How Anxiety Disorder Affects Your Environment

This is an illness that many people do not realize is quite common. There are approximately 4 million Americans who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder alone and the effects on their lives can sometimes be damaging. Anxiety disorders prevent an individual from functioning normally in the society he lives in and inhibit his potential for both personal and professional growth.

Here is how it affects lives, families, work and relationships:

Physical symptoms can cause discomfort and more anxiety.

All forms of anxiety disorder manifest through physical symptoms including sweating, trembling, nausea, dizziness, and fainting and muscular tension. These symptoms are the body's way to protect itself from what a person perceives as a threat to him.

While anxiety disorder attacks don't have any actual threats of physical harm, when symptoms appear, they can cause temporary (and sometimes prolonged) periods of agitation and stress that usually lead to feelings of frustration. People with anxiety disorder are also easily provoked and irritated. This affects their relationships with their family, friends and colleagues in a negative way. Episodes of frequent irritability can also cause arguments and misunderstandings, giving way to larger rifts in emotional relationships.

Symptoms may last for days, causing a person to miss school, work and other important events.

Many forms of anxiety disorder have symptoms that can last for a period of time, sometimes several days. Symptoms may also appear many times over a period of months. Many persons who suffer from this disorder cannot cope. As a result, they can't go to school, drive the car to work or even go to family gatherings.

People with anxiety disorder may evade responsibility.

Many people who suffer from anxiety disorder are aware of their illness. If they choose to give in to its pressures, they may withdraw within themselves and avoid taking responsibility for their lives and for the lives of those who depend on them.

As a result, many anxiety disorder patients no longer perform normal tasks and duties expected of them. A parent with anxiety disorder, for example, may be too depressed to take care of the needs of his or her spouse and that of their children.

A person with anxiety disorder will not be able to perform well at work.

He will be too busy worrying about a perceived threat or about another anxiety or panic attack episode to be able to handle his responsibilities at work effectively. Furthermore, it can cast doubt on his competence either as a member of an organization and may be grounds to deny him of career advancement and promotion.

Normal everyday objects and activities can induce feelings of fear.

Agoraphobics cannot stand enclosed spaces while post-traumatic stress disorder patients will associate harmless objects with their traumatic experience. Normal things such as elevator and subway rides, doors closing, petty arguments, small misunderstandings can be amplified and perceived as bigger than they truly are.

Anxiety disorder tends to run in families

Studies have shown that children in households where at least one parent suffers from a form of anxiety disorder is at risk of developing a disorder of his own, whether during childhood or later on in his adult life. This does not mean children of anxiety disorder sufferers are genetically pre-disposed, though. It just proves that early exposure may have an effect on young children and teens.

Anxiety disorder can cause a loss of self-esteem.

If allowed to go untreated, anxiety disorder has devastating effects on the person's self-perception. Often, he or she will feel useless and incapable of success. He will often be asking himself, "What's wrong with me?" and not be able to come up with a convincing answer. He will find small, simple tasks difficult to perform, adding to his feelings of inadequacy. Already in a sad state of mind, a person with anxiety disorder may slip further into depression unless he seeks treatment.

Anxiety disorder attacks can result in a vicious cycle.

Anxiety begets anxiety. When an episode of panic attack occurs, for example, the feeling will be so vicious and so unpleasant that a person will dread the next occurrence. Even if it doesn't occur, he will live in fear of it ever happening again. As a result, he will be agitated, angry, sad, and irritable and yes, anxious.

As yet, there is no magic pill that can cure anxiety disorder and rid a person of its symptoms once and for all. It might require therapy, medication or a combination of both to help a person manage his illness and get his life back to normal once again. It will take time, patience and strong will but it can be overcome.

Anxiety Disorders - Cognitive Therapy vs Psychoanalysis

If you speak to a doctor about anxiety or panic attacks two things will come to that doctor's mind: drug therapy and cognitive behaviour therapy. These techniques work like magic - for some people.

There has always been a significant group of people for whom these techniques were ineffective. Some could not tolerate the side effects of the drugs or the drugs didn't work. For some CBT let them take a step forward, but then they would immediately take two steps back. Perhaps CBT and Drug therapy, both symptomatic treatments, failed to touch any of their underlying causes.

CBT - A Great Therapy

CBT has become a fashionable therapy for anxiety, phobias and panic because it is relatively cheap, quick, and easy. It is a good therapy, it has helped many millions of people, and it has an important role to play in the fight against all manner of mental health issues. But remember, it is not a cure-all, and it is not the only weapon in the psychologist's armory.

Medical / psychological arrogance

As CBT is cheap and statistically proven to be effective (for some people), much of the mental health establishment have put it on a pedestal to the detriment of all other therapies. Other therapies tend to take longer, in some cases much longer, and it is hard to statistically analyze results as many factors can cause changes over long periods of time. For example, a woman goes into psychotherapy and two years later her panic disorder is much improved, dare she say cured. Now, was that improvement in her life due to the psychotherapy, or due to the fact that in those two years she got a new job, her father died, and she got divorced?

Analytical Therapy got a bad name

Analytical therapies tend to be much longer, and therefore more costly affairs. And then there are the stories about people who spent $6,000 on therapy over three years, or $20,000 over ten years, and felt no different. And the misconception about therapists who sit in darkened rooms while you lie on a couch and talk about inappropriate parental fantasies.

Fashions changed

Suddenly, CBT was in and nothing else was worthy of discussion. This was irresponsible and foolhardy on the part of the medical/psychological establishment. There is no magic bullet for anxiety disorders and therefore there must be a range of treatment options available. Obviously some of these will be symptomatic, some will be temporary crutches, some will be aimed at changing self-esteem, and some will be looking at root causes.

New evidence

As I have said, it has always been hard to statistically prove the efficacy of long term approaches such as analytical therapy. However, in February 2007, The American Journal of Psychiatry published a paper which showed that short term analytical therapy had been found to be highly effective in treating a study group with Panic Disorder.

The results

The therapy used in the study was Psychodynamic therapy, which has been around for some time (psychodynamics was born in 1874). What was particularly interesting about its use in this study was that it had been pared-down to target panic-disorder in a short space of time. Almost three quarters of the study group improved significantly, this was better than the 39% who improved significantly with more fashionable symptomatic relaxation techniques.

The future

What this study shows is that there is more than one effective tool for beating anxiety disorders. It also shows that there are options beyond CBT and drug therapy. Looking for the underlying causes of anxiety and other mental health issues may not be the answer for everyone, but if other things aren't working for you then they may well be worth a try.

Anxiety Disorders - An Overview

By the end of this article, you should have gained enough new knowledge on this subject to be able to explain its main points to another person.

unease can be distinct as: 1. a uneasyness, distress, or anxiety, often about a impending circumstance or affair 2. a nation of apprehension or nightmare of a subsistent or imagined chance

unease is an emotional nation that's instigated by anxiety. agonize is imagining the impending with apprehension and nightmare.

Acute or prolonged anxiety can instigate tangible symptoms, such as, sweating; uneasyness; tremulous; smallness of breath; lofty spirit time; bigger blood hassle; distress stomach, vomiting, or diarrhea; chest bind; and headache. These types of symptoms strike beinstigate of the physiological change that strikes in the body when the head perceives chance (often referred to as the scrap or journey reply).

In the introduction, we saw how this subject can be beneficial to anyone. We will continue by explaining the basics of this topic.

All of us anxiety from time to time. Those who anxiety more often and intensely have a advanced likelihood of developing an anxiety disorder.

An anxiety disorder is a blanket time worn to express a number of situations (disorders) that can appear from abstandard and pathological anxiety, nightmares, phobias, and uneasy situations that can impair or praffair an individual from living a standard life.

unease disorders are normally classified in the next categories:

- Panic Disorder - fixated-Compulsive Disorder - station-upsetting Stress Disorder - gathering dread (gathering unease Disorder) - feature dreads - Generalized unease Disorder

unease disorders often co-subsist with other mental or tangible illnesses, which may mask anxiety symptoms or make them poorer. In some luggage, these other illnesses poverty to be addressed before lasting anxiety improvey is potential.

There are many reasons why anxiety turns into a disorder. One of the more normal reasons is that acute or sustained stress can instigate the body to supply uncommon and frightening symptoms that some people become overly fretful about or terrified of. When they become overly fretful about their symptom's charisma, many suppose the nastiest and become consumed with nightmare and anxiety.

This can be promote aggravated when stress symptoms are mistakenly associated with a more sober wellbeing situation or health tragedy.

For example, chest binds are normal symptoms of stress, but they are also normally associated with spirit disease. If an individual experiences chest binds due to stress, yet supposes that they are being instigated by an imminent spirit tragedy, he or she can become nightmareful and stream to the close health capacity nightmareing the nastiest. The bigger matter can instigate even more symptoms, because nightmare will increase stress symptoms. This can set up a "rotation of nightmare" where one aggravates the other. For example

Stress symptoms advantage to anxiety and fright, anxiety and fright instigate more stress, more stress instigates more symptoms, more symptoms instigate more fright and anxiety, and so on. As this "rotation of nightmare" becomes entrenched, the individual can become so consumed with anxiety and nightmare that it negatively impacts or entirely disrupts his or her lifestyle.

alarm is the major ingredient to anxiety disorders. Some of the more normal anxiety nightmares embrace, nightmare of the anonymous, nightmare of what the symptoms might mean, nightmare of what the underlying instigate may be, nightmare of where the situation may advantage, nightmare of being out of running, and nightmare of not being able to improve.

There are many treatments for anxiety disorders. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (discuss therapy) provides the best long-time fallout. While medication can help lower physiological and psychological symptoms, it should never be considered a medicine. There is also a very high recover time (after medication is discontinued the situation proceeds) when medication is worn unaided. Addressing the underlying factors associated with anxiety is the only manage that provides lasting medication-unbound improvey.

It's best to obtain the help of a medication-unbound anxiety coach or counselor who has experienced and dominated anxiety in his or her own life. His or her special experience will be an invaluable asset when effective about resolving an anxiety situation.

When we begin to bring this information together, it starts to form the main idea of what this subject is about.

Anxiety Disorders in Children - Symptoms, Causes and Types of Anxiety Disorders

Most children will experience a typical fear or anxiety during their life time. They might be nervous about taking a test or starting a new school. In most cases, these fears do not turn irrational or develop into a panic attack or a panic disorder. But, there are some children that may show signs of a panic disorder for other reasons.

As much as we would like to protect the innocence of children and prevent anything from interfering with their lives, it is not always possible. Children can be afflicted with certain types of anxiety disorders that are also seen in adults. A generalized panic disorder might be seen in children in a variety of ways. They might excessively worry about everyday events like school or things at home. They tend to be extremely hard on themselves and strive for perfection. They might redo tasks in an effort to get them to come out perfectly. They might also seek constant approval and reassurance from others.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is another type of anxiety disorder that might be seen in children. OCD is intrusive or unwanted thoughts or obsessions that can't seem to be removed from a person's head. They also might display strong urges to repeatedly perform ritualistic behaviors and routines to try to ease their anxieties. Although the peak age at which a child might be diagnosed with OCD is ten, it can be seen in children as young as two or three. This anxiety disorder might be seen in children through excessive hand washing, the feeling of terror that they will accidentally do something wrong, rechecking or counting items excessively to ward off unwelcome thoughts, etc.

A panic disorder is another anxiety disorder that might be seen in children. A panic disorder can be diagnosed in children who suffer from at least two unexpected panic attacks followed by at least one month of concern over having another attack. Typically it is not seen in young children but it can be diagnosed in adolescents.

Children can also exhibit an anxiety disorder though specific phobias; irrational fears towards specific objects, places or situations. Although childhood fears like being fearful of animals, storms or the dark can go away on their own, if a fear is persistent within the child for at least six months and interferes with their daily activities, the child is said to have a phobia. Symptoms might include suffering from a stomach ache or headache, a tantrum, becoming clingy, or freezing in place when confronted with the fear.

Children who are exposed to an extreme stressor like a sudden death of a parent, a natural disaster, an accident or a physical assault, or children who witness a traumatic event can suffer from post traumatic stress disorder which is another type of anxiety disorder. These children might display symptoms of not eating or sleeping, emotional numbing, reliving the event through nightmares or through playing, or fear that the event might happen again.

Although these types of anxiety disorders can be both found in adults as well as in children, the physical and emotional signs might be very different. For one, children do not have an understanding that their fears are irrational plus, they might not be able to verbalize their feelings either. Children might display symptoms such as crying, throwing tantrums or becoming extremely clingy. Children how are suspected of having an anxiety disorder should be referred to their regular pediatrician.

Anxiety Disorder - The Main Causes

Increasing worries about work, money, future, family, etc. result in anxiety. The disorder settles in your mind and behavior without letting you feel what is happening, and one day you find changes in your personality and way of thinking. Even physical symptoms appear and you freak out! Before going to the option of medication, try natural remedies for anxiety which are safe from any side effects and treat the problem more efficiently. Before you commence your treatment, acquiring more knowledge is essential as it enables you to understand better and have a more successful approach to the cure.

Anxiety is a serious and damaging mental condition which develops from concerns and worries one has about the vital issues of his life. As far as it is within the normal range, you do not need to be panicked about it but if it increases to an extent that you feel uncomfortable and it affects your normal mental peace and stability, take a practical step to treat it. There are many remedies that can easily help you to get out of the condition without bearing any side effects and visiting a physician. By taking medicines you may feel better for time being but as the medicines do not contain nutrients, and do not suit or boost the natural digestion and absorption process, you do not benefit from them as much as you can benefit from natural remedies for anxiety.

To start with your treatment, find out causes of anxiety disorder. Sorting out the causes simplifies for you the whole procedure of understanding your situation and then treating your disorder in a more effective manner. Commonly, anxiety can be the result of some medical factors in the body. People suffering from anemia, cardiac problems, infections, asthma, long-term illness, and side effects of a medication or lack of oxygen due to blood clotting in the lungs can be a victim of anxiety. In some cases, the genetics play a significant role in causing anxiety. If it runs in the family, you are more likely to develop anxiety without any trigger.

An abnormal level of some specific neurotransmitters in the brain can cause anxiety. These neurotransmitters do not work properly due to which the inner communication of the brain does not take place well and the brain starts acting in a weird manner.

The generalized anxiety disorder is caused by irrational worries about the normal day-to-day life matters like finance, family, friendship, job, education, etc. In some cases this is quite possible that a combination of above mentioned causes becomes mainly responsible for anxiety. For example, worrying irrationally about job and work while one suffers from anemia can lead to severe anxiety, and in some cases medical assistance becomes essential. So, one needs to look for the best natural remedies for anxiety in order to treat it effectively.

Anxiety Disorders - Causes of Anxiety Attacks

To understand the causes of anxiety attacks, it is important to be able to tell how they manifest. There are many reasons that can cause one anxiety and unfortunately the daily life we live brings along many things that lead to a build up of anxiety.

Since we assume that we are just facing the normal challenges that each day brings, we may never suspect that we have an anxiety disorder until it starts to manifest as physical symptoms. In fact, most anxiety disorders will not be suspected until they start to manifest physically. They lie underneath and fester and then catch the sufferer by surprise. This makes it all the more significant that today; science has made great strides in getting effective treatment for anxiety disorders.

Unfortunately, anxiety attacks are triggered by different things in each person. It might be money or a job, or it may be something like in-laws which may not bother another person. It is really up to you to learn what the causes of anxiety attacks are so that you can avoid them. They don't have to be big events; learn to look out for small events that leave you unsettled or unhappy because those have the potential to cause you anxiety attacks as well.

Some science suggests that continued anxiety will cause a chemical imbalance in the brain and this causes a certain type of anxiety disorder. This theory however does not have very solid proof backing it. Other research says that it is genetic or learnt behavior. Clearly, there is no consensus as to what causes anxiety attacks.

If you are feeling continuously stressed, to the point that its affecting your every day life, this may lead to an anxiety attack. Stress can come from your job, your family, your relatives or even your friends. The loss of a job means for many people that their income is gone, and that can lead to lots of stress. The loss of someone who was very close to you will also leave you feeling stressed, and if these feelings don't ease after sometime, you need to start taking precautions. Your marriage or relationship can also lead to a build up of stress.

Medications that cause anxiety can be dangerous because it may take a long time to find out. If you are prone to anxiety, always discuss any medication you have been prescribed with your doctor.

Anxiety can also be triggered by smaller events, and with time it can get just as bad as that caused by a major event. The causes in this case will be much harder to pinpoint, but you need not worry because all forms of anxiety attacks are treatable.

When you are having an anxiety attack, you will experience the following physical symptoms:

• Palpitations


• Increased sweating


• Shortness of breath and pain in the chest


• A feeling like choking


• You experience a momentary fear of death.

Looking closely at what may have changed on your life recently will help you trace the cause of your anxiety attacks. Acknowledge the stress so that you can deal with it. Denial often means that you get more and more stressed. If you can find no traceable cause, you may have had a random panic attack - they do happen.

All these are the same as you would experience if you were having a panic attack. Your first experience may be the first indication that something is amiss, but do not waste precious time; see a doctor right away because anxiety attacks are diagnosable and fully treatable today.

3 Reasons Anxiety Is Increasing In Our Society

Anxiety is increasing in modern society. Did you know that anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States. They affect over 40 million people almost 18% of the United States population, but unfortunately less than a third of them get treatment. What is causing this increase in our time. People have always been put through stressful situations like war, famine, plagues and disease yet anxiety is increasing in our modern world.

The three factors that have caused the increase in anxiety disorders are, the pace of life, a general lack of standards and values to live by, and the increase of social alienation fostered by technology.

The pace of life has increased dramatically over the past years. Years ago people walked and lived a slower pace of life. We are now in a state of constant doing which is disrupting our body and minds natural rhythms. There has been more change in the past 40 years than in the past 300 years. Technology has changed the way we move, communicate, and live. Because we have not had the time to acclimate to these changes brings a certain level of anxiety.

We have lost a sense of moral standards which to live by causing us to fend for ourselves. There is a mix of inconsistent values presented by the media and world views. We are left with having to fill the gap with our own views, but when we cannot fill that gap most of us resort to escapism and addiction causing us to live more out of tune and thus finding ourselves anxious.

Our sense of connection has been lost due to the increase in technology. Feeling connected to someone or something other than yourself gives you a sense of security and stability. Anxiety arises in the time when you lose your sense of connection. Either to yourself, your community, nature, or higher power. With this alienation you are more likely to perceive something as a potential threat to yourself. Most of today's anxiety stems from the perception of threat in the absence of feeling connected. In the past everyone knew their neighbors and had a true sense of connection with their community. Now with the internet and tv and even mobile phones our sense of connection is becoming weak and even lost. Most people spend all day in front of the tv or computer screen. Facebook is our sense of community but with no actual physical interaction your mind can still feel alone and lost. Odds are you live in a single family home or apartment and don't even speak to your next door neighbor or even know their name.

I could keep going but the point is that most of us have become separated from ourselves due to work, money, material goods, alcohol or drugs. The media has flooded us with false values of fear and consumption and instant gratification. Even the unexpected attacks on our soil have put us all in a state of fear. It comes as no surprise that in today's society there is more anxiety disorders. Many of us are looking for solutions to make our lives more peaceful and livable and that is why I wrote this article. Take a minute for yourself, slow down enjoy the world and the people around you. Find a set of values you want to live by and practice them everyday. Go out and meet your neighbors. Fill your mind with friends and family. Just by doing these few things you can reduce the amount of time your mind has to be anxious and start living a life of peace.

Anxiety Disorder Symptoms in Adolescents

Because adolescence is a time of mood swings and angry outbursts followed by tearful withdrawals, it is very difficult to tell if your teenager is just being a typical adolescent or if their behavior is indicative of a bigger problem. Quite often, anxiety disorders in children and teenagers are overlooked. This can be a dangerous oversight as overly anxious teenagers turn into overanxious adults, or even more seriously, the specter of depression and suicide loom large.

Why is it that some teenagers are prone to anxiety while others are more carefree? There are a lot of reasons which can be separated into:

1. Psychological - When a teenager is unable to cope with the changes in their bodies and the challenges of adolescent life, they become over anxious. This can also be a learned behavior from a close relative as studies have found that about 50% of people suffering from an anxiety disorder have a family member who suffers also. This leads us to the second cause.

2.Genetic - Scientists have been unable to pinpoint exactly to what degree anxiety is a learned response because of a role model or to what extent one is genetically programmed to timidity and anxiety. There is, however, evidence which supports the hypothesis that both factors are responsible.

3. Biological - Studies have shown that abnormal functioning in some parts of the brain are common to those who suffer from anxiety disorders; specifically, norepinephrine, serotonin, and GABA.

4. Medical - Before an anxiety disorder is diagnosed, tests must first rule out the involvement of medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, lung disease, some types of tumor, thyroid problems, infections, and neurologic disease.

All adolescents worry about something - school, their appearance, acceptance by their peers, their future. But what is a normal level of anxiety and what is an unhealthy level? Probably the best yardstick to use is whether anxiety is interfering with your child's life to the extent that once-routine activities are things of the past.

There are two components to cinsider - physical symptoms and behavioral problems. The physical symptoms include nausea, sweating, headaches, diarrhea, stomach pains, high blood pressure and heart palpitations. Behavioral problems manifest themselves in uncharacteristic and negative actions.

For example, are they skipping school? Are they doing badly in class? Are they staying in all the time whereas in the past they hung out with their friends? Do they think that if their work or appearance is not perfect, they won't be accepted - which leads to obsessive checking and re-checking? Do you suspect they drink alcohol, smoke or take drugs?

Teenagers suffering from an anxiety disorder find they cannot concentrate on their schoolwork, find it more difficult to make decisions and perceive their environment in a different way than they used to.

There are six types of anxiety disorders; not all of which are usually found in children and teenagers. More common to pre-teens and teens are Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder and panic disorder. Depression often goes hand-in-hand with these conditions, especially in adolescents.

Most Effective Treatment For Anxiety Disorders

Having an anxiety disorder is no joke. A lot of people suffering from it get a couple of inches close to ruin when the going gets tough. Several studies show that the development of anxiety disorders can be tracked down to a patient's traumatic experience, social upbringing, and stress.

In most experts' opinion, the following are some of the most effective treatment for anxiety disorders:

Daily exercise. One must not underestimate the healing capacity of regular exercise. So far, this is the cheapest form of body tune-up. Scientifically speaking, exercise improves blood circulation, which in turn results in proper distribution of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that the body requires to function well, physically and mentally speaking. Doing so is like creating a space for recreation.

Enough sleep. It is not enough that you exercise daily as it works better with enough sleep and rest to fight stress. This applies perfectly to those whose lifestyle demands more out of them.

De-stress. There are so many ways to have a totally refreshing moment alone. Try enrolling in a yoga class. Many yoga practitioners attest that it revitalizes the spirit and realigning the state of mind, which will help you deal with problems with a positive outlook.

Take vitamins and supplements. Your health status affects the way you perceive your environment and negative thoughts trigger anxiety attacks. Boosting your health will then be a good way to start. You have no idea how much nutrients are lost when you are heavily stressed so to make up for it, take vitamins and other supplements as per your doctor's prescription.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Your doctor may recommend this kind of clinical treatment when necessary. Assess yourself and see if you are willing to undergo such and if you think that the natural methods would not work alone.

Helping yourself is of paramount importance. Keep in mind that your cooperation is needed to succeed in dealing with anxiety disorder. Eventually, you will regain your self-esteem and have a normal life.

Anxiety Disorders - The Roles of Nature and Nurture

Anxiety is a part of human nature, a survival mechanism that has evolved to protect us, and the problems it can bring, in themselves, reflect what it means to be human:-

* worrying (planning ahead)

* physical symptoms (eg. increased heartrate/breathing to prepare us for action)

* even obsessive compulsive behaviour (the need for order and control)

All are deeply ingrained in human make-up to help us survive.

However, when we talk about nature versus nurture in regard to anxiety problems we are usually referring to the cause of the problem: is it due to nature (a faulty gene, brain structure, chemical imbalance or disease) or nurture (the environment we live in, our experiences, learning and conditioning)?

The answer, of course, is both - but what role does each actually play?

Genetic information passed from parent to child could contain much more than we are aware of today, possibly even passing on hopes, fears and desires - such things being an integral part of a person's make up. Without doubt a parent that has lived a life 'surviving' with OCD (or depression or high anxiety etc.) will pass such 'survival' information to their offspring.

However, all such information can only be in the form of predispositions - ways to behave given the 'right' (although negative) conditions for the inherent information/potential behaviours to flourish. This must be the case, for adaption (survival) purposes - it would not be sensible to be born into an unknown environment with 'fixed' attitudes/behaviours. Eg. it would not be appropriate to be constantly fearful in an environment of love.

So - genetics is important in the form of predispositions: coded information from our ancestors to help us survive/ thrive in various environments... but it is the environment in which we live that controls whether these predispostions flourish or wither and die.

Let's look at OCD, for example, being a major problem that current trends proffer 'nature' as the cause:

OCD represents trying to get control over 'unseen' forces and dangers - through rituals (there is no other way to attempt to get control over powerful negative forces that control us other than by rituals), ordering (to have everything ordered, in control) etc.

Given the right (wrong) set of life circumstances, it is not surprising that many turn to ordering / rituals to try and get control over relentless, uncontrollable anxiety (It's not called an anxiety disorder for nothing).

But it's the environment and fears/anxieties that have been learned and conditioned that drive this need to get control (to assuage the fears). Genetic history may enhance this or not.

Note also that a parent with OCD not only promotes direct learning (as a role model) but often treats their children in such a way (over cautious, negatively due to their own problems etc.) that may promote fears and anxieties. A child with OCD from a parent with OCD does not confirm a genetic link as the cause.

Included in the 'nature' argument is the idea of physical brain differences being the cause of OCD - they are not, they are the result of it, and many books that proffer this cause go on to say that the brain can be changed by learning (to a non-OCD state) - yes it can, just as it is changed in the first place to an OCD state by learning and conditioning.

This change of brain state obviously involves changes in levels (usually deficiencies) of such things as neurotransmitters (generally Dopamine and Serotonin are the ones frequently mentioned), proteins AND EVEN GENES. [The work of Barbara McClintock in the 1950's -originally ignored by her peers, later awarded the Nobel prize for her work showing that genes in plants change in stressful environmental conditions (whole sequences of DNA moving from one place to another). This is in plants - imagine what could be really happening in humans!]

And so, science may find brain structure changes, neurotransmitter level differences, protein diffrerences, genetic differences in those with OCD - BUT all these changes are, more logically, the result of the OCD not the cause.

Manipulating these factors can only (as the failure of modern medications as a cure already confirms) alleviate some symtoms for they never touch the cause. The environment must be the overriding factor - these problems are psychological and the answer is psychological - reconditioning and relearning our attitudes, beliefs and fears... in effect, re-changing our brain and probably in doing so, altering a part of our genetic make up.

Mental Health Coverage - Anxiety Disorders

Many insurance policies do not provide adequate coverage for mental disorders such as schizophrenia, ADHD, and anxiety disorders. Many people do not seem to realize that treating anxiety disorders requires both medication and frequent visits to the psychiatrist. The cost of treatment adds up over time, becoming a crushing burden if health insurance does not provide financial assistance. Unfortunately, even when health insurance plans offer mental health coverage, they often charge higher deductibles and severely limit treatment. This makes it difficult for those with mental disorders to get the treatment they need. Fortunately, it is only a matter of time before insurance providers will be required to provide basic coverage for anxiety disorders.

Insurers realize that mental disorders often require lifetime treatment. This makes them somewhat reluctant to cover the cost of medication. From a business perspective, insurance companies believe that covering mental disorders will make them lose money. While this might be true, it makes the lives of people with mental health disorders difficult. Many insurance companies compensate for potential losses by requiring higher premiums and deductibles. They hope that by severely limiting the amount of mental health coverage they provide, people with mental disorders will not file an excessive amount of claims.

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act passed two years ago addresses some of these concerns. The act requires insurers to provide mental health coverage benefits equal to those provided for other medical conditions. In other words, this law will do away with excessively high deductibles and low treatment caps. Unfortunately, this law only applies to group health plans and businesses with more than 50 employees. It also does not require health insurers to provide basic coverage for mental disorders. It is a significant step in health care reform, however.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that was passed this year should further decrease the gap between mental health coverage and coverage of other types of conditions and medical procedures. This act, among many other things, states that insurances plans sold through state exchanges must provide a basic level of coverage for mental disorders. This law applies to small businesses and individual plans. The law will go into effect in 2014. This will greatly increase the scope of insurance coverage and will provide insurance to an additional 32 million Americans. Although these laws increase coverage for anxiety disorders and other mental health problems, there is still a long way to go before everyone with a disorder can receive adequate care.

If you need assistance in locating particular coverages at a pre-determined price, we can help you save up to 50% on your health insurance.

Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety is a common experience for all people. Some handles it smoothly while others could be immersed into it, knowing that they are heading for a long, dark alley with no point of return.

There are approximately 40 million Americans who have various types of anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorder may manifest in such a way that the person feeling it could have sensations of free-floating anxiousness without knowing the reasons that have triggered it. It may also appear like an intense and sudden attack of numbing or painful anxiety. Also, it may manifest as a social inhibition or irrational compulsions to be obsessed on certain rituals. OR, it may manifest as an illogical fear of something which seems not to bother other people at all.

Regardless of the variety of anxiety disorders, they still have one thing in common- persistence of symptoms and excessive and overwhelming worry and fear. The occurrence of attacks and the degree of its effects can possibly immobilize, disrupt once social interaction and cause enough distress that the patient may find it hard to cope and function normally in social situations. Basic characteristics of anxiety disorder are as follows:

o All-consuming and overwhelming sense of fear and worry

o Anxiety which could lead to self-imposed withdrawal

o Anxiety which inhibits the person from doing his normal functions

Meanwhile, anxiety disorders are often accompanied by anxiety or panic attacks. These are usually characterized by shortness of breath, chest discomfort, extreme trembling or shaking, nausea and/or dizziness, fear of going crazy, hot and cold flashes or sensations of looming death or doom.

The usual psychological and emotional symptoms of anxiety disorder, however, include dread or apprehension, behavioral problems which are usually observed among adolescents and children, hypervigilance, confusion, irritability, avoidance, insecurity, extreme self-consciousness and intense desire to escape.

On the other hand, physical symptoms, apart from what we have earlier mentioned include heart palpitations, sweating, dizziness, shortness of breath, insomnia, fatigue, queasiness, diarrhea or frequent urination and muscle aches or tension.

With these varieties of symptoms, people having anxiety disorders often believe that they have illnesses other than psychological disorders. If not, they are misdiagnosed of other psychological and mental diseases that are far worse than what they actually have.

Under the umbrella of anxiety disorders, several sub-categories are included. These are as follows:

* Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)- This is marked by exaggerated and chronic tension and worry without anything to provoke it. Someone who has this disaster often expects that a looming disaster will befall upon him, or a tragedy such as losing a job, a death of a love one or problems in the family may arise. It is of course hard to pinpoint where exactly the feared object or event is coming from. Nonetheless, for a person who has GAD, these fears are very realistic.

* Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - The behaviors of the person comes from irrational thoughts or obsessions. These then results to compulsion of doing something that has no logical coherence. Normally, by performing the rituals r the compulsions, the person will feel more relived.

* Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder- panic attacks are period of intense discomfort or fear.

* Phobias- these are irrational fears of things that do not act as actual threats, more specifically to other people.

* Separation Anxiety- this disorder commonly roots from childhood. People who have separation anxiety normally feels extremely anxious with the prospect of losing contact with someone close to him.

* Social Anxiety / Social Phobia- this is an excessive feeling that the person is being watched, and thus being examined by the public's eyes.

There is no single cause for all the types of anxiety disorders. In fact, the root causes may be too vague that some tend to be common and indistinct. Among them are environmental factors that may have rooted during the developmental stages, personality traits and differences which often border on the negative factors, imbalances in the brain chemistry, factors on heredity, and traumatic experiences.

While anxiety disorders could be considered chronic, patients could still find help through early diagnosis and use of helpful preventive measures and treatments.

There are several ways in providing treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, use of natural and herbal treatments and through medications. If you think that you have the symptoms of anxiety disorders, it is in your best interest to seek professional intervention to help relieve you from further aggravated conditions and to provide self-help treatments.

Ways to Prevent Anxiety Disorder

You can prevent anxiety from ruining your life but you may not be able to prevent general anxiety disorder. For general anxiety disorder it is difficult to specify clear prevention strategies because there is no single dominant theory about what causes it.

There are some ways to prevent the anxiety before it starts. Begin with positive routines to maintain a calm, relaxed outlook on life if you believe you may be at risk for general anxiety disorder due to genetics, family history or environment. Slot in routines such as a daily walk, yoga or meditation. Center on your own thought processes and place an emphasis on staying with beliefs, interpretations, and assumptions that tend to be caring in brightening your mood and inspiring you to engage in positive activities and behaviors.

to prevent anxiety from ruining your life, contact your doctor about anxiety and if it seems severe and impossible to control or if it causing you with difficulty in work, relationships, sleeping, remembering things or concentrating on what you are doing, all of these should be discuss with your doctor.

Find a therapist with whom you are relaxed discussing issues that come up in your daily life and how you understand the things that others say and do. Ask your therapist about the strategies that are available to help lessen the destructive impact of general anxiety disorder symptoms on your ability to function work and in relationships and at home.

Get the treatment that can prevent general anxiety disorder symptoms from making you unhappy and bothered. A panic attack is one of the most distressing conditions a person can experience. Most who have one attack will have another. When someone has severe anxiety or has repeated attacks, this person is said to have panic disorders.

The panic attacks may be symptoms or signs of an anxiety disorder. In this country, these attacks are a serious health problem. At least 1.7% of adult Americans, or about 3 million people had panic attacks at some time in their lives. The symptom is noticeably different from other types of anxiety, since this panic attacks are often unexpected and very sudden.

Even during sleep, panic attacks can occur at any time. An attack usually peaks within 10 minutes, but some symptoms and signs may last much longer. When someone has a panic attack, for example, shopping in a crowded store, riding in an elevator, or while driving, he or she may develop irrational fears, called phobias. Finally, the level of anxiety and pattern of avoidance about another attack may reach the point where the individual with panic disorder may be unable to drive or even step out of the house.

You can use herbal remedies to prevent anxiety. You may search on the internet about herbal remedies. You can find lots of information that you can find online. The best thing is do a research and find the right herbal remedy.

Eliza Maledevic Ayson

http://www.primeherbal.com/Relagen/

Anxiety Disorder - Which of the These Anxiety Prone Traits and Core Fears Apply to You?

Three factors contribute to the development of anxiety: your heredity; your personality, which is influenced strongly by your upbringing and childhood experiences; and cumulative stress, the amount of stress you experience in your adult life.

Your genes and your personality traits can predispose you toward a panic or phobic disorder, but actually developing that disorder is usually triggered either by one major stressor such as the death of a loved one or a series of life stresses over a period of time.

Most people with anxiety difficulties display at least two or three of these traits, which include:

o excessive need for approval

o insecurity and over-dependency

o over-control

o perfectionism

o over-cautiousness

o "confinement phobia"

People prone to anxiety disorders also have plenty of positive traits, such as creativity, intuitive ability, emotional sensitivity, and amiability. Such traits often endear them to their relatives and friends.

Anxiety-prone personality characteristics tend to be associated with specific, deep-seated fears. Such "core fears" often have their origin in childhood or past trauma. They underlie most of the worries and phobias that come up for people with anxiety.

The six traits described above are motivated by these core fears, which include: fear of rejection; fear of abandonment; fear of losing control; fear of illness, injury, or death; and the fear of confinement.

Certainly there are other fears that can influence anxiety disorders, such as the fear of what is strange or unfamiliar, the fear of failure, or the fear of meaninglessness.

Yet the five core fears just mentioned play the most central role in motivating anxiety-prone personality traits. These traits and the core fears tend to be associated in the following way:

ANXIETY-PRONE TRAIT

o Excessive need for approval

o Insecurity and overdependency

o Overcontrol

o Perfectionism

o Overcautiousness

o Confinement phobia

CORE FEAR

o Fear of rejection

o Fear of abandonment

o Fear of losing control

o Fear of rejection

o Fear of illness, injury, death

o Fear of being stuck, confined

Which of these characteristics fit you? If you've received therapy, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy, for your anxiety disorder, were these issues addressed?

Effective cognitive-behavioral treatment may help you deal with some of these issues indirectly. For example, changing self-talk and the underlying beliefs that cause social anxiety may help you to overcome your fear of rejection.

Or taking time out to work on relaxation may enable you to let go of some of your over-control and perfectionism. Or, if you're agoraphobic and learn through exposure therapy to drive farther from home, you may begin to overcome feelings of insecurity and over-dependency.

Without a doubt, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can have a favorable impact on anxiety-prone personality traits and associated core fears. The question is whether it's enough. CBT tends to address primarily the cognitive aspects of your personality i.e., your anxiety-provoking self-talk, attitudes, and beliefs.

But there are also emotional factors that influence the traits and fears listed above. Insecurity and over-dependency, for example, may be influenced by having not developed a strong sense of your own identity.

In my blog, see link below, I discuss in a series of 6 articles the personality issues on anxiety. Each article begins with a list of five questions to help you assess whether the particular trait applies to you. The remainder of the section describes the characteristic in more detail and then suggests strategies to help you overcome it.

Anxiety Disorder - How to Stop Panic Attacks

In excess of 20 million people around the globe have anxiety attacks. A lot of anxiety attack treatment exist, but you will find just a handful of these treatment really stop panic attacks once and for all.

To understand how these methods stop panic attacks in its track, it helps to comprehend the root trigger.

Our body's responses with a flight or fight reaction to a threatening situation. Individuals with anxiety attacks will react this way although there is no danger. Simply because the amygdala (emotive brain) mistakenly perceives a situation.

Shivers, increased heart rate, perspiration, trembling, difficulty breathing, the fear of losing control or 'going crazy', feeling sick, dizziness, feelings of unreality are all signs of panic and anxiety attacks. This occurs because your body is in an inactive state with a build up of adrenalin rush.

These couple of techniques are quick relief to stop panic attacks from worsening

1. Hold your breath. Holding your breath for as long as you comfortably can to reduce the dissipation of carbon dioxide. If you breathe faster, you will take in more oxygen than you require; eventually leading to an imbalance pH level in the blood streams and further strengthened the panic signs.

2. Breath in and out of a paper bag - you will be breathing in the carbon dioxide that you breathe out. This will speedily reestablish the normal blood pH level.

3. Physical exercise - while breathing deeply Anything from running, brisk walking, going up and down stairs will discharge the adrenalin effectively.

4. Breathe in quickly and breathe out slowly. Inhale to a count of 7 and exhale to a count of 11. By exhaling slower than breathing in, you will not inhale more oxygen than needed. Excess oxygen is known to excite your neurological system and so limiting the amount of oxygen that you inhale will relax your system and allow the anxiety attacks to wane.

5. Prescription drugs - Anti-depressants or Valium or Lexapro can bring relief but these are temporary solutions.

It is a well known fact that one cannot die from anxiety attacks. Remember that anxiety attacks is not a mental or physical condition. It is a behavioral condition. The more you understand about panic attacks, the better you will be able to empower yourself to stop panic attacks.

This is why people who deal with anxiety attacks cure themselves more efficiently when compared with people who are in denial. In fact, with time, people who deal with their anxiety problems head on are able to use their body's natural anxiety reduction process to swiftly return their anxiety levels to zero without much effort.

Anxiety Disorders - How Common Are Anxiety Attacks?

Anxiety disorders are suffered by more people than you might imagine. Many are unwilling to admit to having suffered attacks as it tends to be embarrassing and they feel that it carries a certain stigma in the eyes of some. But it is a fact that approximately 40 million adult Americans suffer from some form of anxiety or panic disorder according to NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health). It is also the number one mental health disorder treated in America, affecting more women than men.

Interestingly, anxiety attacks don't just happen when a person is awake. They often occur while sleeping which only adds to the fear of the situation and experience. Imagine waking up with tightness in your throat, your heart racing, dizziness and a feeling as though you are going to die but not knowing why. Could it have been a nightmare? But why is it happening night after night?

There are many types of disorder fitting under the umbrella term of anxiety disorder, such as panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and phobias.

In most documented cases of anxiety attacks, the sufferer seldom reports any particular event that would have triggered the onset of the attack. However, returning to the same spot where a previous attack occurred could trigger another attack. The greatest fear of a person suffering an anxiety disorder is having another attack thus making it a cruel cycle of fear.

When you experience fear it is usually aimed at a specific situation or event such as writing an exam, giving a speech, being in danger etc. However, when you experience anxiety attacks you may not be aware of what is causing your anxiety. The focal point of the attack is more internal than external making it more confusing and adding to the anxiety. This is a common theme running through each anxiety disorder.

Having an anxiety disorder need not rule your life. As you have seen by the figures from NIMH it is far more prevalent than you may have thought -- there is no need to feel shame or embarrassment.

Apart from medication there are many non-traditional forms of treatment you may like to try for your anxiety disorder. For some people anxiety attacks may be able to be controlled by learning meditation and doing yoga -- or even trying acupuncture and acupressure to deal with physical problems. Hypnosis tends to work well for phobias. Whatever your anxiety disorder there is a way to turn your life around. Take action and get some help to combat your anxiety attacks.

Can Anxiety Problems Be Hereditary?

It's fairly common for people who have suffered with panic and anxiety problems to find out that their siblings and/or parents also suffered from the same types of issues. Unfortunately, many people keep the problems hidden and they don't learn about the history until the problem has developed into something more serious.

In many cases, they only find out about the history of anxiety when their own problem becomes overwhelming and they seek help for it. They will often tell their family, at which point other family members may also come forward.

Unfortunately there is a stigma associated with anxiety and panic disorders, and many people are unwilling to admit to it.

Anxiety is not strictly hereditary, however. Even if there is no history of it in their family, a person can develop problems for many reasons. Some of the most common are major events in their life, such as:

• Grief - The death of a loved one or close friend


• Major trauma - A car accident, being held up or a life threatening sickness


• Financial problems - Unexpected job loss, large amounts of debt

In some cases, it is easy to identify the seed that has grown into a panic or anxiety problem. Other times it is not so simple. It can sometimes take years after a stressful event or situation before anxiety disorder symptoms start to appear, and it's not always easy to see the relationship.

So, to answer the initial question, yes, anxiety problems can be hereditary but they are not exclusively so. If your family has a history of anxiety, however, it is likely that you are at risk of similar problems and should be more aware of any potential signs of a problem.

Anxiety Disorders, Depression and Anger

The anger of others and our own suppressed anger can play a part in many anxiety disorders and depression.

We need anger to survive. It is the precursor to aggression; all of us may have to fight to protect our loved ones or ourselves at some stage in our lives. Like anxiety, it is an energizer, readying us for action.

Anger can mask anxiety, for example, the first reaction of a mother that has lost a child, on finding the child, is often to scold him or her, getting angry with them masks the fear of what might have happened. Similarly anxiety can mask anger.

It is natural to get angry in conflict, to want to take some action and do something about it. As children, we often see our parents getting angry in dealing with various situations and when they act angrily toward us we want to complain, get angry back and end the conflict. But this isn't possible; we cannot fight a more powerful adult and anger toward a loved one is not acceptable because we love them and need them, so we suppress our anger. And it is suppressed anger, often starting in childhood that can become so important to anxiousness we experience in later life.

'Angry' situations also make us scared; the anger is associated with being afraid so we suppress it further. From small children to teenagers, severe parent-child conflict often ends in tears (for the child) as the suppressed anger comes out in the form of crying.

In households of family conflict or over-strictness, some parents are angry virtually all the time. How many people with anxiety-related problems have had a childhood dominated by the angry man or woman?

Angry people get angry all the time. They know how to be angry so very well given the right situation (and isn't it strange just how often the right situation occurs for them?). Their voice, stance and what they say, demonstrate their anger impeccably.

Angry people usually want to tell others what to do and then criticise them for their shortcomings; their lack of inner peace is obvious: anger shows on their faces and in their whole demeanour, family and friends tread carefully as not to upset them.

Regarding our parent's anger, we need to realise that although it may often be directed at us, they are really angry with themselves and their lives. Regarding our own,suppressed anger, it shows in various things, such as: temper tantrums, petulance, sulking, boredom and verbal abuse as children; sarcasm, gossip, violent behaviour and illness as adults.

Suppressed anger runs throughout many, if not all, anxiety and depression-related problems. People with OCD often express high levels of aggression toward family or significant others, the release of bottled up emotions in PTSD frequently results in anger and in depression we feel that even getting angry is hopeless. Indeed, getting angry is a good defence against depression; angry people don't get depressed for they are always taking action to some degree.

It is not anger, per se, that's the problem; it's when it is not expressed or resolved that is. In (family) conflicts where the anger is not expressed or not resolved through conciliation, no making up with apologies, hugs, acceptance and compromise - anger festers inside us.

Understanding Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric conditions affecting people today. Both children and adults today are susceptible to these conditions. In the US, approximately 19 million adults suffer from some type of anxiety disorder. These conditions affect people's lives on a daily basis, restricting their ability to work, relax, eat, and even sleep. Anxiety disorders are chronic, relentless, and they can grow progressively worse if not treated. Here's a closer look at some common anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, phobias, post traumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Also called GAD, this is a common anxiety disorder characterized by chronic episodes of "free floating" anxiety or apprehension that are not linked to a specific cause or situation. These episodes of GAD may last for six months or more. Stressful life events, such as moving, changing jobs, losing a loved one, or suffering a financial hardship can trigger or contribute to the anxiety. Muscle tension, sweating, difficulty swallowing, edginess, nausea, trembling, insomnia, abdominal upsets, dizziness, and irritability are the common physical symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. Women are twice as likely as men to be affected by this condition.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: OCD is commonly joked about in movies and television programs. Jack Nicholson's character in As Good as It Gets suffered from obsessive compulsive anxiety disorder. However, sufferers of the condition, and their loved ones, don't find it to be a joking matter. With this condition, individuals are plagued by constant thoughts or obsessions that create fear and anxiety. For instance, a sufferer of obsessive-compulsive disorder might constantly fear being contaminated by germs or burning down the house. These obsessions compel the person to compulsively complete a routine or series of routines (such as washing hands or checking the toaster) to relieve the anxiety. Over one third of individuals who suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder began to demonstrate signs of the disease in childhood.

Panic Disorder: A panic disorder is characterized by intense attacks that cause the sufferer to experience such symptoms as heart palpitations, chest pain or discomfort, sweating, trembling, tingling sensations, feeling of choking, fear of dying, fear of losing control, and loss of touch with reality. People with panic disorder have feelings of terror that strike suddenly and repeatedly with no warning. They can't predict when an attack will occur, and many develop intense anxiety between episodes, worrying when and where the next one will strike. These attacks may be triggered by a stressful event or they may come on for no discernible reason. People who suffer from panic attacks are often uncomfortable in new or unfamiliar environments since they may be unsure of how they will get themselves to safety if an attack should occur. For this reason, panic disorders often occur with agoraphobia, in which people are afraid of any strange places. Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from a panic disorder.

Phobias: Many people experience a healthy amount of fear or apprehension when faced with scary objects like spiders or situations such as looking over the edge of a cliff. But people who are intensely afraid of a specific object or situation may be suffering from an anxiety disorder known as a phobia. A phobic person displays a level of fear that is irrational and disproportionate to the situation. Specific phobias often lead sufferers to avoid normal, everyday situations. Over 14 million adult Americans are affected by one type of phobia or another. Some of the more common specific phobias are centered around closed-in places, heights, escalators, tunnels, highway driving, water, flying, dogs, and injuries involving blood.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, is a debilitating anxiety disorder that is typically triggered by witnessing or taking part in a major traumatic event. Childhood abuse, rape, war, a terrorist act, death of a loved one, a natural disaster, or a catastrophic accident are all frequent causes of post traumatic stress disorder. Regardless of the cause, the development of post traumatic stress disorder often leads to intense feelings of fear, helplessness, or horror. After the traumatic event, many people experience nightmares, daytime flashbacks of the event, difficulty sleeping, numbness of emotions, or sometimes even personality changes. For many people, these symptoms stop within a month. However, for many others, the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder may continue for months or even years.

Social Anxiety Disorder: Social anxiety disorder affects men as frequently as it affects women. People who suffer from this condition tend to feel extreme anxiety about their behavior or their perceived behavior in a public setting. They may be terrified of being judged or ridiculed or causing themselves embarrassment. Physical symptoms associated with this social anxiety disorder include heart palpitations, faintness, blushing and profuse sweating. These symptoms often lead the sufferer to avoid social situations.

To learn more visit http://www.stress-anxiety-depression.org.

Anxiety Disorders - Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Attacks

A generalized anxiety disorder can be described as excessive worry about every day things, a feeling that leaves behind a lot of tension and lasts for more than 6 months. This tension and anxiety will interfere with one's way of life such that they are not able to function properly. You spend most of the time worrying; you feel impending doom and are overly anxious about things that would not usually worry you. When left unchecked, generalized anxiety disorders can lead to panic attacks.

Here is how this happens. Panic attacks can generally happen because of a feeling of increased tension and worry in a person. The more you worry, the more your body is convinced that there is some danger, and so starts preparing itself for defence. The typical defence reaction is called fight or flight; the body is getting ready either to fight the enemy, or to run away. It will start to feed the muscles with more energy, the heart will pump a little faster to make sure that more blood is moving amongst the muscles, and the muscles themselves will tighten just in case they have to move into action.

Eventually, a tipping point is reached. All this accumulated energy has to be disposed of. The "enemy" is all the fear and the worry that is bottled up inside the body. Without any warning, the body will suddenly react as though it's in extreme danger. All the reactions that you would expect in such a situation will manifest; the heart pounds much faster, the muscles will tremble, and the chest will tighten. There is a strong sense of impending doom. The episode lasts for a few minutes and then passes, and it may take a few minutes or even a few days to feel normal again.

Because you are in a state of constant worry, you now have one more thing to worry about: what if I have another panic attack? You will fixate and worry over this to the point where the body starts to prepare all over again to either fight or flee. And then another panic attack occurs, at which point you will now be very worried that something is terribly wrong...

You can see how generalized anxiety disorders can lead to panic attacks, and panic attacks to generalized anxiety disorders. It becomes a vicious cycle and if you don't stop it, it may end up taking over your life.

There are 2 things that you need to look at here. One is the anxiety disorder. What is causing you to worry endlessly? In many cases, it's simply the life that we live. We are caught up in things we do that make us unhappy; we are all too eager to please and so small failures are magnified; we never take a break to refresh and restore ourselves.

The other thing is the panic attacks. Sometimes, they can occur for no reason. It's understandable that someone should worry about what could be causing them, but don't worry yourself so much that you end up being caught in a spiral of worry that will cause you another attack.

In both cases, you can be helped. Generalized anxiety disorders and panic attacks are today recognized as a medical condition and you can get treated either through therapy or medications, or a combination of both.

You must never ignore any signs that are similar to the ones described here. If you feel yourself worrying excessively, you need to stop and find out what it is. In most of the cases, they are things that you can let go of with little consequence. Sometimes you may find that you want to justify your reasons for being anxious and worried. Ask yourself if whatever is causing you generalized anxiety and panic attacks; is it really worth my health?

The Six Most Common Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is a normal and essential reaction to stress or danger that helps all of us to cope with everyday situations. We feel it before a big job interview, before an important exam or when dealing with difficult people. But when anxiety becomes an excessive, persistent and irrational fear or dread of everyday situations it is categorized as an anxiety disorder. Here we will look at some of the common disorders with a brief description of each.

The term anxiety disorder is defined as a chronic condition characterized by an excessive and often unrelenting sense of irrational fear, worry or dread, often producing any number of physical symptoms such as heart palpitations and sweating. While the exact cause of anxiety disorders is unknown, the condition seems to be brought on by both biological and environmental factors.

Common Anxiety Disorders

Included in the general "anxiety disorders" category are several specific types of common disorder, differentiated by the types of symptoms they produce and the way these symptoms affect the anxiety sufferer. Below are the most common ones, in no particular order.

• Panic Disorder - characterized by sudden and intense bouts of overwhelming and irrational fear, usually reaching its peak after about 10 minutes and lasting in totality about thirty minutes to an hour. Often accompanying this deep and unreasonable fear are a host of physical symptoms including chest pains, sweating, shortness of breath, numbness and tingling and a general feeling of fatigue.


• Generalized Anxiety Disorder - characterized by persistent and irrational feelings of uneasiness or apprehension. People suffering from generalized anxiety disorder worry unreasonably about things like money, family, health and even death when there is no cause to support such worry. Physical symptoms such as trembling, muscle tension, sweating, frequent urination and labored breathing often go hand in hand with generalized anxiety.


• Social Anxiety Disorder - often referred to as social phobia, is a condition characterized by an irrational and pervasive fear of social situations. Those coping with social anxiety disorder often refrain from participating in any type of social environment for fear of being judged by others or embarrassing themselves.


• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - characterized by constant and irrational fears that cause sufferers to engage in ritualistic behavior. For instance, someone with OCD might have an irrational fear or obsession about germs, and feel compelled to wash his/her hands constantly. The fear of germs in this situation is labeled the obsession, and the ritual of constant hand washing is the compulsion.


• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - This often surfaces following a specific traumatic event. It is usually seen in combat soldiers returning from war, PTSD can produce a constant state of fear and anxiety which is linked to the original traumatic experience.


• Agoraphobia - characterized by an irrational fear of being anyplace where an anxiety-related event could occur. Those suffering from agoraphobia often relate their anxiety to a particular place and event, fearing they will not be able to escape when the anxiety reaches its peak. Usually this fear will cause them to avoid these places altogether.

According to the National Institute for Mental Health, as many as 40 million Americans, or eighteen percent of adults ages 18 and older, will suffer from some form of anxiety disorder in any given year.

While there is no universal cure for any of these common anxiety disorders, the symptoms associated with each can usually be managed effectively with medication and therapy. Untreated, however, they can create serious problems both at work and at home for those that suffer its effects.

How to Cure General Anxiety Disorder

General anxiety disorder is an anxiety problem that is characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry about everyday normal things. If you experience this problem, the good news is you will soon know how to cure it.

We all have experienced some form of anxiety in the past and even right now where our heart begins to pound before a big presentation, an important job interview or a qualifying examination. We worry and fret over family issues and problems or feel jittery at the prospect of meeting an important customer. However, if worries and fears are preventing you from living your life the way you would have loved to, then you may be suffering from anxiety disorder.

The drug companies have been hiding the cure because they have been making billions of dollars from their antidepressant medications. Now, you will not be swallowing those pills any more because they do not cure anxiety disorder.

There are many anxiety treatments and self-help approaches that can help you reduce your anxiety symptoms and take back control of your life. However, we will expose you to the best approach that has been proven to cure anxiety disorder.

General anxiety disorder has been proven to respond best to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This therapy involves more than just talking to a therapist. The person with general anxiety disorder gradually learns to see situations and problems in a different perspective and learns the methods and techniques to use to alleviate and reduce anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy enables you to focus on the thinking patterns and behaviors that are sustaining or triggering your anxiety. It helps you look at your worries and fears in a more realistic way.

Current research findings shows that anxiety disorder can be completely treated and can be successfully overcome over the course of about 3 to 4 months if the person is willing to work toward complete recovery.

Apart from the above, many other choices exist for treating this problem.

There are also different relaxation techniques as well as herbal remedies to help people fight against general anxiety.

My recommendation is for you to try the use of cognitive behavioral therapy. Thousands of people have reported a complete cure of their general anxiety disorder from just this therapy alone. Since then they have gone on to secure the job of their dreams or perform excellently well in their current jobs without the controlling influence of this problem.

Types of Anxiety Sleep Disorder

Getting a good night's sleep is essential for normal health. Sleep deprivation tends to undermine a person's performance during the day, and if it goes on long enough can cause depression and anxiety which in turn makes sleeping difficult. Sometimes it is anxiety in the first instance that leads to difficulty in getting to sleep or staying asleep.There is thus the possibility of a vicious circle, where anxiety causes loss of sleep which in turn causes more anxiety.

For those living with anxiety disorders, insomnia can be a real problem as their day time anxieties spill over to night time Many symptoms of anxiety disorders, including general feelings of stress, persistent worry, obsessive thoughts gastrointestinal problems, and nightmares are likely to rob precious sleep.

Most adults sleep between 7 and 8 hours although nobody really knows how much sleep we actually need. Some people manage quite well with only 4 or 5 hours, while others, given the chance, will happily sleep for 10.

In general sleep is helped by two factors - being tired at bedtime and being in tune with your own biological clock. This is why it's important to do some exercise during the day, and to develop regular habits with regard to the time you retire at night.

Insomnia, the most common sleep complaint, is the feeling that you have not slept well or long enough. Mostly it is because of difficulty in falling asleep, or waking in the night, or waking too early in the morning. Difficulties with sleeping may just be transient and due to an obvious stress such as an important exam coming up, or money worries.

Long lasting sleep problems may simply be due to environment problems such as living near an airport, but, quite often, can be a result of a chronic anxiety disorder that needs to be addressed. Psychological factors such as fears, phobias and compulsions can so occupy the mind that sleep is delayed, disturbed, or shortened.. People who are chronically agitated and hyperactive due to excess stress are sometimes so restless that they expect not to be able to get to sleep when they go to bed.

In depressed people an overwhelming feeling of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness or guilt can upset normal sleep patterns. Often a depressed person wakes early and can then not be able to get back to sleep. Yet sometimes the opposite is true, and a person may find escape by sleeping, denying the problems of life. The loss of a sense of purpose in life may be associated with an overwhelming urge to sleep, a constant tiredness, or night-time sleep marked by an irregular sleep/wake pattern.

A fair proportion (up to 50%) of people who suffer day-time panic attacks also suffer them at night. Panic attacks are part of a particular anxiety disorder characterised by sudden, short bouts of extreme panic and fear. These cause a rapid heart rate or palpitations and other symptoms such as pain the chest, difficulty breathing, dizziness, blurred vision and headache. Panic attacks are frightening enough in themselves, but when they occur at night they can be doubly so. In the dark things can seem more disturbing and a night panic attack can cause a person to awake confused and disoriented in addition to the feelings of fear that it engenders.

Sleep disorders often have anxiety as part of their cause and therefore the anxiety itself needs to be addressed as well as the specific night-time problems. A sleeping pill can help you to get to sleep but won't cure an underlying anxiety. For that you should see a health professional.