Stop Anxiety | Panic

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Panic attacks and agoraphobia are intertwined.  Here’s how:  Look in the dictionary and it will tell you the definition of agoraphobia is “fear of the marketplace.”  Clinically speaking agoraphobia is a condition that makes people afraid to leave home. There are different degrees of this condition and so, many times people suffering from are it simply afraid to visit some places.

Actually, most cases of agoraphobia start with the sufferer being afraid to go one place in particular.  After a while they will fear visiting another spot.  Before long they fear other places and in time they fear visiting the world outside their homes altogether.

Agoraphobia does not exist on its own.  It needs panic attacks to survive.   The simple fact is, agoraphobia is not possible without panic because one who fears leaving home actually experiences panic when leaving home. Simple fear does not impel one to stay at home for the rest of his life.

Panic and Agoraphobia

There is no doubt anxiety panic disorder is part of the condition we know as agoraphobia.  If panic attacks are absent, agoraphobia will not be present either. Clearly, the cure to agoraphobia lies in curing panic attack syndrome.

The first panic attack most people have comes unexpectedly and suddenly.  The sufferer of a panic attack will always seem to blame the place the attack occurred on the fact it did occur.  So, logically, he will not want to return to this place.

Unfortunately, a sufferer of anxiety is liable to have a panic attack anywhere and so, if the panic attack was anything other than just a rare isolated incident, the patient will have another one in a another place and he will then add this place to those he will no longer visit.

Fear of Panic Occurring at a Particular Event

In reality, it is not always places the panic attack sufferer associates with his panic attacks.  It sometimes is certain events he will blame the attack on.  Certain church ceremonies, such as weddings may be associated with panic.  Also, sometimes it is parties, traffic jams, concerts or any other type of an event.   It doesn’t really matter because in the sufferer’s mind the solution is to stay home.

The symptoms of panic attack are very harrowing to the person having them.   These symptoms are feelings that mock very serious events like heart attacks and strokes.    It is only normal to try to stave off such feelings.   Certainly, if avoiding certain events would do it, it would seem reasonable to stay away from them!  However, ot would not be a cure.

The bottom line is curing agoraphobia entails the sufferer visiting those places where he suffered panic attacks.  The cure to panic attacks entails the sufferer of them actually inviting these attacks to occur without trying to avoid them in any way shape or form.  Panic thrives on fear and when we decide we will not fear them, they will cease to exist.  Then, with panic no longer present in one’s life, agoraphobia will wither on the vine. 

There are a wide variety of symptoms of panic.  One of the reasons panic’s symptoms vary is because there are extreme differences in the potential severity of anxiety.  Anxiety can be a mild nervousness, a raging panic attack or many different degrees of anxiety in between these two extremes.  Besides this fact, there are many different types of anxieties.  Some of these are:

• Performance Anxiety – A condition where a person is unable to make speeches or cannot function under pressure while participating in a participation sport.
• Test Anxiety – A similar condition where a person fails tests in school, even though he or she is adequately familiar with the content of the test.
• Separation Anxiety – When a person, often a child cannot stand to be left alone.
• Anxiety or Panic Disorder – Where a person experiences spell of intense panic when there is no external reason to be in a state of panic.

Though these conditions seem to run the gamut of a wide variety of situations, often times self-help treatments can be very beneficial and maybe even sufficient to start to bring about a cure to each one. A couple of self help treatments that can be very beneficial to anxiety and panic sufferers are reading an excellent psychology book, such as “Psycho-Cybernetics or partaking in progressive relaxation.  First however, we must make this disclaimer:

Panic attacks will sometimes make the sufferer feel as if he or she is experiencing a heart attack or a stroke. It is important a person suffering from this condition gets a clean bill of health from a doctor before assuming the panic has brought on these common mock heart attack or stroke symptoms. Once the patient’s health is no longer in question, he or she should no longer pay any attention to these false symptoms while under the influence of the adrenaline brought on by the panic attack.

Though ignoring anxiety’s symptoms is difficult when one’s nerves are sensitized, doing so is key to putting an end to panic attacks.  One technique many people have used to start down the road to desensitizing their nerves is progressive relaxation.

There are three stages to progressive relaxation exercises. First, the anxiety sufferer lies down or relaxes in an easy chair. Once comfortable, the patient instructs the major body parts to relax. This is accomplished by instructing the body starting at the bottom and moving to the top. In other words, “feet relax, legs relax, lower legs and buttocks relax,” etc. This is continued right up to the head and in this way some degree of relaxation is accomplished.

In the second stage, the patient becomes aware of the breathing, which should be slower than normal but comfortable. He or she should pay no attention to any outside noises but only tune into this slow, comfortable breathing.

After a few minutes, the patient should think of some relaxing time or scene he or she has experienced some time in the past, or if no peaceful scene from the past can be thought of, the patient should make one up. The key is to use the imagination and the breathing to be drawn into a peaceful state of mind.

Finally, the patient should imagine him or herself acting in a way that would be his or her ideal. For instance, the test anxiety sufferer should imagine being calm and confident while taking a test. The panic sufferer should imagine dismissing any hint of panic and continuing on through the day undisturbed.

While this may seem too simple to give any real results, I used this method when I suffered frequent severe panic attacks and it was what got me to turn the corner and head toward complete recovery. So, I know it works, but there is one more key to a successful recovery.

An anxiety sufferer needs to recognize the fact he or she is suffering from anxiety disorder and needs to acknowledge it will only leave after the body’s overly sensitized adrenaline system becomes healed. This can only happen on its own timetable and will only happen after the patient realizes that no amount of fighting the condition or trying to run away from it will help. However, acceptance together with time will heal panic attack anxiety.

The key is to use relaxation and recall relaxed feelings throughout the day. Then, live through anxieties symptoms, paying them as little attention as possible. A complete recovery will come soon after this acceptance takes hold.

Anxiety causes are vast and numerous.  More so even than the amounts of anxieties that plague our society today.  To name a few different types of anxieties, there are:

• Social anxiety
• Test anxiety
• Separation anxiety
• Panic anxiety
• Performance anxiety
• and many subtle types of anxiety that fall into the category of “Anxiety Disorder.”

Anxiety, in itself is very common and though it is wise to control it, anxiety really doesn’t amount to much until it crosses over into the realm we term anxiety disorder.  Anxiety disorder is anxiety in doses that tend to control the lives of those who are inflicted by it.  In fact, the main difference between ordinary anxiety and anxiety disorder is whether or not it actually controls what the sufferer does. 

For instance, does he cancel appointments because of anxiety?  Does the sufferer change or cancel travel plans?  Does he call in sick often because of his inability to to face the drive to work or his apprehension to talk a client or face the boss?  These things may frazzle the nerves of a sufferer of ordinary anxiety, but they will entirely overwhelm the sufferer of anxiety disorder.

Another symptom of anxiety disorder is panic.  Mot all, but most sufferers of anxiety disorder also have frequent, or at least occasional panic attacks and this is for a good reason.  Anxiety disorder and panic attacks are born of the fight or flight syndrome.  In other words, the more one tries to run away from, or fight off anxiety, the deeper and more overwhelming the anxiety will be.

One who has he ability to totally accept his anxiety will never suffer a panic attack because when fear is absent from anxiety, this anxiety will be unable to build into panic.  It is when the sufferer tries to escape the weird and horrific feelings anxiety brings on that anxiety receives the fuel it needs to build into strong anxiety disorder and panic.  Yes, fear is panic’s fuel, without it panic wanes.

Learning how to control fear while under the duress of anxiety is something that needs to be learned but it is a very learn-able trick as many have been cured from anxiety disorder and panic attacks.   

Psychotic anxiety is definitely a condition that requires professional attention.  A small blog article would be of little help to anyone who has been diagnosed with this rare illness.  In part, this is because medication is required to make headway toward the cure of  psychotic anxiety.  Also, it takes a professional trained in dealing with it to determine how much progress is being made toward its end cure.

Another complicating factor is whether the anxiety is seen as an acute psychosis or one without an abnormal amount of complications.  Obviously, the answer to this question would not be found over the Internet.

However, one place where an article can be helpful in such a matter is to inform those who have yet to be diagnosed, psychotic anxiety is not a widespread condition.  More helpful information is the fact that everyone suffering ordinaryanxiety disorder believes he or she has some sort of psychosis, at least in the beginning.  This is a normal response to a nervous illness that while not serious can be very, very frightening!

Still, anxiety disorder, with or without panic attack, though scary, is most often a far cry from any type of psychosis.  Anxiety panic disorder has become very common in today’s world.  Because of pressures that have become built in to the modern lifestyle and due to I believe,  the widespread use of recreational drugs such as marijuana, many people’s lives become bogged down with anxiety disorder and panic attack.  However, with the right approach and the right counseling this condition can be short lived.  Fortunately, this is often the case.

With most cases of anxiety disorder and panic attack disorder it takes a lot of resolve on the sufferer’s part and the right information to get this nervous illness on its way to being neutralized.  Though it may take several weeks or maybe even months, anxiety disorder and panic attacks are commonly defeated.  These conditions have no psychosis associated with them and are not acute conditions.

The phobia of leaving a place where one fears venturing away from can be considered agoraphobia or at least, agoraphobic in nature.  The dictionary definition of agoraphobia is “fear of the marketplace.”  So, it is implied that a person who is afraid to venture out is suffering from agoraphobia. 

Naturally, the place this person would fear leaving would be his or her home.  Generally speaking, the person suffering from the fear of leaving home is not afraid explicitly of the marketplace but he or she is simply afraid to go anywhere.  At least, this is true in advanced cases.

Often the fear of leaving starts when the person with the developing phobia has a panic attack away from the home.  Because of this he/she equates the panic attack with the place it occurred and therefore avoids returning to this place. 

As  time goes on, more panic attacks occur at different various places and the sufferer ads these places to those he or she will no longer visit.  Before long everyplace outside of the home is a part of his or her “do not visit” list and a full-fledged case of agoraphobia or phobia of leaving is developed.

To defeat agoraphobia one must first learn to defeat panic.  Once the sufferer learns how to overcome panic attacks he/she can eventually start on a program bringing the him/her back out into the world once again.  No longer fearing an attack will directly lead to no longer fearing what waits in store when the comfort of the home is left behind.  

Still, even at this point some guidance will be needed in order to help the patient gain confidence.  However as the agoraphobia patient gains confidence the panic attacks will no longer control his or her life, fear of leaving home will be well on its way to becoming nonexistent.

Anxiety signs and symptoms are not really apparent to anyone but the most trained people in the Field of anxiety disorders.  This means, usually when someone is suffering from anxiety disorder, no one but the sufferer can tell.  The signs of a nervous person are very apparent.  However, being able to distinguish between a person who is suffering true anxiety and one who is simply nervous is not easily done.

The anxiety sufferer knows it is true anxiety when she cancels appointments and avoids certain person, places and things because of fear her anxiety will cause her to somehow make a fool of herself or in many cases she fears her anxiety will make her feel she will have an attack of some kind that will cause her to need to be “taken away.”  Such things are not in the mind of one who is simply nervous.

Most often, when a person is experiencing true anxiety, panic enters into the fray.  Sometimes, this panic or panic attack is said to be paranoia.  While this term does not exactly describe what panic attack due to anxiety actually is, it is a term often used.

Panic is the result of anxiety that builds and builds and builds.  This is normal for those experiencing anxiety but not for folks who are simply nervous.  The panic starts to develop when the sufferer becomes afraid of the funny and often very scary feelings anxiety brings on.  Many times these scary feelings make the sufferer wonder if he or she is having a heart attack or stroke. 

 Of course, such feelings should be brought to the attention of a medical professional quickly.  However, even after the patient has been cleared of these medical conditions, his or her continued fear of them only brings more anxiety into his or her life and this added fear on top of of the existing  anxious condition eventually can lead to panic attacks.

Ordinary Nervousness or True Anxiety, can You Tell?

photo credit: SashaW

Overcoming shyness is not always the most desirable thing when it is mild in nature and when it is not upsetting to the life of the shy person.  For instance, to one who works alone and has little interaction with others, ordinary shyness is not usually a very big problem.  However, to someone pursuing a career in sales, shyness can be an obstacle that must be overcome.

There are two major steps that must be taken for someone who is shy to come out of his shell, so to speak.  This steps are:

1. Learning to become less inhibited and
2. Dealing with rejection.

Basically, winning the battle over inhibition involves having a good imagination and some acting skills.  This is because many have found success in overcoming their inhibitions by pretending they were acting the role of someone else.  If you are trying to become less inhibited; try this:

• Observe someone you see as an outgoing person
• When you are alone, pretend you are acting in a play, playing the part of this person
• Use his or her mannerisms when you speak and generally, do what he or she does
• The next time you are in a social situation, just be yourself, but picture yourself playing the role of the outgoing person
• This will help you gain confidence and as confidence grows, inhibitions will disappear.

Of course, when a person acts out his whole life other problems could be developed.  So, remember to save the mimicking of someone for those instances when you are pressed into it.  This would be as in the situation where a shy person calls on a client to make a sale, for instance.  Another example would be a shy fellow approaching a young lady to ask her for a date.  Mimicking can help people in these situations very much.

A great deal of shyness stems from the fear of rejection.  This is the other important part to the equation of overcoming shyness.  Someone who is shy often has become so because the pain rejection brings him or her is enough to stop him or her from ever trying to make any gains in social life.  Therefor, it is most important the shy person understand 3 facts:

1. Every one gets rejected.  Experts in the field of sales teach you will be turned down at least 10 times before you will make a sale.
2. A rejection, or failure brings you one step further toward success.  There is no success without failure.  So, let the saying, “You never know until you ask” be your motto. And,
3. Very often people reject you because they themselves are shy.  Often they use contrived rudeness to hide their insecurity.  Remember, the girl or guy who just turned you down may have done so because he/she is even more shy than you are and may regret rejecting you later on!

Panic disorder with agoraphobia is a fairly common type of anxiety disorder.  Normally, the anxious person starts by developing a relatively mild anxiety disorder.  Next, anxiety’s fears work their way into the sufferer’s life far enough that he starts to experience panic attacks.

Panic attacks usually come out of nowhere and are totally unexpected.  This is especially true of the first few attacks.  After that, their horror brings the sufferer to the point where he is always on the lookout for them.  He is always anticipating when the next one will occur and where he will be when it occurs.  It is being on the lookout for panic attacks that often creates them.  If the sufferer didn’t fear them he woulodn’t be looking out for them.  Being fearful welcomes panic. 

Naturally, because of his great fear of these panic attacks, he will avoid doing things he believes causes their coming and he avoids places he feels will bring them on.  Of course, there is no sense in doing these things but a panic attack sufferer is so intent upon avoiding panic attacks, he will do anything to stave them off; even if the things he is doing to try to stave them off are illogical or even unadvised.

Agoraphobia is an anxiety driven illness where the sufferer avoids going to certain places because he fears this place will bring on a panic attack.  When let to go on indefinitely, the agoraphobia sufferer will never leave his home because eventually he will fear visiting anywhere because of the possibility all places outside his home will bring on a panic attack.

This is a common progression for agoraphobia.  In technical terms, agoraphobia means “fear of the marketplace.”  However, agoraphobia describes a condition where a person tries to beat panic by avoiding certain places.

To unwind the progression that leads to agoraphobia, the patient must learn it is trying to avoid panic that is making his life so unbearable.  So, it follows the key to the curing the panic attacks is to take a few panic attacks right on the chin, so to speak.  In fact, the sufferer should let the panic come to him without trying to dodge it.

After that, he can actually go to places he feels will bring on a panic attack.  By doing this he will be chasing after panic and as he does, he will actually be chasing panic away!

photo credit: afcone

Panic attack anxiety symptoms usually include symptoms of whatever it is the sufferer fears most!  If his or her fear is a heart attack, he/she will feel 100% viable symptoms of a heart attack.  If the fear is a stroke, symptoms that would convince anyone he or she is having a stroke will be felt by the sufferer.

It is most often one of these two major, physical life threatening developments a panic sufferer fears and so he or she feels their symptoms.  The reason for this is the panic attack sufferer is so overwrought, he or she cannot possibly realize it was adrenaline that brings on these very real feelings.  Still, as horrible as these feelings are, if he or she did not fear them, they would never develop.

However, it is imperative the sufferer of panic attacks has a medical professional clear him or her of any such medical problems as heart attack or stroke.  It is very important a doctor tell a panic sufferer it is an anxiety panic disorder causing these feelings of dyer medical concerns but his or her physical health is good. 

Having said that, it very common for people with anxiety disorder to have fake feelings of major medical calamities that to them, feel quite authentic.  To the sufferer of anxiety disorder these fake symptoms cause as much pain and are as disconcerting as the real ailment would cause.  You can see where this would be very upsetting to anyone!

The key to overcoming the symptoms of panic attack, along with its mock heart attack and stroke symptoms is to first be cleared of heart problems by the medical community and to secondly, gain an understanding of  how the human nervous system works.

It is adrenaline behind all the wrong doing that occurs when one is in the state of panic or heavy anxiety.  Adrenaline will normally flow in the body of anyone experiencing nervousness; even ordinary everyday nervousness.  Adrenaline causes strange and sometimes very disquieting feelings in a person.  Especially a person who is very much on edge.

These feelings, when the sufferer tries to fight them off or run away from them will come on even stronger.  This is because adrenaline in secreted in response to fight or flight.  So, what happens in a situation like this is adrenaline, which has brought on feelings that were unwanted in the first place, compounds these feelings after the flight or fight response triggers the adrenal glands to secret more.

The end result can be a major panic attack being manufactured from ordinary nervousness.  So, you can see, the key to the panic attack cure is the ability to learn how to not respond to feelings that are brought about by the secretion of adrenaline.