiting the restroom often especially when you are driving or in an important meeting. This begins to get big on you sometimes leading to anxiety and worry. Panic attacks follow soon, much to the misery of the person. You will feel better and confident if you could open up your problem with IBS and get a proper treatment for yourself. You can, thus, prevent visiting the restroom too often and hence alleviate he anxiety level and also a panic attack.

Heart conditions also can contribute to a medical cause which leads to panic attacks. The conditions in the heart can increase the possibility to cause the panic attacks. Heart rate, palpitations and tightening sensation in the chest are a few indications of a heart condition causing panic attack. This, in turn, causes more anxiety and invites more trouble, nonetheless. It is very important that you share all your problems with your doctor as he is the only one who could understand everything about it. Doctors can provide you the right medicine and medication to help you fight your panic attacks and get rid of them as soon as possible. Apart from all these, there could be a lot more symptoms regarding these panic attacks. One should ensure that these are noted properly and reported to the doctor without any delay. Symptoms of fear and panic can come in any form to a person anytime; hence it is advisable to get treated as soon as possible.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/panic-attacks-the-medical-reasons-behind-it-709352.html

Pregnancy for women is nature’s boon to them. It is a specialty which their counterpart (male) can not share. Pregnancy is one of the most joyous moments of any woman’s life! But, when panic attacks occur during pregnancy it becomes not just a bad experience but also a very dangerous experience for both mother and baby! Within society, panic attacks are nothing unusual, in fact they can be very common and are suffered by many people nowadays, some more severe than others. Now during pregnancy this common condition/situation can be extremely dangerous for both mother and baby and is a completely different ball game.

Panic attacks while pregnant can result from the immense stress and anxiety that occurs during pregnancy. It is natural because at this time the stimulative hormone ’serotonin’ is produced in large quantities. So, during pregnancy a woman comes under influence of panic attacks in two ways - first the natural secretion of the hormone and second, anticipated fear.

So, bearing a baby and suffering from panic attacks can make the situation dangerous. So here are some crucial tips you can follow to help with avoiding panic attacks while pregnant!

1. Practice Breathing Exercises - When you are feeling nervous, it is advised to put your hand over the stomach and take deep slow breaths. Expand and compress your stomach softly while inhaling and exhaling. By doing these exercises you can relieve your stress and worries. Try to do this on a regular basis to help avoid attacks surfacing!

2. A Healthy Balanced Diet - You must pay attention to your diet as you are not only feeding yourself but also your baby. Your diet should contain more fruits and green vegetables as they are easily digestible and above all, essential elements required by the body during pregnancy. These foods contain chemicals which are helpful in controlling panic attacks during pregnancy. You should also include protein in your diet like egg white, meat, fish etc. This will enable you to keep your diet balanced!

3. Plenty Of Sleep - Pregnant women are advised to rest and take ample sleep during their pregnancy period. A research, titled ‘Curing Illness by means of Sleeping’ reveals that good sleep can cure many ailments including stress related ailments. The body gets the opportunity to heal by itself, and no medicine can compete with this healing technique.

4. Maintain Balance - You should maintain balanced behavior to avoid panic attacks during pregnancy. Control your emotions - be it positive or negative. Over joy or depression is dangerously harmful during pregnancy. Try to refrain from anything that is associated with extreme emotion.

The best thing you can do to avoid panic attacks while pregnant is - eat healthy, sleep well and think positive. Maintaining this type of attitude is hugely important and will help you cope with panic attacks and ultimately avoid them while pregnant!

Ethan Grays
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/crucial-steps-you-can-take-to-avoid-panic-attacks-while-pregnant-723337.html

The female sex is scientifically proven to have been affected with more panic attacks than their opposite sex. Depression, anxiety, tension are the usual factors associated with panic attacks. Even one has an adverse effect on the person, leading to a panic attack much to the misery.

A female is known to go through a lot more hormonal changes through a month. These hormonal changes even affect their behavior and mood from time to time. Small things such as these cause anxiety in them. Any stressful, worried thought might lead to anxiety and other devastating problems one will need to encounter. You cannot help but accept the hormonal changes in your body, which also can cause you some anxiety during it’s time. Depression is soon to follow in such cases making things more difficult to cope up with.

Depression is the most frequent follow up to anxiety problems. It bogs you down so much that you lose faith in yourself and the confidence to live any longer. It, in a way, increases the tension and intensifies anxiety. You do not get good sleep and peaceful things running in your mind during depression. Food habits start to change and life becomes very hard to deal with. The more you sleep, the better your body responds but depression will prevent you from having a good sleep. Panic attacks are a result of these things put together. It might either come in stages or attack you with a bang. Panic attacks usually are the ones to follow after severe increase in depression and anxiety. It affects you physically and psychologically to a great deal. Everything that time would be related and that fear and worry might overcome your life totally. Heart problems, sweating and twitching are related symptoms of a panic attack.

A healthcare professional’s help might be sought if you feel hormonal changes are causing your anxiety. A proper hormonal treatment can ensure you some good health. Psychotropic medication too can aid you to good health. While anti-depressants are used, these days, by females who are under depression and anxiety, it is often not desired. But they have been proven to be quite effective over the years. The most effective and successful anti-depressants found in the market are: Benzodiazepines and Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs include Zoloft, Paxil, and Prozac while the benzodiazepines include Valium, Canax, Klonopin and Ativan. These medications certainly help fighting panic attacks, anxiety and depression in females. It is, anyway, very important to contact your doctor or physician when such panic attacks are feared. The doctors are the best people to help you out with your problem. Good medication will help you save tackle these panic attacks at its early stages and thus preventing the misery one have to go through.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/panic-attacks-depression-anxiety-in-female-the-art-of-tackling-709353.html

Panic attacks treatment is a must for those people who are suffering from constant panic attacks. Because of the varying nature of panic attacks, treatment can become a little bit difficult. The symptoms of a Panic attack have a tendency to differ from anxiety, heart palpitations, to hot flushes and even nausea. So, due to the difference in symptoms from person to person, the analysis of the situation can be difficult.

There are several kinds of panic attacks treatment, which can help in controlling the different types of panic attacks. Here are 5 well known panic attack treatments that may be able to help you:

1. Meditation - The first and one of the best panic attacks treatment is using meditation. This is because meditation helps you to keep your mind completely calm. It also helps the body to relax and repress terror, which always leads to panic attacks.

2. Medication - As mentioned panic attack treatments do vary as per the symptoms. Sometimes the sufferer of a panic attack can be treated by medication. Lots of the medication used in the treatment of panic attacks contains the chemical benzodiazepine and all of them have a sedative effect on the nervous system, as a result of which, a person calms down immediately suppressing the attack.

3. Psychotherapy - The use of psychotherapy is also one of the best and most used types of panic attacks treatment. This process of treatment is lengthy, but it is quite effectual as well. Additionally, for gaining the benefits of this treatment you have to follow some strict and stringent rules. This part, putting many sufferers off the process.

4. Psychologically - Another treatment for panic attacks is Psychological counselling. It is a very common treatment for panic attacks and anxiety. In this treatment you have to spend a short time with an expert, who will help you to identify the source of your panic attacks and hopefully treat the core problem.

5. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - The 5th panic attack treatment is cognitive-behavioural therapy. In this treatment you have to perform meditation and yoga body control exercises. This cognitive-behavioural therapy can help some people in avoiding panic attacks by doing some physical exercises. But it totally depends upon a person’s activity as to how well you perform physical activities and in effect react to treatment.

Many people destroy their panic attacks daily and all take a different route towards treatment. These are only 5 brief descriptions of many that are available in today’s world. One thing is for sure though, and that is, if the condition is left untreated it can quite easily spiral out of control very quickly indeed. So find your panic attacks treatment today!

Ethan Grays
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/panic-attacks-treatment-5-ways-you-can-beat-your-panic-attacks-715843.html

In order to cure your panic attacks, you must first understand what’s causing them and why they will never go away until you condition your mind to respond to them positively and without fear!

The best panic attacks help starts with you; they continue to occur because you have become fearful of having them, and this thought is overtaking your body through your mind. So, what can you do to stop them?

First, visit your doctor and get checked out so you can rule out any other preexisting medical condition. Once you have the “go ahead” from your doctor, it will be that much easier to begin controlling your fear while suffering a panic attack, knowing there is nothing medically wrong with you!

For panic attacks sufferers, it’s important to eat right and feel healthy because if you’re suffering a panic attack and you’re not in decent shape, you will tend to start thinking once again; there must be something wrong in your body such as something heart-related, etc., which is causing the panic attack.

Make healthy decisions such as quitting a smoking habit, getting enough sleep, and not drinking alcohol excessively, and this will give you a great head-start in curing your panic attacks.

You also need to have a plan of action for your next attack; tell yourself, “I will react positively, knowing it will disappear within minutes. I will no longer be fearful from it and I refuse to let it control my life. I will control my breathing, taking normal breaths into my diaphragm and I will focus my mind on something pleasant, such as; walking along the beaches of Hawaii and feeling the sand between my toes!”

It will work! The greatest panic attacks help comes from your mind; you control everything. The sooner you start taking charge of your mindset by being positive, the quicker panic attacks will disappear from your life, forever!

Orlando Gutierrez
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/panic-attacks-help-yourself-727211.html