Anxiety Go Away!

Also called a panic attack, a condition of severe anxiety essentially describes a condition in which a person is so overcome by fear that he cannot function normally, either physically or mentally. While anxiety attacks can manifest themselves in a number of ways, some cases might turn out to be more threatening than others. Some common symptoms that signify serious anxiety disorder include:

1. Chest pain that feels like a heart attack

2. Severe heart palpitations
3. Sudden feelings of nausea, dizziness, uncontrollable shaking
4. Hot & cold flashes
5. Feelings of losing control
6. Clammy and damp hands
7. Heavy sweating and the need to use the bathroom frequently

Together with feeling inexplicably irritable or the need to be alone, severe anxiety disorder makes itself evident in the following ways:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): People suffering from this form of anxiety are constant worriers about ’something going wrong’, even without any rhyme or reason. Symptoms of this anxiety include insomnia, stomach cramps, restlessness and feeling tired.

Separation Anxiety Disorder: Someone with this form of anxiety has problems leaving his/her family when attending school or staying over at a friend’s house or even being alone.

Acute Stress Disorder: This kind of nervousness can last for a long time as a result of some trauma.

Anxiety due to Medical Condition or Substance: This kind is triggered by any illness or a prolonged medical condition, such as asthma or even by some food allergies.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) : This is among the more severe disorders and causes continuous depressing thoughts and performing some act repeatedly or a behavior that is difficult to control. Examples of these can be checking the door locks or even cleaning some object repeatedly.

Panic Disorder: This attack type is characterized by an unexplained feeling of fear, along with the fear of experiencing another similar attack. This disorder is often found along with agoraphobia, which is the fear of being in an open place. The symptoms of this disorder are troubled breathing, acute nausea and dizziness, together with a tendency to avoid confined spaces— this opposes the idea of agoraphobia-the person would avoid open spaces than confined ones, please check.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) : Another serious type, this disorder is triggered by thoughts of some life-threatening or brutal experience that one might have undergone. This disorder manifests itself by the way of unexplained anger, depression, insomnia or reclusive behavior.

Social Phobia: This is characterized by withdrawing when one is in a social gathering or feeling highly anxious while addressing a group. This anxiety is triggered by a fear of being ridiculed or laughed at by people in public.

Specific Phobia: Anxiety can be triggered if exposed to an object that is feared, such as fear of water, heights or closed enclosures.

Treating Severe Anxiety

It is possible to treat certain symptoms of severe anxiety, especially when the patient accepts his condition and consciously makes an effort to face them and realize that things aren’t all that frightening. Consulting a therapist, leading a stress-free lifestyle and certain medications can also help in treating this anxiety disorder. Some tips to help you cope with anxiety are:

Pinning the Cause: The first step towards treating yourself is consciously recognizing the reasons behind your panic attacks. It could be situation-specific, like addressing a large crowd, or even a general feeling, such as too many people surrounding you.

Easy Breathing: Once you figure out what the cause is or even otherwise, try some easy breathing techniques. Deep breathing techniques are extremely helpful when looking for a way out of these anxiety attacks.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) : This is one of the best known therapies to assist in calming the mind. Popular practices for this include slow talking, consciously stopping negative thoughts, being firm and attentive.

Eat Right: Cut out on the alcohol and caffeine and try a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables. Excess caffeine is known to add to feelings of anxiety.

Do something else: Most people who are looking at a way out of this disorder are known to distract themselves with other activities. This could be watching television, listening to some music, reading a book, jogging or even hanging out with friends.

To get over the conditions of severe anxiety, accept and allow yourself a way out. If need be, consult a therapist who can effectively help you deal with the situation and boost your self-confidence.