Wednesday, July 2, 2008
What Are Anxiety and Panic Disorders?
So what really is an anxiety or panic attack? Perhaps you dont suffer from it yourself, but you know someone who does and you want to better understand it. If so, the preceding section probably only made sense half of the time, and you still havent got a clue as to what makes panic and anxiety tick.
Like many mentally harmful problems anxiety disorders arent easy to explain. Putting it in simple terms might seem to be trivializing it whereas using big medical words just makes it all that much harder to understand. So hoping that you wont think Im trivializing what can be a debilitating condition to most sufferers, myself included, Ill try and put it in an easy to understand manner.
If you got the gist of what I was saying earlier, both anxiety and panic are natural reactions that everybody feels from time to time. The trigger for either feeling can be different for each person although a few situations exist that are universally thought of as panic inducing and stress filled.
Another good example of such a situation that I can give you would be along the lines of public speaking. Not many of us can successfully walk up onto a stage without feeling at least some form of anxiety. This is normal and we can generally fudge our way through it managing to overcome our feelings.
What happens with the debilitating kind of anxiety attack is that you freeze up and are completely unable to cope with the situation. Time might seem to go slower and you might be feeling removed from your feelings, seeing things from the outside as it were. You might go through a number of different stages of panic, from a racing heartbeat to sweaty palms to cold shivers running up and down your back. The only constant factor is your intense feelings of helplessness.
For the person who hasnt suffered from a panic attack all of this might seem slightly ridiculous but let me assure you that its not. What I just described was very real and something that I went through before I was able to find a way to cope with the constant anxiety and panic attacks by myself. The hardest part that I remember from that day was the aftermath. Not only did I freeze up on the podium unable to deliver my speech, but I also had to deal with the humiliation that accompanied the whole debacle.
The added attention of people being kind and asking me if I needed anything, the covert looks that I received from yet other people were all bad. However, perhaps worst of all for me were the pitying looks accompanied by a slightly strained I-dont-know-what-to-say kind of look from the people who were milling about in confusion around me.
I have since then managed to walk up onto a stage and give a short address, but this was only possible through intense hard work on my part. So when I say that you can do it, you can conquer your Anxiety and Panic Attacks - Im speaking from experience.
Hopefully Ive managed to convey what I feel in a manner conducive to ease of understanding, and youre now comfortable with moving on to the next chapter to find out how you can first cope with your anxiety before moving on to finding a suitable cure.
I own bookstore in Slovenia and I'm in book business since 1990. I love my job. In October 2006 I've decided to build my own web site where you can find the top best selling books from diverse publishers. I like writing articles because I can put my thoughts on paper, create character, invent stories and go to places I often dream about.
How Long Do Panic Attacks Last?
"How long do panic attacks last" is a question many people who suffer from panic attacks have, but unfortunately it isn't so easy to answer. It really depends on so many factors and the answer is different for every person. However, I'm going to explain several factors that may affect how long a panic attack lasts.
A single, sudden attack mostly lasts between 30 seconds to over an hour. However, it really depends on the person going through it. If you manage to stay calm and tell yourself it is just another panic attack and won't do any physical harm, the attack will most probably last shorter.
What can I do to affect the length of a panic attack?
There are several things you can do to affect how long a panic attack lasts. First of all, it is important to stay calm. Tell yourself that these attacks haven't hurt you in the past and they won't hurt you right now either. They are just caused by your brain and the adrenaline your brain releases.
If you feel breathless or dizzy, you may hyperventilate. Hyperventilation causes an unbalance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your blood and that may make you feel dizzy or short of breath. Breathing into a paper bag helps balancing it again.
Another important tip is to distract yourself from thinking about your panic attack. Watch a funny movie on TV or play your favourite music. Try to keep yourself busy by going for a walk or talk to someone.
Is there treatment for panic attacks?
Fortunately, yes, there is. You can get rid of panic attacks forever, and working towards that should be your goal. All those tips I have given you are just temporary solutions but they won't help you get rid of the panic attacks. You should see a psychotherapist or get a self-help course to make your panic attacks go away forever.
As you see, the question "How long do panic attacks lasts" isn't easy to answer, but I hope I have given you some tips to help you get over them. Nevertheless, you should work on making them go away forever. Click here for more info on how to finally get rid of your panic attacks.
Barbara MarciniakHoroskop
