When Anxiety and Panic is Out of Control
Anxiety and panic can strike anyone at any time… it is estimated that anxiety disorder problems affect about 40 million Americans each year. The diverse anxiety disorder symptoms can cause sufferers to be filled with fear and uncertainty. Mild but brief forms of anxiety can be produced by a stressful event such as speaking in public or even a first date. The feelings produced by this reaction will fade away a few hours after such an event has finished. For an anxiety disorder on the other hand, anxiety feelings can last for at least 6 months and they can get worse if they not treated in time.
Panic disorder is where you feel panic, terror and feelings of helplessness. With this condition the feelings can be triggered by a simple act or memory that has no relation to where you are. This anxiety disorder is compounded by the fact that you’re continually wondering when the next panic attack will occur.
The symptoms of panic can hit any one of us. This is a normal human defense mechanism called the ‘fight or flight’ instinct and this defensive mechanism has helped humans evolve to the state that we’re in now. However, our day to day stress filled lives can bring unwanted anxieties into our spheres and it’s when these anxieties repeatedly occur that they can turn into an anxiety panic disorder. The emotions can make you feel that you’re experiencing a stroke, a heart attack or even that you’re dying. When no medical help can be found to treat this “mysterious” condition, then you’re left to wonder when the next attack may happen. As you’re unable to predict the next attack you become extremely anxious and you might also generate a lingering and intense worry that your next attack could happen the next minute.
These intense feelings can keep you on a roller coaster of anxiety and panic. The more these symptoms are repeated, your brain begins to dictate how you should live so as not to experience any more panic attacks. This then, spirals into anxiety panic disorder.
The symptoms of anxiety panic disorder involve pounding heart, weakness, feelings of being faint, and dizziness. Your hands may feel numb or they may tingle. You will experience chest pains, smothering sensations, a sense of unreality. All of these may lead you to think that you are having a heart attack, a stroke or even dying. Anxiety attacks can last anywhere from a few minutes up to 10 minutes and there are even rare cases where a case anxiety panic disorder can last for about an hour.
For people who suffer from anxiety panic disorder there are other things that need to be treated as well. Depression and alcoholism are some of the accompanying issues and sometimes panic attacks can spawn phobias as well. These phobias occur where a panic attack first happened. This may even cause an anxiety panic disorder sufferer to restrict their lives so they avoid situations that might invite another attack.
If you suffer from an anxiety panic disorder you’ll know just how debilitating it can be. To that end an anxiety panic disorder sufferer has a number of options to choose from to either learn to cope with their condition or to find a fitting cure. Where is that cure you may ask? Certainly, every case is different, but there are patients who have experienced relief and in some cases, complete recovery.
The first step however, is as always in your hands only you can find a suitable solution for your anxiety panic disorder.