When you suffer from panic attacks, it’s hard to believe there could ever be an end to it. Doctor’s tell you there’s a chemical imbalance that is out of your control. Friends think you just need to relax. Everyone seems to have an answer, but no one has a cure. In this article we’ll examine the truth behind panic attacks and answer the question once and for all: can you ever really cure anxiety?

If there’s one thing I would tell every panic sufferer, it’s that their doctor is wrong. My doctor would tell me how my anxiety is caused by not having enough of a neurotransmitter called seratonin in my brain to boost my mood. And no matter how many times I asked “But what caused the low seratonin?” he could never tell me.

You’ve probably experienced something similar.

My Doc means well, but a simple chemical imbalance doesn’t make sense. Your body produces seratonin when its happy, but seratonin isn’t your happiness — it’s a symptom of your happiness. That simply means that unhappiness and anxiety aren’t caused by low seratonin, the opposite is true – it’s unhappiness that causes low seratonin.

The worst thing about this view of panic and anxiety is that if you believe that low seratonin is the only thing causing your panic, it means there is nothing you can do about it. You’re officially doomed to a life of taking expensive medications that don’t always work. But when you realize that there is something else in your life that’s causing your seratonin levels to dip, you suddenly give yourself control to change what’s happening.

So the ultimate question is, “Can you cure anxiety completely?”

And the answer is yes, you can, if you believe that you are more complex than just a chemical imbalance. The cure, of course, will require digging deep into your anxiety and rooting out its main cause instead of just masking its symptoms.

But yes, you can absolutely cure your anxiety for good.

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Panic attacks are a terrifying thing. This article will discuss some of the ways you can stop them without medication.

Most sufferers report that they feel as though they are going to die, and yet panic attacks cannot physically hurt you. However, they take away the freedom and well-being of people who suffer from them, making them a slave to their fears. Symptoms may include rapid heartbeat, chest pains, sweating, feeling dizzy, numbness in various body parts, trembling, and fainting.

Most attacks occur from prolonged periods of anxiety and stress. This can come from a significant loss, divorce, death of a loved one, job stress, and sometimes from just a general feeling of not being in control of the things happening around you.

The attack itself is physically harmless: if you or someone you love suffers from one, they are not heart attacks. They do not cause any damage to your body. However, they are terrifying to go through – and having had one, the fear of having another can often actually cause another attack. It is a downward spiral where because the victim fears something, that something is more likely to happen.

Modern doctors often use drugs to calm sufferers of this malady. Tranquilizers like Valium calm the person; antidepressants like Paxil or Zoloft work on the theory that they regulate brain chemistry and restore balance. However, a drug that works for one person can have no effect on other people, and many drugs have negative side effects such as loss of sexual urges or, rarely but dangerously, the development of suicidal thoughts. For these reasons, many people are looking for alternatives.

There are natural therapies that can be used to help lessen anxiety and train the sufferer to be able to control panic attacks. Yoga and meditation are excellent for overall de-stressing and allowing a person to learn to control their thought patterns – which can help you take control of negative thoughts as they begin to build. Hypnotherapy, counseling, and support groups can help individuals learn about anxiety and train how to better control it.

Whichever method you choose, the most important core issue is fear of future attacks. Learning to face this fear is the most important factor in a return to a happy, psychologically healthy life. The fear of having another panic attack, and thoughts of “Oh no, it’s happening again!” as your anxiety levels increase, are two of the biggest triggers to suffering another incident. If you can learn how to effectively deal with these two issues, you will win your fight against panic attacks.

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Panic attacks are common to those who worry a lot. There have been no known cause of panic attacks other than having no control over the things that make you worry. People may find it very difficult to understand why a person is having a panic attack and would separate themselves from that person. This should not be the case. Acceptance is one of the key to managing anxiety attacks.

People who have experiences with anxiety attacks before are more likely to be able to prevent them from happening but for those who are still on the stage of realizing that they have anxiety attacks, here are some of the things that you can do.

Stress can trigger anxiety attacks. When a person is in stress, his body reacts well to anxiety thus setting you up for anxiety attacks. Your heart rate increases and your breathing becomes eratic. By learning how to deal with stress, you are eliminating one factor that causes anxiety attack.

Breathe to save yourself. Since your heart rate and your breathing becomes out of control when you are in panic mode, try breathing through the nose and breathing out slowly through the mouth to calm your nerves. The more often you do this during the onset of anxiety attacks, the more likely you are able to control it.

There are other relaxation techniques you can do. Some of them include exercise, having the right diet, talking to friends or even simply watching the TV. Find ways in which your body can relax whether be it a day at the spa or a simple massage. If anything helps, do it.

Diversion is another way of preventing panic attacks. When you feel the onset coming, try to do something that will take your mind off that anxious feeling. Keep yourself busy for you to forget about what makes you worry. Go out and have fun with friends if you feel anxious.

People suffering from panic attacks need guidance and acceptance. Understanding what they are going through is crucial to managing such experience. There is no room for ridicule or judgement upon seeing people in a state of panic without any reason.

It can be very difficult to control panic attacks especially when people are more likely judging you for things you are out of control of. So, try to learn how to control panic attacks to help get control of yourself.

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Let’s face it, panic attack symptoms can be a totally terrifying experience. If you have to endure panic attacks, or panic disorder, then you definitely get the picture. There are some complexities involved with the indicators of an attack. Of course we do recommend you see your doctor for professional evaluation, advice, and treatment. Still, you should recognize that the frequency of the attacks can change a lot. In addition, they arrive without warning, therefore, that adds to the aggravation and overall apprehension. We’ll offer a discussion about some commonly encountered symptoms.

On of the more vague symptoms is muscle tension. Panic attacks happen suddenly and last roughly ten minutes. You may be experiencing an attack if you have sudden but short lived muscle tension. However, the location of the muscle tension can lead you to believe something else is going on. If the muscle tensions strikes in your chest or left arm, you may believe you are having a heart attack. So you need to look at it in the context of your situation.

Suddenly blurry vision is another symptom of a panic attack. For obvious reasons, this can be extremely dangerous. There are serious risks if you are driving your car and your vision suddenly becomes very blurry. Someone having a stroke can also experience suddenly blurry vision. You should let your doctor know if you experience any of the more serious symptoms so they can do further testing and evaluation. Some eye infections also have blurry vision as a symptom, as well as extreme tunnel vision. This can lead to some confusion.

There is a cluster of panic attack manifestations that are directly similar to heart conditions, or heart attacks. Feeling like you cannot breathe is a symptom of panic attack for some people. Though, if you should ever have signs that feel like they are associated with your heart, then you should certainly call the paramedics if they are acute enough.

Signals of a panic attack can be really hard to endure for a variety of reasons. The general point in which they are most trying is when you have only gone through one or if you have experienced a very small number of them. Unfortunately, if you have had to contend with one, then there is a better chance of experiencing more.

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Laughter is the best medicine. Overrated? Maybe, but it does not mean that it does not work. Isn’t it one of the best anxiety treatments out there, just because it is a striking contrast to anxiety?

Anxiety brings depression while laughter brings happiness. It is a rather simple equation, if you think about it. Appreciate and enjoy the little things. Forget about your insecurities. You are not perfect so you are bound to make mistakes and when you do, laugh at yourself, even if someone is looking.

You will not look crazy, if anything, your humor is something worth envying. Not everyone can be happy, but you can choose to be. Even famous stand-up comedians make fun of themselves on stage for everyone to see.

There are actually physical benefits to having a good laugh. Having a hearty one will actually improve your immune system. Your stress hormones are lessened and it enhances the purpose of blood vessels. Laughter cares for your heart, literally and metaphorically speaking.

It also releases endorphins which will result in a rather positive outlook in life. Having an easy, good humor will help you more than you think. Laughter will easily recharge your system. Ever remember having a really long laugh and after it, you just inhale and exhale and smile? Well, the oxygen intake is a huge benefit to your mood.

Happiness is really a choice. When you find yourself thinking about the dark side of life, let the thoughts go. Do not cling to your depression. If anything, you should cling to hope and all things good. The more you laugh, the more you also keep people around you happy.

This particular anxiety treatment could work wonders for you. All you have to do is to relax and sit back. You will eventually find something worth laughing about. Waiting for something funny to happen is but a good change of perspective, instead of you waiting for something bad to happen. If you want to know more about alternative and fun anxiety treatment tips, click on the link below to get yourself a free e-book!

Wendy Bishop an ex-Anxiety and Panic attacks sufferer invites you to point your browsers to This Link!, where you will find a FREE eBook! that will show you different methods of curing anxiety safely and effectively.

Don’t waste any more time and get the benefits from this wonderful offer. Visit http://www.anxietytreatmenthelp.org/, everybody deserves to be free from anxiety. Act now and do yourself a huge favor.

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Panic attacks are part of a the larger group of anxiety disorders. Tens of millions of Americans suffer from anxiety of varying levels, and over a million people experience panic attacks every year.

There has been a great deal of debate in the world of psychology about what triggers anxiety disorders and the best way to treat them.

Some argue that they are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain and should be treated with medication. Unfortunately, due to the huge drug companies realizing that there are billions of dollars in profits to be made, pills often become the first line of defense in treatment instead of the last resort.

Two types of medications commonly prescribed are tranquilizers (like Xanax and Valium) and antidepressants (like Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft). But it’s important to point out that the chemical imbalances explanation is merely a theory, and since every person is different, there is no reason not to try other forms of treatment. Medications can have very serious side effects, such as loss of libido and even suicidal thoughts.

Other experts believe that anxiety disorders start from a type of exhaustion – physical, mental, or emotional. This could result from emotionally painful incidents like divorce or death of loved ones, poor diet, drug abuse, lack of sleep, being overworked or overstressed, etc.

When overwhelmed in one of these areas, the body and mind become overly sensitized to stresses. In these cases, people start experiencing a state where they are jittery and more susceptible to shocks, whether it’s their own rapid heartbeat or the sound of a door slamming. People become confused about these reactions, start to worry that their physical sensations are part of a bigger problem, and then the person begins a cycle of fear and confusion that can escalate into panic attacks.

Another theory worth noting is that panic attacks can stem from internal conflicts – unresolved issues like abuse, neglect, or a traumatic incident. In these instances, panic attacks can be linked to post traumatic stress disorder.

Soldiers returning home from battle often suffer from this type of disorder. Because they had to be on heightened alert the entire time they were in countries like Iraq or Afghanistan, always having to worry about snipers or roadside bombs, their brains learned to always function at a peak state of hyper-awareness and fear.

Unfortunately, when they come home, their brains are not able to “shut off” and say, “Oh, there’s no danger, so I can just relax now.” Their systems have been trained by constant conflict and fear, and so those feelings linger when they return home.

Interestingly enough, this same sort of reaction can be found in people who have not been in any immediate physical danger and have never been to war, but their systems are just more highly attuned to the fear of danger. Their bodies show the same symptoms of anxiety, and just like soldiers returning from war, it can lead to very unpleasant feelings and physical sensations.

Would you like to know how you can stop panic attacks simply and easily?

If you are sick and tired of dealing with anxiety and/or panic attacks and would like to know more about a simple, effective way to stop them, click on the link to find out how to end your panic or anxiety attacks.

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Anxiety and panic attacks will make the sufferer feel very helpless as the heart races and the thoughts of either going mad or dying are all around them. But, in reality, during an attack a sufferer is at their strongest, their fastest and their most prepared for threat.

The reason why panic attacks developed, is because adrenalin, the hormone responsible for the fight or fight response to real threats, is released into the blood stream. This hormone is very useful if and when it is needed, but, when adrenalin is released during an anxiety disorder such as panic disorder, there is no ‘real’ threat present, so it is not used up by either running from or fighting the threat.

This build up of Adrenalin causes the heart to race, the breathing to quicken and the digestive system to slow down; these systems then produce unpleasant symptoms like dizziness, sweating, palpitations, shortness of breath and many other physical sensations of anxiety disorder. The sufferer also starts to experience anxious thought patterns… the ‘what if’ thoughts which can make the sufferer feel like they are losing their mind. Don’t worry though, it is a fact that you are NOT going mad or die.

The sad thing is when panic attacks sufferers visit their physician or doctor, they will be told that they have ‘stress‘ or ‘depression’ and then receive prescriptions for antidepressants or sedatives – this is very wrong!

Since anxiety disorder is not an illness, it is impossible for any drugs or medication to have any permanent curative effect on it.

Anxiety attacks usually happened once but it can escalate into a panic disorder if the attacks happens regularly and more than once. Panic attacks can cause a disturbing group of symptoms which cause the sufferer to fear the next attack.Unfortunately it is this fear of having another attack that causes them to have one!

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Overcoming anxieties can be very difficult and at times seem impossible to overcome. However, there are some steps that a person can take to help overcome anxiety and panic attacks. This article will discuss probably one of the most important aspects of improving your well-being – exercise. The mind and body are linked and just as exercise improves one’s physical state – it also improves one’s mental state.

As time have progressed, so has technology, which has required all us to adapt to more of a fast paced society. All information today is real time – from the news, to your work and to your personal life. For some this fast-paced style is normal, but for others this can create anxiety and sense of never being able to catch up with work or life in general. However, one thing has never changed and that is exercise. Exercise is still a well-proven formula for overcoming anxieties in your life. But how?

All types of exercise can release endorphins in one manner or another. An endorphin is a natural chemical released from the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus during exercise, creating a sense of well-being. This is why exercise has the ability to help ease tension and allow a person to become more focused and relaxed during and after physical activity. A runner’s high is a great example. After running a certain distance, many runners will experience a pleasant state of euphoria. This state of euphoria can be considered a natural and healthy drug for the brain, which eases stress and anxieties.

Yoga, Tai-Chi, cycling and weight lifting are great individual activities; whereas, softball, volleyball and walking clubs are great forms of interactive activities. All are obvious forms improving physical appearance, but not so apparent is the positive effects on one’s brain. Think of exercise not only as a way to improve physically, but also mentally. This is just one step in overcoming anxieties.

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Panic attack is a sudden subjective feeling of fear and discomfort in an individual. Panic disorder symptoms resemble those of heart attacks and they usually last about 10 minutes. If you happen to be around a person experiencing panic attacks, it can be quite confusing especially if it has never happened before. However, you can be able to provide help for anxiety attack by following simple steps.

Although the symptoms are similar to those of heart attack, they are not lethal so there’s no need to worry. Follow these steps to control the situation.

The first thing you should do is calm down. A anxiety attack may cause some shock but you are expected to help. Try to take control of your senses fast. Handling a panic attack needs focus and clear thought.

The second thing you should do is help the person calm down. They have adrenaline build up in the body which needs to be neutralized. Suggest the person take deep breaths slowly. This will enable sufficient oxygen to get to the body neutralizing the adrenaline.

You should encourage the person to do activities which will help them calm down. Do not try to force the person into doing something like sitting down. Forcing them only increases the tension making the panic attack last longer. If the person prefers to walk around, let them as it might be one of their ways of handling a panic attack.

Thirdly, talk to the person. Show concern and do not try to show them that their fears are unreasonable. This could trigger another panic attack as the persons mind has recognized the reason for the attack as valid.

Find out what triggered the attack and find ways of solving the matter. For example, if the attack was triggered by sight of an item, keep it away and reassure the person that it will not cause them harm. Help the person find a solution that will help them in future.

Fourth find out if they have had such attacks before and how many times. This will help you determine if medical attention will be needed and also how the other attacks were handled. There are situations where medical help is necessary. Such include panic disorders that occur several times a month. Those that occur less often should also be attended to through therapy.

There are factors which will determine the kind of help for panic attacks you offer. These include the persons age, cause of the attack and even gender. It is important to remember that the persons brain has identified the cause of the panic disorder as potentially harmful. The help you provide should aim to help them control the attack even during future occurrences.

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What prompts an Attack?

The answer to this question is different for everyone however below are typical answers:

a) Some people are prone to this disorder as they have inherited this inclination.
b) A sudden change in lifestyle such as: death, divorce, empty nest syndrome, age, finance and isolation.
c) Stressful situations, such as important interviews, confrontation with family, friends or business associates.
d) Situational stress, being in a place that is difficult, a feeling of not fitting in, feeling displaced and unnecessary.
e) A diet rich in sugar, caffeine and alcohol can cause an Attack
f) Trauma such as car accidents, theft, violence may trigger the onset of the common symptons
g) A feeling of failure
H) Agoraphobia

How do you know if you are having a Panic Attack?

The Attack will come out of nowhere, giving no warning and it is overwhelming and paralyzing.

The typical symptoms are listed here:

a) A feeling of losing control
b) A racing heart and the fear of a heart attack
c) Difficulty breathing, choking, dizziness, lightheadedness and nausea.
d) Feeling as if you have stepped away from your life.
e) An overwhelming fear that you are going to die.
f) The inability to control the experience.
g) Hot flushes and shivers, trembling and shaking.
H) Feeling as if you are going mad and losing your mind.
i) Tingling in toes and fingers.

The symptoms may last anywhere from a couple of minutes to up to half an hour. After an Attack, you will feel exhausted and need to rest and relax. If you are aware that an Attack may come on and you are going to be facing a difficult situation, you should practice some deep breathing and meditate for a few moments before the event.

Panic Attacks are seemingly on the increase throughout all age groups over the entire world. Perhaps it is our rapid way of life, perhaps it is the constantly changing landscapes and changing expectations of each of us.

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