Wednesday 18 May 2016

Discover 6 Simple Steps You Can Employ While Having A Panic Attack

Source: Discover 6 Simple Steps You Can Employ While Having A Panic Attack


If you happen to be one of the unlucky people who suffers from anxiety attacks, then you'll be wondering what you can do during an anxiety attack.

Well, you'll be pleased to know there are simple, yet effective steps you can take to help yourself feel more in control of the situation. It does require some work and persistence, but the more you practice it, the better you will get at it.

If you haven't already read my Panic Away review, then click here, as it teaches you a very powerful technique that you can use while having a panic attack.

During an attack you will experience both physical and psychological symptoms that can be very frightening indeed and the following helpful tips will help you to essentially reverse those symptoms and help you get back into the driving seat.

1. Recognize the signs of an attack

If your panic attacks give you intense physical symptoms (like chest pain or heart palpitations), it’s a good idea to get checked out by a doctor to make sure that there really is nothing physically wrong with you.

Once you have that assurance, try to remember it when you feel a panic attack starting. Although your emotions may be screaming, “I can’t breathe! I’m going to faint! I’m dying!”, try to distance yourself from that noise and recognize these symptoms as perfectly normal signs of a panic attack.

Read more...
It is very common to think you're dying or having a heart attack during an episode so the first step is to remind yourself that it's merely an anxiety attack and nothing else and let yourself understand they cannot harm you at all.

As you read through the other steps in the article above, you will begin to realise hoiw the combination of employing psychological and physical techniques, you can regain control. And the more you feel in control of them, you can begin to feel more relaxed about the prospects of any future episodes.

Here's another helpful step-by-step recommendation on what to do during a panic attack. You'll find that one of the main common denominators is to control your breathing. 

First, focusing on moderating your breathing is very important. Get that under control by taking really deep breaths – this will help slow down the breathing and help get you out of the panic attack on a physiological level.

Next, try finding someone you trust like a family member or friend, and be in their presence.

“Isolation can perpetuate the panic,” he says. “So being around friends and family, and having that connection, can really, really help.”

Read more...

As always, if you have any questions at all please feel free to get in touch and if you enjoyed this article please share it with anyone that might find it helpful.


Tuesday 10 May 2016

How To Tell The Difference Between Anxiety And A Panic Attack

The following blog post Signs And Symptoms Of A Panic Attack And Anxiety – What’s The Difference? was originally discovered on Zap My Stress Blog

Many people ask me what the signs and symptoms of a panic attack and anxiety are, so it's my hope that by the time you finish reading this article, you will have a much clearer idea.

If we look up the definition of anxiety in the Oxford dictionary you'll find the following.
A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome: he felt a surge of anxiety [count noun]: anxieties about the moral decline of today’s youth
Source
If you find that you spend a lot of time worrying about the past and the future then you may very well be suffering from anxiety. Now it's very common for us to spend time reflecting on the past and the future but if much of this thinking process is based on fear of consequence or worrying about something you did or should've done, then this is anxiety.

Many people will use the word 'panic' flippantly. An example of this is..."I thought I was going to panic when I missed the bus".

In this example the person did not experience an actual anxiety attack as we understand it to be. Instead, it was simply an expression of someone's concern about a particular situation.

How to Tell the Difference Between Panic and an Actual Panic Attack

Man panicking
When you have a panic attack— a sudden onset of intense fear or discomfort that usually peaks within 10 minutes and fades within an hour—your brain’s fear circuits run haywire.
Scientists believe that’s due to a malfunction of nerve cells in your brainstem, which sends heart-pumping adrenaline and other hormones surging through your body.
As your heart speeds up, you begin to hyperventilate and breathe in more carbon dioxide.
Read more
So what exactly is a panic attack? Well let's have a look at another definition from www.dictionary.com.
noun, Psychiatry.
1.
an intense attack of anxiety characterized by feelings of impending doom and trembling, sweating, pounding heart, and other physical symptoms.
Source
You can see from this description that the experience of an actual attack is far more dramatic than someone simply worrying about a situation.

The actual physical symptoms and sensations are extremely intense and an attack will affect both the mind and body. Listed below are a few of the typical symptoms you might experience.
  • The feeling of numbness in the feet or hands
  • Pain in the chest area
  • Shaking and trembling uncontrollably
  • Heart pounding through the chest
  • Feeling lightheaded or giddy
And those are just the physical symptoms. If you consider some of the psychological symptoms, have a look at these.
  • Fear of dying
  • Fear of going crazy
  • Fear of suffering a heart attack
  • Fear of suffering a stroke
A panic attack is an extreme version of the fight or flight response. It can occur when you have a lot of stress and anxiety in your life. This is why it is also referred to as an anxiety attack.

So to summarise, anxiety occurs when you have excessive worrying, while a panic attack is the result of a lot of stress and anxiety. One is the result of the other and a far more intense experience of anxiety in a short period of time (normally only lasting for a few minutes).

The cause of such an intensely fearful experience can be the result of a cumulative build up of stress and anxiety over a number of years, or the result of a single traumatic experience.

Hopefully by analysing the signs and symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks, it has helped to highlight their differences.

As always, if you have any questions at all please get in touch and if you liked this article please spread the word so we can help even more people.
:)
Read my Panic Away Review here: Click This Link

Monday 2 May 2016

Is It A Panic Attack? Find Out How You Can Tell

The following post Is It A Panic Attack? Find Out How You Can Tell is courtesy of http://www.zapmystress.com/

If you have never experienced an anxiety attack before then you're probably wondering how to know if you're having a panic attack. If this is your first time, you may have been shocked at how intense the experience was and I don't blame you for being frightened by the attack.
Many people use the word 'panic' flippantly. What I mean by this is that someone might say "I was in such a panic!". All they mean by this is that they were worried about something.
But the true meaning of the word is quite different. It's an intensely fearful experience and typically only lasts a few minutes although there are some instances where it can happen in waves of up to around two hours or so.

If you have experienced any of the following symptoms, then you may very well have had your first anxiety attack.
  • Very short, shallow and rapid breathing
  • Accelerated heart rate
  • Dizziness
  • Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet
  • Feelings of being hot or cold
  • Chest pain
  • Trembling
  • Fear of dying or going crazy
Many of you may have heard of Zoella whose real name is Zoe Sugg. She's managed to acquire a huge following online and blogs regularly about her battle with anxiety. You can find out more about the symptoms she experiences during an attack.

'When it's bad I can't even leave my bed': Vlogger Zoella reveals her daily battle with anxiety and panic attacks... and the doctors who tell her to just 'walk it off'

Zoella wearing her red button as a sign of unity for panic sufferers
She described how the attacks would leave her feeling suffocated.
'My initial symptoms would happen whenever I felt in a situation where I felt I couldn't leave.
'My heart would race; I'd feel sick; my breath was short and quick; I felt like the room was closing in on me.
'It's almost like a part of my brain is telling me that I CANNOT leave and I am stuck, even though my conscious mind knows that isn't true. The subconscious mind is far more powerful.'
Despite her perky demeanor Zoella describes how her anxiety can often render her motionless and completely bring her to a halt.
Read more
I hope this article goes someway towards answering the question of whether you had a panic attack or not.

I find it very brave of people like Zoella who put themselves out there in front of thousands and thousands of people to share their own battles which I know provides a lot of encouragement to others who are suffering from the same problem.

So whether you're having full-blown or limited symptom attacks, where you are only experiencing 2 or 3 of the symptoms, rest assured you are not alone.

The encouraging thing is that it doesn't have to be this way. It is possible for you to stop suffering from this frightening, exhausting experience and you do not have to rely on prescription medication to achieve this.

If you'd like to find out more about a completely natural method called Panic Away then feel free to read about it here.

I know this experience can be extremely frightening and debilitating but hang in there because you can overcome it. All you need to do is learn how to reduce general anxiety and create a new positive way of thinking, new positive attitudes, and start taking back control again.

Feel free to spend some time browsing through my other posts and if you have any questions, then do ask.

If you liked this post, be a star and share it with all your friends!

Sunday 1 May 2016

Tell-Tale Signs You're Having An Anxiety Attack

The article Tell-Tale Signs You're Having An Anxiety Attack is courtesy of Zap My Stress Web Page

If you're wondering what having an anxiety attack feels like, then you've either just had one or you're interested in finding out more on someone else's behalf.

Either way, I hope the following article will give you a better insight into the truly uncomfortable symptoms of anxiety.

If you've read my other post, you would have come across the courageousness of Casey Throwaway who filmed himself after having an anxiety attack.

You can see how much anguish he's in from the first video. With tears running down his face, he's able to describe how he's feeling - “My brain is on fire, right now. I feel like I’m going to pass out, my emotions are crazy, obviously. I’m having crazy thoughts in my head".

Stress and anxiety affect both the body and mind. When you feel anxious, stress hormones are being pumped into your system. Cortisol being the most well known.

Adrenaline is also pumped into your body which can lead to feelings of being light-headed or dizzy. Energy is diverted to your muscles and brain in preparation to fight off any perceived threat.

Your blood pressure increases, your heart feels as if it's pounding through your chest and your liver releases more glucose into your blood and these are just the physical responses to stress and anxiety.
In terms of the psychological effects, it can feel as if you have no control over your thoughts as your mind races and locks onto every negative assumption. The obsessional part of your brain takes over and it becomes difficult to see the wood for the trees.

It's lovely to see how supportive most people were in response to Casey's first video and he's actually posted a follow up video which you can watch below.

It takes a lot of courage to place yourself in front of hundreds, if not thousands of strangers, particularly when you're in such a vulnerable state.

You can see his follow up video here...



Buzzfeed have also taken up Casey's story which you can find below.

This Man Tearfully Recorded Himself After A Panic Attack To Spread Awareness

Casey Throwaway filming himself after an anxiety attack
Toward the tail end of his panic attack, Casey picked up the camera and started filming himself. He said, “I wanted to see if there were other people who felt like I did, and I took the risk of putting a video of me basically crying on the internet.”
Read more
If you're suffering from anxiety too, then take some courage from knowing you can overcome it.
I've done a review of a program called Panic Away which you can read here.
Anxiety is a normal human experience and surplus anxiety can be treated. You can learn how to live an enjoyable life again waking up each day feeling calmer and more relaxed, so hang in there!

Saturday 30 April 2016

Learn About How Panic Attacks Effect You

The following write-up Learn About How Panic Attacks Effect You was first found on Zap My Stress post

If you would like to know what the effects of a panic attack are, keep reading on. Anxiety attacks are simply the result of overwhelming stress and anxiety which will create an intensely fearful experience in a very short period of time.

Typical symptoms will include increased rate of breathing, clammy, sweaty hands, pounding heart, possible tunnel vision and these are just the physical symptoms. Your thoughts will catastrophise the situation and imagine the worst possible scenarios such as assuming you're having a heart attack.
But these are just the symptoms you will experience during the attack itself. But are there any long term effects and if so what are they?

Anxiety in itself can be extremely debilitating and the attacks create a lot of fear and anxiety and if you suffer from them on a regular basis they can be extremely exhausting. Over a longer period of time repeated attacks can wear you down to the extent, they can lead to other mental health problems such as agoraphobia or even depression.

Amber Smith took it upon herself to show the effects of panic attacks. Looking at the pictures you can see the anguish on her face only three weeks after the episodes started.

This Woman Took Before And After Photos To Show Just How Real Anxiety Attacks Are


Before and after the anxiety started
"I'm so sick of the fact that it's 2016 and there is still so much stigma around mental health. It disgusts me that so many people are so uneducated and judgemental over the topic. They say that 1 in 3 people will suffer with a mental illness at some point in their life. 1 in 3! Do you know how many people that equates to worldwide?! And yet I've been battling with anxiety and depression for years and years and there's still people that make comments like 'you'll get over it', 'you don't need tablets, just be happier', 'you're too young to suffer with that'..."
Read more...
What seems to exacerbate the situation is the lack of understanding and knowledge that people have about mental health problems. You can see from her Facebook status the sheer amount to frustration she has towards other peoples lack of knowledge and acceptance.

I think she's very courageous to share her experience with the world.

Just because anxiety is a mental problem it does not mean it doesn't exist and for someone who has never suffered overwhelming anxiety won't be able to relate to her experiences in the same way that someone has.

Good on her for raising awareness of this debilitating problem! Hopefully through her courage, people will begin to understand it's effects.

Click the following link if you'd like to find out more about an extremely effective method that's been proven to help time and time again.

www.zapmystress.com/panic-attacks/panic-away/
As always, if you have any comments or questions, please fire away!!



Friday 29 April 2016

Know Someone Suffering From A Panic Attack - 5 Steps You Can Take To Help Them Today

The piece Know Someone Suffering From A Panic Attack - 5 Steps You Can Take To Help Them Today is courtesy of Zap My Stress website post

If you know somebody who suffers from a lot of stress and anxiety, you may very well be wondering how you can help someone who's experiencing a panic attack.

Watching someone suffering an attack can be quite unsettling and emotionally troubling, particularly if you are not entirely sure what's going on and I know we'd all like to help someone get through their experience.

There are some very effective methods that can help end the panic, but for the moment there are some more immediate actions you can take.

So what can we actually do? How can we actually comfort them? What are the right things to say?
I found this particular article quite interesting and I think it goes some way towards lending an insight into the mindset of someone who suffers from panic and anxiety.

5 Things People With Anxiety Want You to Know About Panic Attacks

Person who suffers from Panic Disorder
Imagine that in the course of your daily life — while in a meeting, eating in a restaurant or watching TV — you're gripped with panic. Your heart races, you can't breathe, your hands shake. You're certain you're dying.
Plenty of people don't have to imagine this: They've experienced it. This is what a panic attack often feels like. But there's far more to it than just the symptoms alone. Here's what you need to know about what it's really like to experience panic attacks.
Read more
Everybody experiences panic in a different way so don't assume you know what to do. Instead, the best course of action is simply to ask them what they would like.

The first thing you can do is learn to accept and understand but what the person is suffering is very real and true. It is not a figment of their imagination, is not a sign of weakness, it is actually something quite terrifying and uncontrollable because the entire mind and body is experiencing an extreme case of the fight or flight response.

Understanding this means that you can provide the necessary comfort and encouragement to help that person through their episode.

A common concern people have is that everyone is staring at them which can lead to feelings of embarrassment. So it's a good idea to move them away to a quiet space.

Use words of encouragement and remind them that a panic attack can never harm them and that nothing is physically wrong with them. This is because many people will assume they're having a stroke, or even dying. Reminding them that they are physically okay can help.

Typically when someone is suffering a lot of anxiety their breathing rate will increase rapidly and be very shallow, so encourage them to slow down their breathing, which in turn will help to encourage a sense of calm.

High levels of anxiety will affect a persons ability to think straight, so be concise and clear in your language and don't offer a range of choices as this will only confuse the situation.
You can find some additional helpful tips here.

Helping Someone During a Panic Attack

  • Stay with the person and keep calm.
  • Offer medicine if the person usually takes it during an attack.
  • Move the person to a quiet place.
  • Don't make assumptions about what the person needs. Ask.
  • Speak to the person in short, simple sentences.
  • Be predictable. Avoid surprises.
  • Help the person focus by asking him or her to repeat a simple, physically tiring task such as raising his or her arms over the head.
  • Help slow the person's breathing by breathing with him or her or by counting slowly to 10.
Read more
Hopefully you should now feel better prepared to know how to help someone who's having a panic attack. There's nothing to be afraid about. Just remember to be encouraging and accepting.
If you like this article, please feel free to share it using the share buttons below.
:)