First Things First, What’s Exactly an Anxiety Attack?
One of the most dreadful experiences anyone may face is having an anxiety attack.
It’s a terrible, painful and horrible experience starts suddenly, most of the times it appears to be unprovoked, and is often disabling.
In this video, you can watch a Demo For a Typical Anxiety Attack
(This Video is Made by www.PanicAway.com)
Is It an Anxiety Attack or an Anxiety Disorder?
Anxiety disorder is a serious health problem, especially in the U.S (according to statistics, 1.6% of the whole population, or more than 3 million persons, already suffered (or will suffer) at least a single anxiety attack during their lives).
An isolated anxiety attack, while extremely unpleasant, is not uncommon or life-threatening. Anxiety disorder and anxiety attacks are not the same thing. All anxiety disorders have anxiety attacks as a symptom but having an anxiety attack does not mean you have anxiety disorders.
For a person to be considered as a “Anxiety Disorder” patient, he or she shall suffer from consequent anxiety attacks (at least 3 attacks) within a short period of time (6-12 months).
However, suffering from one anxiety attack increases the chances for more subsequent attacks, and a repeated anxiety attack over a short period of time is a serious signal that the person shall seek immediate medical advice and help.
Anxiety attacks are generally short, in most cases; it only lasts for ten minutes or less.
How And Why an Anxiety Attack Occurs?
Anxiety attack symptoms might be different for every person, but most of the time there is more than just the feelings of panic. A person who suffers an anxiety attack usually feels frightened, out of control, and like they are a prisoner of this serious medical problem.
When the body becomes “revved up”, important changes take place very quickly that will serve to aid the body in fighting or fleeing (aka “fight or flight syndrome”), such as muscles tensing in preparation for movement, increased breathing so more oxygen is available for use, the heart pumps faster to supply more blood to the muscles, dilation of the pupils to permit enhanced vision of the danger, and an increase in bladder and bowel activity to free the body for strenuous activity.
Adrenaline is also increased in the bloodstream, providing the added strength and stamina needed for fleeing or fighting. Certain bodily functions that are not essential to fight or flight are actually stopped during this phase, as they are not needed. Digestion is one example.
Symptoms of a dry mouth are the result of digestive juices, including saliva, being unnecessary and therefore unavailable during this time. This stage is also characterized by an overwhelming desire to do something, usually something to get physically away from the danger, or to reduce the anxiety attack symptoms, these are natural responses to when humans used to be hunted by large carnivores which would then trigger the fight or flight response. This short of adrenaline response is the sort of thing that is a natural reaction for survival. So now, unless you are physically attacked or stalked there is really no reason to suffer from that rush of adrenaline, or is there?
Anxiety Attack or Heart Attack?
Most people mistake anxiety attacks as being a heart attack. Because the symptoms are quite similar but anxiety attacks are not really life threatening. When someone experiences an anxiety attack they undergo a “fight or flee” response which charges the body with pure adrenaline. The human heart starts beating rapidly, to the point where it can start to overstress the body. Breathing becomes difficult and short. The mind feels a short of unreality taken over. Chest pains become apparent and the hands feel tingly. These are all symptoms of an anxiety attack.
For most anxiety attack sufferers, the symptoms are shortness of breath, racing heartbeat, dizziness, nausea, and intense feelings of fear. The person feels an overpowering sensation that he or she is having a heart attack, having a stroke, or dying. The physical symptoms are real, even though the person is not actually experiencing a heart attack. He or she truly feels chest pain and has trouble breathing. That’s the nature of the attack. In a sense, the attack tricks the body into believing a medical emergency is happening. In that state of panic, the mind cannot distinguish between an actual emergency and an anxiety attack.
Anxiety Attacks Symptoms:
Watch this video, featuring a girl describing typical real life symptoms of an anxiety attack
Most common symptoms of an anxiety attack:
* Rapid heart rate, pounding heart, or heart palpitations
* sweating
* trembling or shaking body parts
* Short of breath
* choking feeling.
* Chest pain or tightness in chest
* Nausea or other stomach distress or discomfort
* feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded or faint
* A strange feeling that you’re ‘outside of’ yourself, or things surrounding you aren’t real.
* Death thoughts and fears
* Numbness or tingling sensations in your body
* Hot flushes
Understanding Anxiety Attack Symptoms:
In order to understand symptoms of an anxiety attack, it is helpful to first understand a bit about the human nervous system and the “Fighting or Fleeing” response. The nervous system is what controls the various fear and anxiety attack symptoms and reactions of the body. Specifically it is the “Autonomic” nervous system which is the part that controls all the automatic functions that occur in your body such as your heartbeat and breathing.
One part of the autonomic system, called the sympathetic division, is responsible for your body’s automatic reactions to a threat, and serves to “rev up” the body almost instantaneously, in preparation to either flee from the danger (escape), or to stay and battle against it (aggression).
If a person holds in strong feelings or stays in a situation where they feel threatened or trapped, the “fighting or fleeing” response will be triggered. When the increased adrenaline is not used for “fighting or fleeing” activities and the person stays in a situation trying to pretend that they do not feel a need to run away
Coping With Anxiety Attacks:
As we mentioned, anxiety attacks are serious medical problems, and you should seek medical help as soon as you experience such a condition.
However, there are other helpful resources can be used beside medical treatment.
(Important Disclaimer: Nothing recommended here shall be considered under any condition as an alternative for a real direct medical help).
As a former “Anxiety Attacks” sufferer, I found Panic Away program to be very helpful with the most important aspect regarding anxiety attacks, that is “coping with anxiety attacks”.
The most serious problem with anxiety attacks is the awful feeling of “fear from having an anxiety attack”.
Believe or not, what truly turns your life to a misery is the sad painful continued waiting for the “next run”.
As a former anxiety attacks sufferer, I know how does it feel to struggle with such a dreadful disorder, but after 3 years of agony, I successfully eliminated my anxiety attacks and gained back my life.
