What Is Anxiety Disorder?

ANXIETY

The feeling of anxiety is common to all and we have all felt it many times in the course of our lives. But when  anxiety  becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it becomes a  disorder .

Nearly 40 million people above the age of 18 are affected by this disorder in a given year.  Anxiety   disorder  may be caused by a mental condition, a physical condition, the effects of drugs, or from a combination of these.

Some of the common Types of  Anxiety   Disorders  are:

I PANIC DISORDER

This condition is characterized by periods of intense fear or a psychological distress that lasts for about half an hour.

II GENERAL  ANXIETY   DISORDER  (GAD)

This condition is characterized by excessive anxiety and worry, occurring more days than not for a period of at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities. Having this disorder means always anticipating disaster, often worrying excessively about health, money, family, or work. Sometimes, though, the source of the worry is hard to pinpoint.

III PHOBIC DISORDERS

These are persistent, unreasonable, intense fears (phobias) of situations, circumstances, or objects giving rise to anxiety and avoidance. Phobic disorders are classified as general (agoraphobia and social phobia) or specific.

A) Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia literally means "fear of the marketplace". Therefore, people with agoraphobia are afraid of open or public places. In reality, most people with agoraphobia are actually afraid of having a panic attack in these settings, especially settings in which there will be no one to help in case of panic attack or an actual emergency.

B) Social  Anxiety   Disorder 

The person suffering from this disorder has an excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations. The anxiety in this case arises out of the fear of being closely watched, judged or criticized by people around you.

C) Specific Phobias

A specific phobia is fear of and anxiety about a particular situation or object. Specific phobias are the most common  anxiety   disorders . Among the most frequent are fear of animals zoophobia), heights (acrophobia) and thunderstorms (astraphobia or brontophobia).

i) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD is a type of disorder involving two elements: obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are repetitive unwanted thoughts that make you feel anxious. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors and rituals that the patient feels compelled to perform as performing them temporarily reduces the anxiety.

ii) Separation Anxiety

This form of anxiety is a normal developmental stage experienced by a child when separated from the primary caregiver. It typically manifests itself as crying and distress when the child is away from a parent or from home.

ANXIETY MANAGEMENT & TREATMENT

At Home: In certain cases, it is possible to treat anxiety at home. However, these cases are limited to ones where the attack is of a short duration and where you know the reason for the attack. In such cases, stress can be relieved by practicing activities such as: Meditation, Watching TV, Deep breathing , Resting in a dark room etc.

Medical Treatment: When the nature of attacks is more serious in nature then the patient has to turn to medical treatment. Medical treatment depends on the cause of the anxiety.

There are cases when the cause cannot be identified. In such cases, the only way to treat is control of symptoms.

Medication does not cure  anxiety   disorders , but it helps to keep them under control while the person receives psychotherapy. With proper treatment many people with  anxiety   disorders  can lead normal, fulfilling lives.

Virtual Reality Therapy for Anxiety

Virtual reality therapy (VRT) can cure traumatic stress and anxiety in people. During the treatment, patients repeatedly see simulated environments to overcome difficulties of the past. This therapy has complex procedures, which is why only skilled doctors can perform it.

This therapy can successfully cure alcoholism, eating disorder, fear of public speaking, fear of flying, and more. A virtual environment is made based on patient's memory. Visuals and sounds are added in this virtual environment for making it close to real situation. Patients who are afraid of flaying may see simulation of airplane, and sexual assault victims may see a person approaching in a dark place. During the treatment, therapists continuously communicate with patients.

What Science says about this Therapy

Scientific evidence is available, Virtual therapy and hypnosis (also known as virtual hypnosis therapy) can cure fear of public speaking, anxiety, stress, and emotional pain. Many scientific theories suggest applying three-dimensional technology and hypnosis together to help patients.

Not long ago, a research report provided evidence that virtual hypnosis is effective against neuropathic pain. During this research, tests were conducted on a female patient that had 5 years of failed treatment. Patient was able to overcome her condition up to 36% in 33 sessions. These virtual sessions were effective as compare to non-virtual hypnosis treatment. The title of this research was “Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking”.

Another research that combined emotional therapy with virtual reality, suggests that positive emotions can enhance activity management in people. The research was conducted to represent acceptability, satisfaction, and efficiency of this therapy for promoting positive emotions. This research provides evidence that this therapy can cure anxiety and stress.

In 2015, two tests were conducted to find efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy. The aim of this study was to unlock negative memories and modify behavior and emotional state. 163 female patients were given treatment. Some of them were given standard behavioral program (SBP), and others were given SBP plus virtual reality. There wasn't significant difference between both the treatments, but odds show that patients who had virtual treatment had greater possibility of improvements.

Aim of this Therapy

Traumatic Stress is not the only condition that can be cured using this therapy. As the cost of this therapy is coming down, scientists are looking to treat autism and phobias using it. Virtual reality therapy is an effective treatment that can cure fear of things, emotional pain, and anxiety.

Test and Performance Anxiety

Almost everyone becomes anxious prior to taking a test. When test anxiety negatively affects the performance of a student, this can become a significant problem. Importance placed on tests such as the SAT, ACT, GRE, and other standardized tests can create major issues for children and their parents. Serious consequences are associated with tests success, for example graduation, promotion, class rank, and college acceptance. Once test anxiety is recognized, there are several strategies for decreasing test anxiety and performing well.

Test anxiety can be identified by physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioral signs and symptoms. Physical symptoms include headaches, nausea or diarrhea, extreme body temperature changes, excessive sweating, shortness of breath, light-headedness or fainting, rapid heartbeat, and dry mouth. Emotional responses to anxiety are excessive feelings of fear, disappointment, anger, or, taken to extreme levels, depression, uncontrollable crying or laughing, and feelings of helplessness. Behavioral signs that a child may be dealing with test anxiety fidgeting, pacing, substance abuse, avoidance, cursing. Cognitively test anxiety can produce racing thoughts, 'going blank', difficulty concentrating, negative self-talk, feelings of dread, comparing oneself to others, difficulty organizing one's thoughts.

Before the test, there are methods to decrease some anxiety. For parents, you can talk to your child about their anxiety and the pressures they feel. It may be simply talking with their parents may help the child to feel better, and as if they can perform well. Parents can help with test anxiety by being gently encouraging throughout the school year, and not just before a major test. Developing good study and preparation habits go a long way towards decreasing test anxiety. Cramming the night before a huge test will not produce good results. Start studying your material each day of the semester or term and review a little bit at a time, and as a test approaches ramp up your efforts. Alert your teachers or instructors that you have test anxiety and ask for any suggestions of help that they can provide you; your teachers are there to help you succeed. Following good physical health habits can also decrease test anxiety and increase performance such as avoiding caffeine and getting a good night's sleep, eating well - make sure to eat breakfast, and exercising regularly.

When the day of the test has arrived, there are strategies to deal with the test. During the test, make sure to read the directions carefully, follow a specific strategy to completing the test, and review all of your answers before turning the test in. A common test taking method is to answer all of the hardest questions first, and then completing easier questions - skip the questions you do not know the answers to and return to them after you have answered all of the other questions. Reread your answers, and double-check your math work, there is so no reward for turning in your test first. Try hard not to worry about other people turning in their test before you do, only focus on your test and grades.

If you start to feel overwhelmed by your anxiety remember to tell yourself to relax, take a moment and breathe deeply and slowly. To make sure you breathe deeply inhale for to the count of 4, hold that breathe to you count to 7, and exhale to the count of 8; repeat this four to eight times to momentarily distract yourself and decrease your heart rate. Keep a positive attitude and acknowledge that you prepared and that you are doing your best throughout this test. Ask the teacher for clarification if you do not understand what is being asked for on the test. As you are wrapping up your test, look over the material and make sure you answered every question that you can, double check your work and make sure you put your name on the test.

Test anxiety can be overwhelming with all of the consequences for not doing well, but with preparation, practice and knowledge test anxiety can be controlled and you can succeed at test taking.

How to Fix Anxiety - A Review of Treatments

There are many different types of anxiety and around twice as many treatments. There are therapies that can treat anxiety, and medications that can help it, and many people also manage to cure their own anxiety. So how do you choose what treatment to go for? How can you decide how to fix your anxiety?

There are many types of therapies. These can be very expensive, however, with some professionals charging hundreds per hour. There are so many types of therapy that it can be confusing choosing the one that is best suited to your particular type of anxiety. These therapies often require a long time before you are able to live a normal life, sometimes meaning that patients are in therapy for months or years.

Medication is another way to treat anxiety, but unless you're a doctor this can be a frightening idea. Many medications only treat the symptoms of anxiety, meaning that your anxiety may come back as soon as you stop the medication. Many medications also have uncomfortable side effects that include physical effects and mental effects. SSRIs for example can increase suicidal urges in some people! Stronger medications are addictive meaning that the dosage has to be continually upped or that patients can only use them for a short period of time before being dropped back into their anxiety.

Self-help techniques are plentiful. From visualization techniques to meeting your "spirit guide," thousands of books claim they can fix your anxiety forever. But very few techniques work for all anxieties, and not very many work at all! Self-help can be effective, but it doesn't have the encouragement element that therapy has where there's always someone working with you and helping you use the techniques. This makes treating your own anxiety somewhat of a trial and error process. That could mean that it takes years to get through all the set backs.

One approach to anxiety is to face it head on. Instead of avoiding situations in which anxiety occurs, the patient goes through their normal life until they find themselves feeling anxious. When they do, they do not run away from the situation, they simply observe the anxiety as it passes by. This proves that the panic attack or anxious feelings are not harmful. It also proves that the situation is not harmful. This technique is based in Buddhist meditation in which the meditator watches thoughts without becoming attached or avoiding them.

Severe Test Anxiety - 4 Steps to Stop the Panic and Pass the Exam!

Severe test anxiety is a terrible thing to experience. Your body becomes tense all around and spirals into a heap of anxiety. I've been there! The thought of a deadline simply makes matters more severe.

Here is what a Test Anxiety Cycle looks like

- You sit down to study.

- You Become dissatisfied with your progress up to that point.

- Your mind starts to bounce, searching for easier material to absorb.

- You focus on deadlines and negative consequences.

- You tense up and your body becomes stressed.

- Your mind locks and a panic sets in.

And the cycle repeats, getting more severe each time...

Most anxiety cycles have a downward spiraling effect. Feeling fatigued in the mind from other classes and losing sleep with poor nutrition only makes matters worse. Below are 4 steps to help you pull out of severe test anxiety.

#1) Stop and Justify Your Cause To Panic!

The worst thing you can do in a panic is get mad at yourself and panic more as a result of panicking. This is like smothering the exit to a volcano. Eventually it just gets explodes. So for a moment, justify your anxiety. Tell yourself it's OK to feel anxious and then go over the reasons why you feel severe anxiety.

Say something like.. " Of course I'm upset.. I really have wanted to do well on this test, I've have done my best in life and now I only have a little time left to study!"

#2) Now narrow it down further and identify what you're truly afraid of.

Feeling severe anxiety for a test means there are some more specific consequences that scare you. Briefly identify what it is you are truly afraid of so you can face it to erase it! You might be afraid of what people think of you if you fail or you might be afraid that you'll never be successful if you don't pass the test etc.

#3) Now breath deep while talking yourself out of it.

Become your own coach as a voice inside your head. Realize you will get through this rough time because you always do. Say to yourself "My mind is becoming focused again.. I'm so glad I ended up finding a solution to studying that actually worked!"

#4) Go for a brief walk outside while doing nothing but visualizing success!

Visualize success about studying well for that test as you go for a brief walk outside for about 10 minutes. Drink a tall glass of water to lubricate your system and see yourself smiling next to those books!

Overcoming Anxiety and Test Anxiety

It's normal to feel a little tension before an exam. Many of us experience it, and sometimes can even help to perform better.

The problem is that too much nervousness can prevent you from thinking clearly and can adversely affect your performance on the exam.

Test anxiety is actually a part of a wider phenomenon called performance anxiety.

You might feel it when you participate in any event where your performance really matters and you are evaluated by others.

To overcome the tension, you must first understand your anxiety, in terms of its type, causes, symptoms, and effects.

Then you can choose the best coping mechanisms for your particular situation.

Students who have experienced, or have a fear of, blanking out on tests or the inability to perform in testing situations can develop anticipatory anxiety. Worrying about how anxiety will effect you can be as debilitating as the anxiety itself.

This kind of anxiety can build as the testing situation approaches, and can interfere with the student's ability to prepare adequately.

Lack of preparation is another factor that can contribute to test anxiety.

Poor study habits, and lack of organization can lead to a student feeling overwhelmed.

Being able to anticipate what the exam will cover, and knowing all the information has been covered during the study sessions, can help students to enter the testing situation with a more positive attitude. Test anxiety can also develop genetically.

The pressure to perform well on exams is a great motivator unless it is so extreme that it becomes irrational.

When a student's self-esteem is too closely tied to the outcome of any one academic task, the results can be devastating.

Most students experience some level of anxiety during an exam.

However, when anxiety affects exam performance it has become a problem.

In case that it is not the case of a disorder, developing good study habits and strategies may reduce the fear. Taking a step by step approach to build a strategy and not get overwhelmed, organizing the material to be studied helps a lot.

Reviewing your past performance on tests, improving and learning from your experience, using whatever strategies you can, may personalize your success. Treating the exam as an opportunity to show how much you've studied will be a reward for the studying you've done and may help you to pass further.

Avoid speaking with any fellow students who have not prepared, who express negativity, who will distract your preparation.

Get a good sleep the night before the exam. Don't go to the exam with an empty stomach. Fresh fruits and vegetables are often recommended to reduce stress.

Take a small snack, or some other nourishment to help take your mind off of your anxiety. Avoid high sugar content which may aggravate your condition.

I also recommend you to to look for Dr. Joe Barry McDonagh and to try his Natural Treatment for Anxiety and Panic Attack.

If you want to know more visit my blog.

Autism Anxiety Overload

The renowned autism expert Tony Atwood is fond of putting it this way: "Autism is anxiety looking for a target." Autism and anxiety go hand-in-hand. Autism affects a person's ability to communicate with others or to understand the world around him, and that's bound to cause anxiety and panic sometimes.

Anxiety becomes even worse when there is a change in the autistic child's routine. Even positive and "fun" changes, like a school field trip or a visit to the zoo, can increase anxiety and aggressive behaviors.

For parents, the best course of action is to anticipate upcoming changes and help your child prepare for them. Many parents find it helpful to use stories and pictures to prepare children for impending disruptions. If it's a field trip to the zoo, for example, use pictures to show your child what he'll see at the zoo, what the zoo will be like, and what sort of things to expect. Do this each day for three or four days prior to the trip. That way, when the trip actually happens, the child won't be entirely out of his element, but will already understand and appreciate some of what will be happening.

Other changes in the routine are less enjoyable but still necessary. Getting a new teacher can be traumatic, as can moving to a new house. If at all possible, try to spread out the major changes. If you move to a new house, try to do it during the summer, so that your child won't have to deal with the added anxiety of getting a new school and new teacher mid-year.

You can also introduce your child to the concept of "change" in a positive way by practicing with non-negative things. For example, just for practice, give him a little extra TV time instead of homework time one night, to show that changes in the routine can often be fun and good. Then practice with a neutral change (homework after dinner instead of before dinner), then with a negative one (changing play time into chore time). This process can help your child grow accustomed to the idea of change and learn to adapt without becoming anxious.

For continual, ongoing anxiety, many parents have begun using anti-anxiety medications for their autistic children. Usually, the medications are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and are also used for obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. Prozac, Luvox, Zoloft and Anafranil are all common for anxiety in autistic children.

For behavioral problems, antipsychotics such as Haldol, fluphenazine and chlorpromazine can be prescribed. These can reduce aggression in autistic kids, but sometimes also cause sedation and muscle stiffness.

All patients are different. You and your doctor should monitor your child's progress very closely, using the lowest dose of medication possible, to see if what improvements it makes and whether there are any adverse reactions. Medication should be the last resort for autism, not the first one. There are a number of natural remedies available if you don't want to go down the drug route. But try behavioral and dietary modifications first, to see what improvements can be made naturally.

Top Ten Test Anxiety Strategies

Many strategies are available for dealing with test anxiety and stress. Whether you are searching traditional or contemporary resources on this subject, you will find a few fundamental or basic recommendations that you can immediately put into practice. Those basics are summarized as The Top Ten List that follows:

10. Deep Breathing Techniques.

Beginning the list of anxiety-reducing strategies with "breathing" does not mean that it is least important of all strategies. Rather, deep breathing is presented first because it is the most overlooked and underestimated strategy for dealing with anxiety and stress. Because it is simple, we find it hard to believe it is powerful. Yet, virtually all experts, from classic to contemporary, include deep breathing on their lists. For example, in the classic Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook, Martha Davis, Elizabeth Eshelman, and Matthew McKay provide guidance and explain that good breathing habits can enhance your psychological as well as your physical well-being.

A breathing exercise that is easy to use is recommended by Iyanla Vanzant in her book Acts of Faith. Her suggestion is to "check in on your body" and take a few deep breaths. Vanzant claims that "with a simple breath you can release the stress and replace it with what you need. Turn anxiety into peace, anger into joy, tension into love, and fear into faith."

An additional benefit of deep breathing is the fact that it is under your control and thus you can engage in deep breathing whenever you desire to do so or deem it necessary-before, during and after a test or other stressful event. Additionally, breathing is FREE!

9. Talking/Expressing/Venting.

Another simple, but important, strategy for relieving anxiety is talking or venting. When you express the anxiety or fear, you remove the negative emotion from your body. Once you have relieved the tension, you can use your energy to focus on learning other helpful strategies and learning the content necessary to perform well on the task at hand. Find a good listener and, thereby, "clear your mind".

8. Pre-Test Preparation.

This technique is on "everybody's list" because a great deal of anxiety is produced by a fear of the unknown. When you become familiar with the material, the anxiety is reduced. First, find out what you need to learn. Second, make a study plan. Finally, take action by following your plan. For every new "gem" of information you acquire, and old "block" of stress will disappear.

7. Injecting Fun and Humor.

Yes, high-stakes testing is a serious matter; however, the more serious the situation is, the greater the need for comic relief. In fact, laughter has been scientifically researched and found to be beneficial for meeting a variety of challenges. Many advocates have brought humor to the forefront for healing as well as for stress management.

6. Social Support.

You can meet practically any challenge if you have a good social support system. Support systems can take many forms: friends, family, mentors, role models and others. There are no special qualifications for membership in your support network. For example, one teacher candidate identified her 12-year-old son as her greatest supporter and encourager. Also, when you study the lives of outstanding achievers, you discover that they had all types of "members" in their support networks.

5. Self Care 101.

What seems to be the discovery of this decade is the importance of taking care of self first instead of the tradition of taking care of self last. When preparing to meet a challenge such as the teacher licensure examination, people often say, "I have to give up everything to prepare for the test." Ironically, that is one of the worst solutions. It is not hard to imagine that good care of self would produce higher energy levels, higher motivation, greater endurance, a clearer mind, and better performance. Yet, this philosophy was not a part of our basic training for education or life. It is not too late; it is the perfect time as you prepare to meet this testing challenge.

Self-care can include exercise and nutrition. Also, engaging in or developing hobbies have been proven to be very effective. Consider window shopping or real shopping or building something. Take frequent five-minute mental vacations or a lunch "vacation" with friends on a weekly basis. Create your unique set of activities. Such strategies can build tremendous momentum for achieving your goals.

4. Renewal Activities.

If you become discouraged or your energy wanes, find strategies for renewing yourself. Seek resources and reserves of all kinds. Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Effective People, calls this strategy "sharpening the saw". Like a sharp saw, according to Covey, people who take the time to renew themselves can return to their activities and challenges refreshed and ready to do their best. I have a friend in the fast-paced business world who recommends planning a variety of activities (before you need them) for what he calls "a stress-emergency kit".

3. Relaxation Techniques.

When your thoughts seem to get "blocked" while studying or during testing, it is often because of physical tension. This type of problem can be solved with relaxation techniques, which range from advanced yoga to simple wiggling of toes or playing with handsprings. Other methods include changing your perspective or expectations (reframing). Whatever techniques you choose, practice them ahead of time so that they will be readily available when you need to relax in order to succeed.

2. Positive Attitudes.

There is a very popular motto that indicates you should believe in yourself; however, it is not enough to simply say it. It is important to take actions to help you develop such an attitude. Affirmations and visualizations are effective elements of a productive positive attitude. Conduct a "treasure hunt" for those types of resources.

1. Celebrating Personal Strengths.

A key strategy for reducing test anxiety is reflecting on and celebrating all the personal strengths, talents, skills, and characteristics you possess. This is the self-worth factor, which is extremely important in developing confidence and endurance for meeting challenges and reaching goals. One method is taking an inventory of your positive qualities and achievements. Convert your list of qualities and achievements into a poem that is all about YOU.

How to Overcome Test Taking Anxiety - 5 Proven Strategies!

Learning how to overcome text taking anxiety not only relaxes you before the test but also ensures you will perform well during the test and that you will utilize your time wisely in preparation no matter how little time you have to study.

Here are 5 important strategies to help you overcome test taking anxiety

1) Stop whatever you are doing and take 20 deep calm, oxygenated, full breaths.

Breath in through the nose and out through the mouth strongly. Focus on what's truly important in your life as you do this. Think briefly about the big picture in life as a whole and what really matters.

2) Go for a brief walk in nature just enough to get your brain oxygenated and blood flowing.

Movement is often neglected or restricted too much which causes sugars and acids to build up in the blood and anxiety results. To overcome this simply go for a short yet brisk walk.

3) Make sure your body/mind as a machine gets a tune up with all vitals filled.

- Utilize the Power Nap

if you are low on sleep you may need to do a quick power nap to temporarily overcome this. This is a skill though and there are programs that can help you achieve this instantly that I can refer you to later in the document.

- Eat Some Healthy Protein/Fruit

Grab a piece of string cheese, grilled chicken or even some tuna fish. Also take something like an orange slice with it. You'll instantly feel the benefit and will have balance in your mind machine.

- Proper Water Consumption.

Take a full glass of water. Water instantly provides an increase in thought clarity and energy through rejuvenation. It is amazing how many people still never utilize the advantage of plain old water.

4) Utilize Incantations!

The power of incantation (or chant) is still highly underestimated in life. It can change everything!

Say to yourself powerfully... "This is my turning point! Everything is working in my benefit! I am so glad I finally found a way to eliminate my test taking problems and succeed. I know this is working!"

5) Compartmentalize The Test To Overcome Overwhelmed Feelings!

Stop reflecting on the test as a whole. This is what throws you in a panic. Instead, break up the chapters in small sections and reward yourself for each small thing you memorize. Panic is often the result of focusing on too much at once. Just lay one brick at a time even if you aren't sure you'll complete the whole building!

Fear, Anxiety and Test Taking?

Who doesn't become a little nervous when it is time to take a test? It is a common occurrence in schools, especially in post-secondary institutions such as universities and colleges, where students will suffer some stress and anxiety before and during a test or an exam. Why do they have anxiety? Many suffer anxiety because they are concerned about their future. They, or their parents are putting a lot of money into the institution and top marks mean that the student will make the money worth while with their success and graduation. The stress really comes in for many students who constantly worry that they just can't possibly retain enough of the information they were supposed to have learned in order to pass the tests. A little bit of stress is healthy, in that it is what often creates some of the push or drive for a student to study and ensure that they do well in school; however, too much of this stress can actually push the student into failure.

It really doesn't matter what age a person is, or what they are writing a test for, many will experience some anxiety before and during the test. That is normal, but there are some people out there who experience so much anxiety and stress before and during an exam that they go blank, have a panic attack and then fail the test. It can be difficult for a person, especially if they are a young student in high school or the first years of university, to gain control of their anxiety. The emotion grows out of control and ends up sabotaging their future efforts. When test or exam anxiety is not dealt with, the resulting poor marks can hurt a person's chances of advancing that year and can even result in the loss of confidence in their abilities. After enough tests have resulted in poor marks, many students with this anxiety will start to say and believe that they are not smart enough to pass their tests.

Many laugh it off and others start to think that their failure and inability to complete tests is due to stupidity, but this is not the case. Most are suffering severe anxiety and that is what is having a negative effect on test scores. This is a real and serious condition that is best to get treated as soon as possible. The sooner the anxiety toward tests and exams is dealt with, the sooner the individual can start to calm down and achieve the marks they deserve. There are online counselors and therapists who can help a person with their anxiety toward exams. The patient can communicate with the online therapist over e-mail and the online counselor can help the patient get over their anxiety. Issues, concerns and worries are discussed through online counseling and the anxiety starts to disappear when these are addressed. In many cases, it is a matter of building up some confidence in the patient, in others it is a matter of dealing with issues that are manifesting themselves into anxiety. Whatever the reasons, online therapy can help the patient to deal with any issues they may have and to help the patient eventually get over their anxiety.

Social Anxiety Test

If you are wondering if you have social anxiety disorder, then you can take a social anxiety test. While you may not consider yourself the type of person that has a social anxiety disorder, you might be surprised.

Frankly, there is no test in the world that can accurately tell you who you are and what makes you feel the way you feel. But by participating in such a test you may learn some things about yourself you may not have known, or that you may have blocked from your conscious awareness. After all it can't hurt - right?

Admittedly, they are just questions that make you think about certain situations and how they make you feel, but if you answer them honestly you can gain insight into your social anxiety. Here are 4 questions that we believe sit at the core of the social anxiety test.

Do you have problems interacting with groups of people?

Groups of people tend to bother those with social anxiety disorder because they always make them feel inadequate. When was the last time you were in a group of people? How did you feel? Did you want to run away as quickly as possible? You are not alone in these feelings if this applies to you, so don't worry about it.

Do you feel like most people are judging you?

In our minds, we always make things out to be larger than they really are and this is no different. I believe it is normal to feel like other people are talking about you, but you just have to keep on moving. My mother always told me not to worry if other people talk about you....who else would they talk about? Keep in mind that what other people think about you has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with them.

Do you feel stress when you are preparing to go to a party?

Stressful feelings when you are heading to meet a group of people are also normal. Most people experience this, but you have to keep yourself moving, going to the function, networking and talking to people. Yes, it can be very difficult, but important for your development. While everyone has these feelings to some degree, the question is how strong they are in you? On a scale of 1 - 10, where do you come in?

Do you avoid crowds and groups of people?

How do you handle crowds? Do you go with the flow? Do you prefer not to be in a crowd, but if it happens you can be OK with it? Or does your blood pressure rise as more and more people join the crowd?

These are four simple questions that can give you some quick insight into your feelings about people, crowds and groups. If you answered yes to any of these questions then you might have some issues with social anxiety disorder. But don't panic. This is not the end of the world.

How to Cure Test Anxiety - 3 Habits You Must Break to Cure Exam Panic!

What Is Test Anxiety?

Test anxiety is the experience of feeling anxious, distracted, upset and overwhelmed in anticipation of an exam and the results that might occur. Just like most other types of anxiety, test anxiety stems from a panic type feeling that usually centers on the future and results from how you've chosen to think and focus over time.

What Are Bad Anxiety Habits?

Most people only think of bad habits as having to do only with small actions that we either do or don't do. Not brushing our teeth daily etc... Mental habits however are the thoughts that we continue to focus on over time. Just like a physical muscle, our brain is also plastic and malleable. Our habitual neuron signals are like sleds that follow the exact same snow tracks over and over. Pretty soon those sleds cling naturally to the same pathway, coasting fast with difficulty taking changing route.

Bad Habit #1 indulging in what if thinking

what if thinking consists of thoughts like "What if I don't pass the exam?.. What if I can't study well today?..What if I get a lot of questions wrong etc." Sometimes these thoughts are mostly subconscious.

To cure this problem and avoid "negative what if thinking," begin to talk to yourself inside your head and coach yourself using "positive what if thinking". Ask yourself, "What if I was able to study well today? What if I found a way to work hard? What if I got my act together despite my stress?.."

Then speak to yourself and say "I can do this!.. I will do this!.. I am doing this!" This starts the "turn around!" The power of this talk cannot be underestimated!

Bad Habit #2 Mind Bouncing!

This means you're focusing on multiple things instead of staying focused on one thing for a single period of time. Bouncing around to different subject matter happens when you are panicking. It's like an increase of ADHD juice overwhelms you!

To cure this tendency, you have to stop looking at the outcome as a whole. Section off your test in portions. Realize success comes from laying one brick at a time, even in tight scenarios. If you have a lot of study material, commit 20 minutes to one single section. After that session is over, reward yourself for not focusing elsewhere. Breaking material down is the key to cure mind bouncing!

Bad Habit #3 Allowing your body needs to fall and your physiology to act stressed

When we haven't ate, slept, had enough nutrition or drank enough water while stressed, our body will tense up. We then tend to hold our body in positions that only cause additional fatigue and panic, prohibiting us from focusing properly.

To cure this, change your physiology to a peak state! You will feel the difference! When the body changes, the mind follows!

Speak and move with power to turn around your state. Go for a brief walk, hold your shoulders back, focus your eyes like you would if you were in your perfect, crystal clear studying zone! Holding this physiology for 10 minutes will make a huge difference!

Eliminating these three habits is a great starting place for you to begin to cure testing panic.

Anxiety Disorders - Marijuana and Panic Attacks

Marijuana can cause you to have panic attacks. And if you already suffer from panic or anxiety attacks, taking marijuana will make them worse. This is because marijuana affects the way we see the world. It induces paranoia, and this paranoia, although felt at different degrees by different people is what will lead to the attacks. To get a better understanding, let's have a more in-depth look at the relationship between marijuana and panic attacks.

The main ingredient in marijuana is known as tetrahydrocannabinols or THC. This ingredient will act on specific receptors that are used for memory, reward, cognition, pain perception and motor co-ordination. Under the influence of marijuana, all these receptors become especially sensitive. Everything is heightened or sharpened. That's why many users will report that the lights looked brighter; voices were crisp, clear and loud, and everything around them seemed that much more defined.

This enhancement can swing the other way as well, so that feelings of fear, irritability and paranoia become heightened. Of course a lot is determined by a user's state of mind before they took the drug.

A person with an anxiety disorder (and in many cases they may not know it) taking marijuana will experience paranoia. The classic symptoms will be deep fear and thinking that they are on the verge of death. This will be accompanied by symptoms that are common to both marijuana taking and panic attacks; palpitations, sweating and difficulty breathing. The difference will be that in a normal panic attack your mental functions are not affected by THC; therefore, you may be able to regain control after a short period of time. A panic attack brought about by taking marijuana will be more intense and may take a longer time to pass.

If you use marijuana and have panic attacks, you should consider that research revealed that 50% of ALL marijuana users will experience a "bad trip" at least once. These are people who may or may not have a panic disorder, but such a high percentage should tell you that its effects for you are much worse.

For whatever reason you take it, it may not be worth all the trouble that it causes you (including with the law). Also, because a panic attack in itself causes chemical reactions in the brain that are abnormal, you may be exposing your brain to too much stress - both from the panic attacks and the marijuana. Teenagers are especially prone to these changes because their brains are still growing, and such dramatic changes in chemical balance may be recorded permanently.

I trust that you know by now the negative effects of taking marijuana. Now you know marijuana will cause panic attacks, and if you already have them they will be worse. You should stop. I acknowledge that it's easier said than done, but it's worth whatever you need to do to get clean.

Talk to a therapist. Talk to your doctor. Talk to anyone who is willing to work with you to help you kick the habit. Many people have done it and so can you.

You may be wondering; should I try all that hard if I'm not suffering a panic disorder or panic attack? Yes, you should! The more "bad trips" you have, the more you unbalance your brain. The effects are permanent, and although you may not see them now, they may come back later in life.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

The types of anxiety disorder include Panic Disorders in which there is an intense feeling of being out of control, unable to function with feelings of impending doom. Panic attacks can be so severe that a person can be disabled from leaving a secure environment such as their home, or they may need a person to be with them.

Agoraphobia which is strictly a disorder in which open spaces are feared, can sometimes include situations in which a person is enclosed, such as in a supermarket, but feels exposed to public scrutiny.

There is also Social Phobia which occurs when a person feels themselves to be inadequate to meet the demands and expectations of a social role. Such people will tend to avoid social events unless with people and in places where they feel totally secure. People suffering from social phobia may also have difficulty in dealing with people in many situations of potential conflict, such as disputing an account or requesting further product information from a shop assistant. In any situation where assertive social behavior is called for they may become inhibited, self conscious and shy.

There is a wide range of special phobias, some unique to the individual person and some, of broader scope, which affect a whole range of people. These can include a fear of flying, a fear of heights at a general level. Some very specific phobias can include fear of string, of the color red, a fear of snow or a fear of houses. Often specific phobias require some intensive investigation as to the background of the person concerned before recovery can be made.

There is also a condition known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder in which a person never feels entirely content or rested. They constantly feel distressed although cannot determine a precise reason for it. Most probably people with this disorder have some underlying concerns which have never been properly addressed such that many incidents in life arouse excessive levels of anxiety. This type of anxiety can be contributed to by media presentations, stories in the news, difficulties at home or in the workplace.

As a defense to feeling anxiety, some people resort to obsessive- compulsive behaviors and these can sometimes be most bizarre forms of rituals and repetitive behavior, designed to ward off stress. A person may clean their teeth several times, or wash their hands a great number of times per day. Some will spend hours making sure that cushions are arranged precisely, and that there is not a speck of dust in the house. These behaviors are compulsive in that if any attempt is made to stop the person from doing them, then the person will become hysterical and distressed, and exhibit signs of extreme anxiety.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is also an anxiety disorder and it occurs when a person has failed to fully process and discharge all of the negative impact of an earlier stressful situation. They may continue to have nightmares, flashbacks and painful memories of incidents which have been largely repressed or partial memories of incidents that were not fully processed at the time.

The other main category of anxiety disorder is acute stress disorder and this usually occurs as a result of a singular traumatic event. A person may become highly aroused and aggressive or virtually catatonic. Acute anxiety is resolved by a person taking on a fighting stance, or effectively running away from the issue by closing down their ability to receive any more input of information. People with acute anxiety disorder may have to be restrained, or hospitalized for their own safety or that of the community.

Panic Disorder, Anxiety Disorder - Definitions and Differences

Fear and anxiety are experiences that everyone has from time to time. Fear is a response, behavioral, emotional and physical to an event, immediately recognized as an external threat (oncoming car). Anxiety is a unpleasant, distressing state of uneasiness and nervousness. Causes of anxiety are less clear less tied to exact timing of a threat. It can occur in anticipation of a threat, continue after a threat has passed or occur with no identifiable threat. It is often accompanied by changes and behaviors similar to those caused by fear.

Anxiety can be adaptive helping one to prepare, rehearse and function in a satisfactory way. It can also help one be appropriately cautious in situations that are potentially dangerous. However, if anxiety occurs beyond a particular level, it causes dysfunction and distress. Then it is maladaptive and classified as a disorder.

So what is a disorder? What is a panic attack? What is panic disorder? What are anxiety and anxiety disorder? Is there a difference between a panic attack, panic disorder, anxiety and anxiety disorder? Much of the time, they are used interchangeably; It is easy to get confused. I found myself getting confused when I started to research various ways of treating these conditions. This article is an attempt to sort these words out.

As the saying goes: "It only takes one panic attack to know you never want another one." But.again, what, exactly is a panic attack?

Mental Health Professionals depend on a manual, DSM-IV-TR for diagnoses, descriptions, treatments for most pathological mental problems. Most of what is in this article is taken from that manual. Information is restricted to the questions above.

The word "disorder" is used in several pathologies of mental function.

Disorder - a derangement or abnormality of function, a morbid physical and/or mental state.

Anxiety - everyone feels anxious sometimes; it is a part of life. However, if anxiety is so high that it interferes with one's life, then it is used as a general term referring to worry and fear and a general feeling of "something is wrong".

Anxiety disorder - this is a classification from the DSM-IV-TR. Other mental disorders are grouped under this general term. These are:

Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder - a panic attack is a sudden, intense feeling of fear accompanied with an overwhelming sense of danger. Uncomfortable and frightening physical symptoms accompany this feeling. Some of the symptoms are: rapid heart beat (am I having a heart attack?), rapid breathing, (I can't get my breath;am I suffocating?), profuse sweating, Once someone has a panic attack, it is very likely they will experience another one so that panic attacks may occur repeatedly. They then feel anxiety about having another attack.

Panic Disorder is a condition where Panic Attacks occur frequently. Panic attacks can occur with Agarophobia or without Agarophobia (fear of going to or being in a particular place or situation) Agarophobia can get so bad that an individual will not go out of their house. Often they will not go to a place where they have already had a panic attack. Obviously, this condition leads to a very unsatisfactory, dysfunctional state.

GAD or general anxiety disorder - An anxiety disorder characterized by irrational worry about everyday matters. It can and often does interfere with daily functioning. Often there are physical symptoms, such as fatigue, headaches, nausea, muscle aches, numbness in feet or hands. In order for a diagnosis of GAD to be made, the symptoms must be consistent and long lasting for at least 6 months.

Sometimes panic attack and anxiety attack are used interchangeably. However in a clinical sense they are not the same.

An anxiety attack is not defined in the DSM-IV-TR. The term used is: anxiety disorder or General Anxiety Disorder. Anxiety Disorder differs from Panic Disorder in that Anxiety Disorder lasts for a long time; it seems to be a constant in one's life. You wake up feeling anxious, feel anxious all day and go to bed feeling anxious. This also leads to a dysfunctional, unsatisfactory life.

It is important to get treatment for both GAD and Panic Disorder as both can be extremely disabling. Life for sufferers of either or both of these disorders is very unpleasant, interfering drastically with a person's life. Sometimes a person will have both disorders, Panic and GAD.

Treatment is available. There are several treatments ranging from psychotherapy to medications. However, often conventional treatments don't always work. I have researched several non-conventional treatments available on the Internet. Reviews of these programs are or will be available in other articles.

I hope this article has been helpful and you understand the differences among all of these terms.

To Your Good Health and Freedom from anxiety and/or Panic Attacks

Helen Nickerson

Benefits of Massage Therapy for Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression are common yet serious disorders. Massage therapy may help.

An estimated 18% of adult Americans suffer from some type of anxiety disorder and approximately 10% suffer from some type of depression. These disorders may coexist and are often untreated. Depression and anxiety can interfere in social functioning and lead to increased risk of unemployment, illness, and even death. They can play an aggravating role in other health conditions and render an individual more vulnerable to disease. While anxiety and depression can often be treated successfully with medications, psychotherapy, or a combination of both, these options are not always sufficient, desirable, or available. Some individuals may be unable or unwilling to take medications because of health conditions, drug interactions, personal beliefs, or unpleasant side effects.

Psychotherapy is not available in all communities and may be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming. Social stigma may prevent some individuals from seeking treatment. Some individuals just don't respond well to conventional therapies. Clearly, an easily accessible treatment devoid of bothersome side effects could be helpful.

Research has shown that massage therapy can have a beneficial effect on both anxiety and depression.

Early research at the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami Medical School demonstrated that 30 minutes of daily massage therapy to hospitalized depressed adolescents over a 5 day period brought about an improvement in mood and behavior. Since then, many studies have documented that massage therapy can have a beneficial effect on depression and anxiety. In fact, it is one of the most consistently documented results of massage.

Anxiety can be divided into two general classes: state anxiety and trait anxiety. State anxiety is a temporary reaction to a stressful situation. Trait anxiety is an ongoing, chronic state of anxiety. There are many specific anxiety disorders, such as panic attack disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder, etc. Massage therapy has been shown to have at least mild benefit for both state and trait anxiety, and even a single session of massage may help to alleviate the symptoms of state anxiety. However, a series of massage sessions has been found to offer the most benefit and seems to be particularly helpful for trait anxiety disorders.

How does massage therapy work?

We don't exactly know how massage works to alleviate depression and anxiety. For many years, it was thought that massage reduced the stress hormone cortisol and this brought about the improvement. However, more recent research has shown that massage does not reduce cortisol in the way in which we thought. No one is exactly sure how massage effects change. Some hypotheses exist but do not have sufficient data to support them. Specific effects on the nervous system, hormones, neurotransmitters, etc., are still under investigation. We know that humans are biologically wired to respond to touch. Perhaps it is the combined effect of focused, caring attention and tactile stimulation, or perhaps the muscular relaxation signals the brain to shift to a more calm state. Fortunately, we do not need to understand precisely how this change comes about in order to benefit from it. As we learn more over time, it may help us understand how to optimize massage therapy's effects and help massage gain acceptance as a treatment for anxiety and depression.

Christopher Moyer, Ph.D., is a psychologist who has made significant contributions to the field of massage therapy research. His paper, Affective Massage Therapy, published in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, describes some of the history of massage therapy research and, in particular, examines the research on massage and anxiety and depression. Moyer was co-editor of the book Massage Therapy, Integrating Research and Practice and wrote the chapter on anxiety and depression. In the "recommendations" section of the chapter, Moyer states:

Massage therapists can be confident that MT has been scientifically demonstrated to reduce anxiety and depression, and that the benefits are substantial. Indeed, there are probably no other effects in MT research that have been as consistently demonstrated as these mental health benefits.

Moyer takes care to point out that, like any treatment, individual responses will vary and massage therapy will not work the same for everyone. We still do not know the optimal amount and pattern of treatments to get the greatest effect.

Depression and anxiety can be very serious and massage therapy should not be a replacement for proper medical attention when it is needed. Clients and therapists alike should recognize its limitations. However, one of the advantages of massage therapy is the ease of access. No prescription is needed and one does not typically need to wait weeks or months for an appointment. Gentle massage should have no detrimental side effects and social stigma is generally absent. Mild benefit is often felt immediately and even greater benefit can come from a series of sessions. All these factors may make it an appealing resource for the person living with anxiety or depression.

Clients suffering from anxiety or depression should inform their massage therapist so they can treat appropriately. Professional massage therapists are expected to respect client confidentiality. Clients do not need to be embarrassed and do not need to reveal details which they might prefer to keep private.

Massage therapists should familiarize themselves with common mental health problems, assess anxiety and depression during intake, and inform clients who admit to anxiety or depression that massage therapy may help.

Living with anxiety and depression is a painful and distressing experience. Proper treatment is important. Massage therapy can be of benefit. Please, if you know someone who is suffering from anxiety and depression, urge them to get the care they need so that they can go on to live a more successful and productive life.

If you found this article helpful, please pass it on to someone else who might find it helpful, too! Thanks!

Teen Anxiety Disorder - Signs, Symptoms And Remedies To Know About

Childhood anxiety is on the short list of most-dreaded-events facing parents and families. Like complex development "sponges", kids are vulnerable to any number of incoming influences. Other kids impose tough pressures and choices on your child. School and the values culture are force-fed to your child.

Could all this "stuff" create confusion, fear through patterned repeating behavior, triggering the onset of teen anxiety disorder, phobias, escape into drug abuse, obsessive compulsive disorder, general withdrawal and anti social outlook? Yes... it's a serious and present danger for many kids.

Teen Anxiety Physical Symptom - What Parents Need To Look For. What seems like "tough" on parents is dilute compared to the growing nightmare experienced by children. The list of Bad Guy anxiety physical symptoms parents need to spot include breathing difficulties, elevated heart and pulse rate, headaches, dizziness, nausea, sleeping disorder, on-off-again eating habits along with gastrointestinal issues.

Teen Anxiety Depression Symptom - Altered Behaviors To Look For. While the physical insults of teen anxiety represent one serious class of issues, the deeper imbedded behavioral roots of anxiety depression disorder pose a greater and more complicated challenge in terms of intervention and remedy.

* Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Signals. Parents cannot be too diligent in focusing attention on their kids, looking for telltale signs of obsessive compulsive disorder... a restless and fidgety obsession with minutiae that might begin innocently enough with things being in a certain place, fear of dirt and germs, eating disorders showing like bulimia.

* Anti Social "Isolating" Behavior. Increasingly, anti social behavior shows itself in a defensive and protective response to growing fears and uncertainties. "Keeping the world out", isolating herself within a "safety" zone of her bedroom or other safe spot becomes her number 1 concern, and obsession.

* Denial Of Self - Drift Into Dream State Filled With Anxiety Panic Attack. Deeper yet grows anxiety depression in your child's mind, where they begin the process of self-denial, where they separate out themselves in a form of ongoing abstraction, de-personalizing themselves. What is your child feeling? Like they're beginning to go mad, a feeling like they've begun to drift away from their very self

Teen Anxiety Disorder Medication - Psychiatric Drugs And Impacts. Stress hormones like cortisol along with other physical and psychiatric symptoms have drawn millions of troubled teens and their agitated parents into a new experience with powerful mood-altering psychiatric drugs.

* Major Classes Of Prescription Anxiety Medicine. The chemistry is complex, however parents need to know the generalities of these profound mood-altering anxiety medicine include beta blockers, anti depressants, mild tranquilizers, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, anti convulsants and benzodiazepines such as brand labels Xanax or Valium or Librium.

* Drug Strengths And Target Focus Area. These psychiatric drugs are all about intensity and neural targeting. Drug strength, like carbon dating, is measured in "half life strengths". Parents need to ask, and understand, the basic targeting scope of a particular drug.

* Anxiety Medicine Side Effects. Serious drugs carry serious user risks. While 70% of the user population may experience more-or-less gratifying and stabilizing results, continued drug use sets up a teen or adult for drug-dependency... which is polite talk for drug addiction. Withdrawal creates its own personal hell, unless a months-long carefully managed program of incremental tapering in usage is carried out. Meanwhile, kids and adults may experience intense withdrawal symptoms, with anxiety panic attacks, confusion, sleep disorders, eating disorder and weight loss, mental confusion, muscle cramping, diarrhea, and more.

Considering Non Prescription Teen Anxiety Herb Remedies. Before modern pharmacology dominated the treatment scene, people relied exclusively on plant kingdom remedies and support groups. Botanicals including rosemary, ginseng, St. John's Wort, kava and others have been shown in modern British side-by-side studies with pharmacy drugs to have substantially similar positive intervention potentials, with none of the negative side-effects of anxiety disorder medication.

Anxiety Disorders - There Is Hope!

Anxiety disorder is the general term encompassing a number of specific disorders, including panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and phobias.

Each of these disorders can be debilitating, and there is hope to move beyond the paralysis that comes to the sufferer from any of the specific anxiety disorders!



Panic Disorder:

Characterized by feelings of physical distress, panic attacks can cause heart palpitations, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, tingling, shaking, stomach upset, trouble swallowing or a tight throat, sweating, and a host of other symptoms which trigger the sympathetic nervous system's fight or flight response. Our bodies are designed to trigger the fight or flight mechanism during high stress situations when increased adrenaline is needed for immediate danger. We are not designed to function in day to day situations in this way.

Panic disorder typically develops in early adulthood, with the median age of onset 24 years old, but the disorder can begin at any age throughout adulthood.

About one in three people with panic disorder develops agoraphobia, a condition in which the individual becomes afraid of being in any place or situation where escape might be difficult or help unavailable in the event of a panic attack.

OCD - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Repetitive behaviors such as handwashing, counting, checking, or cleaning are often performed with the hope of preventing obsessive thoughts or making them go away. Performing these so-called "rituals," however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them markedly increases anxiety.

Approximately 2.2 million American adults age 18 and older, or about 1.0 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have OCD.

The first symptoms of OCD often begin during childhood or adolescence, however, the median age of onset is 19. OCD tendencies are sometimes noted in a person who may learn effective ways of managing their compulsion. Nonetheless, the compulsion toward a specific behavior or ritual still has a level of control over this person; effective, non-medication treatment is available to help overcome these tendencies.

PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD affects more than 7.7 million American adults over the age of 18; approximately 3.5 percent of adults suffer from the effects of PTSD. Have you experienced or witnessed an event in which you expected a serious injury or even death to occur? Has this resulted in any of the following: you are not sleeping well; you keep re-living the experience; you feel vigilant about your safety, jumpy, anxious, and/or have mood swings. These are the common symptoms of PTSD. It is estimated that more than 20% of veterans returning from war, including WW II, Vietnam, and Iraq/Afghanistan. Additionally, victims of natural or human-caused disasters, terrorism, crime, or survivors of sexual trauma commonly experience these symptoms. These ongoing problems are the brain's way of coping with salient events long after these events have ended.

Approximately 7.7 million American adults age 18 and older, or about 3.5 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have PTSD. This can be a debilitating anxiety disorder, and the long-term effects of untreated PTSD manifest in ongoing and worsening physical and mental health issues.

GAD - Generalized Anxiety Disorder

People with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) tend to feel pressured, worried, and restless. Often people with this problem think about one responsibility after another and are often distracted from enjoyable activities by intrusive thoughts about what they "should" be doing. Although different suffers may have many different worries that paralyze them, there is often a unifying theme to the worrying with someone suffering from GAD, such as a fear of failure, or approval.

Approximately 6.8 million American adults, or about 3.1 percent of people age 18 and over, suffer with GAD. It can begin at any age, though the median age of onset is 31 years old.

Phobias

Social Phobia, or Social Anxiety Disorder, is an anxiety disorder characterized by overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations. Approximately 15 million American adults age 18 and over, or about 6.8 percent of people, struggle with social phobia. Social phobia begins in childhood or adolescence, typically around 13 years of age.

Agoraphobia involves intense fear and anxiety of any place or situation where escape might be difficult, leading to avoidance of situations such as being alone outside of the home, traveling in a car, bus, or airplane, or being in a crowded area. Approximately 1.8 million American adults age 18 and over have agoraphobia without a history of panic disorder. The median age of onset of agoraphobia is 20 years of age.

Specific phobia involves marked and persistent fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation. Approximately 19.2 million American adults age 18 and older, or about 8.7 percent of people have some type of specific phobia. Specific phobia typically begins in childhood; the median age of onset is seven years.

An Integrated Approach to Wellness:

Regardless of the anxiety disorder one suffers from, there is help for the condition! At Dallas Brain & Wellness Institute, our goal is to work with each client to reduce or eliminate symptoms related to anxiety disorders. We utilize neurofeedback, altering the brainwaves to bring them back into a normal state. Additionally, through Christian counseling, we address related behaviors and patterns that have developed in thoughts and actions related to the anxiety disorder. In cases where client is currently on medication, as the brain heals and we effectively work through related thought and behavior patterns, we work closely with the client's physician to reduce and/or eliminate medications. As the client nears the end of treatment, we move from counseling to Hemispheric life coaching. The client is able to look to the future making balanced, healthy decisions from a place of hope, healing, and wellness!

Written by: Dr. Stephanie Golder

Anxiety Disorder Treatment - How Long Does it Take?

There is no 'one size fits all' approach to anxiety disorder treatment. Just as there is no single cause for this condition, there is no single treatment that suits everyone. For some people, treatment may only take a couple of weeks while for others it may take more than a year. For this reason, the first step in treating this problem is that of devising a treatment plan specifically tailored to the individual seeking help.

How is this done? First of all, the health care provider - whether they are the family doctor, a psychologist, a therapist, clinical social workers or a nurse - sits down with the person and evaluates where the problem lies. Other causes must be ruled out and then information about the patient's symptoms is gathered - what they are and when they started. Then that person's life stressors and physical problems are taken into account as well as their family background and medical history.

What can complicate matters a little is the fact that people often suffer from more than one anxiety disorder or they may also suffer from depression. Anxiety disorder has also been shown to be connected to substance abuse. If this is the case, then these problems also need to be addressed in the treatment plan.

Only after all of this information has been evaluated, will a treatment plan be drawn up. Studies have shown that the best results have been obtained when the treatment combines a number of approaches. The usual treatment options are cognitive-behavioral therapy, medication, relaxation techniques and alternative therapies.

By using a combination of these approaches and changing the plan as the patient responds means that curing anxiety disorder needn't take years. Medication should be used only as a temporary or emergency measure as the drugs used do have side effects. That said, with proper management, drugs can help the healing process by lessening the symptoms and allowing the patient to deal with thinking and behavior readjustment.

According to the American Psychological Association, most patients following a treatment plan tailored to their needs can expect improvement within eight to ten sessions. For some, this may be all it takes; for others it may take a little longer. What is important is that successful treatment of anxiety disorders is possible and no-one need suffer from them.

The Neurobiology of Panic Attacks and Anxiety

In this article I am going to describe the basic neurobiology behind anxiety, and why anxiety can grow out of control, resulting in panic attacks. Using this basic understanding of the brain, I am going to show you how you can completely eliminate panic attacks and anxiety.

Anxiety, stress, and panic are all a consequence of the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, also known as the "fight or flight" response.

The sympathetic nervous system is activated when a human being experiences a sensation of threat and needs to fight or flee from a perceived danger. This involves the release of certain hormones, the most famous being adrenaline (epinephrine), and the stress hormone cortisol (the most important of a group of hormones called glucocorticoids). These chemicals set off a cascade of events throughout the body, such as increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, increased respiration, muscle contraction, decreased digestion, and increased flow blood from the extremities into the vital organs. This response lowers the immune system in order to give a person more energy in the present moment.

This entire response is designed to increase a human being's chances of survival in the face of threat. It is meant for acute, short term threats to survival.

Anxiety disorders develop when this response chronically fires off in the absence of threat. In modern society, we don't face many physical threats to our survival. However, we tend to react to our everyday troubles in much the same way that our ancestors did to serious threats to their survival. The problem is that the stress response isn't meant for traffic jams, C's on our report card, or many of the other problems we face in modern life.

Corresponding to the physical response is the response in the brain. An area of the brain known as the amygdala (Greek for "almond") is responsible for activating the fear response. It is often referred to as the "fear center" of the brain. When cortisol (a stress hormone) is released in the brain, the amygdala actually increases in responsiveness and grows new connections. This is known as the "arborization of the amygdala". The amygdala literally gets bigger and more responsive to more subtle stimuli.

This is bad news for people with anxiety. Because at the same time the amygdala is getting bigger (and their anxiety increases), another part of the brain becomes less responsive, and can actually shrink when anxiety and stress gets out of control. This part of the brain is known as the hippocampus.

The hippocampus is the part of the brain that puts the brake on the amygdala. The amygdala can be conceptualized as the "accelerator" on your fear, panic, and anxiety, whereas the hippocampus is the rational voice that comes in, bringing logic, context, and relaxation into the picture. The hippocampus is the "brake" on your anxiety and panic.

When cortisol levels increase (during periods of intense stress, fear, anxiety etc.) this inhibits the functioning of the hippocampus. High levels of stress actually cause cell death in the hippocampus. In people who have experienced severe anxiety, the hippocampus actually atrophies and gets smaller.

But at the same time this is happening, the amygdala is having a party. It's getting bigger and bigger, and more reactive. This is why panic can literally spin out of control and take over a person's life.

So how does one counteract this negative process in the brain? Can an amygdala become less reactive if one gets treatment for anxiety and panic?

The answer is absolutely yes!

Remember, the hippocampus is the "brake" on your anxiety and fear. For example, suppose you're going for a hike and you see a fallen tree branch on a trail that at first glance looks like a snake. You may feel a quick burst of fear, followed by a voice that says "oh, it's just a tree branch". That "oh, it's just a tree branch" part of your brain is your hippocampus calming you down. If it weren't for your hippocampus, your fear response wouldn't stop.

Your hippocampus also stores explicit, verbal memories. When you remember your tenth birthday, or the fact that George Washington is the first president, those memories are stored in your hippocampus.

Your hippocampus works with your cortex (the thinking part of your brain) to calm your amygdala down. What this means is that correcting fearful thoughts actually promotes the functioning of your cortex and hippocampus.

In my program The Panic Plan, I go over how to correct these fearful thoughts. By doing this you actually change the structure and functioning of your physical brain. You are sending calming and soothing messages to your amygdala (from your cortex) telling it to calm down. Over time, after doing the exercises in my program, your amygdala naturally and habitually becomes less reactive. This is due to a process known as neuroplasticity, by which the brain grows new connections.

It is through this process that you become a more calm person. Panic can be completely eliminated.

Other techniques I show you in my program involve expressing suppressed emotions. When we hold our feelings in, this can also increase the activity of our amygdala, increasing the severity of anxiety and panic attacks in particular. By consciously processing our emotions, often times panic attacks instantly go away.

Different Approaches on Anxiety Disorder Treatment

An effective anxiety disorder treatment should be able to not only treat the symptoms of excessive anxiety, but also eliminate the cause. There are different approaches on how to treat anxiety disorders. It could be in the form of therapy and/or medications. Therapy helps the individual to reduce anxiety to a more manageable level while medications aid the person by alleviating its symptoms.

The cognitive-behavioral therapy has been the widely acclaimed most effective anxiety disorder treatment to remove the root cause of excessive anxiety. This is because anxiety disorders are psychological in origin. The Cognitive part of the therapy deals with the thinking and belief process of the individual. Here, the person is encouraged to share his innermost thoughts and beliefs. By doing so, the psychiatrist can then assist the patient realize the negative things in his way of thinking that may be the contributing factors to triggering anxiety. Once this is accomplished, he or she is then encouraged to modify his or her thought process and find ways to gain control. Some of the techniques that have proved to be quite helpful in this specific approach of anxiety disorder treatment are the slow talk/walk or slowing down, the acceptance paradox, rational self-help statements that are reinforced to the patient to make the 'new' thoughts become permanent, the determination factor, identifying the object of focus, and the patient's perception of the things commonly encountered in life.

The behavioral portion, on the other hand, aims to help the individual decide what to do after the cognitive part of the therapy has been accomplished. This is now geared towards the future and how the person can overcome feelings of nervousness, worry, depression and fear that are some of the typical manifestations of anxiety disorders. Here, the patient is presented with real-life situations and everyday encounters. After, he or she gradually learns how to adapt, thus eventually gaining control over situations that may trigger anxiety.

Aside from the cognitive and behavioral portions of the therapy, the emotional health of the patient is also looked into. It is geared towards the promotion of peace and relaxation in the individual. De-stressing strategies are taught to the patient to help them absorb the things they've realized and learnt so far in the previous portions of the therapy. The fact that this form of anxiety disorder treatment touches on all the aspects of the human mind that the disorder affects, has made it one of the best treatment there is.

Since the emotional aspect is taken cared of by the cognitive-behavioral therapy, medications can then help ease the turmoil that anxiety brings. Anxiety medications, have in fact, been used as the supportive therapy during the course of the anxiety disorder treatment as a whole. There are different drugs in the market that have specific target sites in the body. Headaches, nausea, depression and other physical manifestations can be lessened with the use of drugs. However, it is vital for the individual to be aware of the possible side effects of these medications so that they can be avoided.