Anxiety and Panic

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There are two different types of anxiety disorders that can be seen as one disorder, a panic disorder, the main problems is recurrent panic attacks which occur unexpectedly at times when the suffer is not expecting anxiety. Generalized anxiety disorder (anxiety attack) is brought on by excessive anxiety and worry. The symptoms often get confused with a panic attack.

What is a panic attack?

A panic attack is a short period of intense fear of discomfort, that follows symptoms that include.

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1 Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate

2 Sweating

3 Trembling or shaking

4 Sensation of shortness of breath or smothering

5 Feeling of chocking

6 Chest pains or discomfort

7 Nausea or abdominal distress

8 Feeling dizzy light-headed or faint

9 Fear of going crazy

10 Fear of dying

11 Feelings of pins and needles in body

12 Chills or hot flushes.

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Panic attacks are often accompanied by a sense of imminent danger or impending doom and with an urge to escape they are triggered by specific situations, such as a phobic condition or following a trauma.

What is generalized anxiety disorder?

An anxiety attack is confused with the bodily sensations of a panic attack fearing the sensations are much worse than they actually are as in the palpitations would be feared as an impending heart-attack, the feeling of losing control, would be the fear of going crazy. The trigger for an anxiety attack, is experienced as threatening, a mild state of apprehension will occur. Generalized anxiety disorder is brought on by impending events or activities that have been planed for a while such as a something to do with work, or an up and coming event. The person is worrying over the event that could lead to anxiety and worrying, at least three out of the following symptoms may occur.

1 Restlessness or feeling keyed up on edge

2 Being easily fatigued

3 Difficulty concentrating or going mind going blank

4 Irritability

5 Muscle tension

6 Sleep disturbance

Why is breathing so important?

Changing you’re behaviour towards an anxiety attack, and a impending panic attack with a breathing technique could help ease the symptoms putting you in a cram relaxed state, helping your mind and the body cope, with the sensations it is experiencing.

Place one hand on you’re stomach (little finger level with your wast band) the other over your breast bone.

Notice which hand is moving when you are breathing.

If it is the hand on your chest that is moving then try and switch your breathing so the hand on your stomach is moving.

Try to imagine you have something tight around your wast it helps to concentrate on the breathing from your stomach.

Breath in and out gently through your nose feel the movement under the lower hand as your stomach expands.

The upper hand should be still.

Do this for ten breaths a minute.

When you are aware of how you are breathing take your hands away when you fill your lungs with air your stomach should push out to.

This technique is hard to master but once you do it can help a lot as I myself have used it on a few occasions for an anxiety attacks.