Panic Attacks Info What Is Anxiety & Panic Attacks? (Further down the page we have Tips on Stopping Panic Attacks). Anxiety - A few simple facts Anxiety is a form of fear that happens as a result of thoughts, rather than because of real immediate danger in the present environment. People, unlike animals, can cause ADRENALINE to be produced in their own bodies in DIRECT RESPONSE TO a thought. Because the thought and the environment are not the same (as it would be for a zebra which spots a lion), the action requisite to get rid of the adrenaline in the system doesn't happen (the zebra starts to run, which is why it needs the adrenaline shock injection in the first place!). What happens in people is that they don't get rid of the adrenaline, so it builds up, and up - causing MORE thoughts which in turn trigger MORE adrenaline releases. Symptoms Of Anxiety Too much adrenaline in the body causes ALL the symptoms anxiety sufferers are so familiar with: The typical changes in the heart rate associated with anxiety; Body sensations like dry mouth and throat, trembling (like in shakey handwriting), sweating, flushing, chest pains and tightness in the chest, being unable to breathe properly; Racing thoughts that spin out of control; paranoia and hallucinations; Headaches (stress headaches, anxiety headaches), migraines; Vision disturbances, dizzyness, inability to see things clearly or to interpret what is being seen correctly (like dyslexia or totally failing to make sense of numbers, maths, symbols, maps, etc.); Digestive problems as digestion is shut down or reduced during adrenaline outbursts; Eating problems such as sugar cravings (insulin reduces adrenaline in the blood), hunger pangs, and also loss of appetite on the other hand; Hypervigilance or becoming overly sensitive to all sorts of sounds, sights, touches, tastes and smells; Failure to be able to concentrate on the here-and-now, functional failures (performance anxiety) like clumsiness, erection problems, "blocks" (to writing, public speaking, social skills, learning etc. etc), forgetfulness; Inability to focus on others, making good connections with others, attuning or relating to others; Sleep disturbances, trouble getting to sleep, sleeping badly, feeling tired and worn out as a result - which makes all of the above even worse; ... and that is just the tip of the iceberg. Anxiety, in contrast to natural fear, is thereby a PHYSIOLOGICAL state of a body that is too full of adrenaline, and the mental or psychological problems and the behaviour problems and performance problems normally associated with high stress and anxiety are just a RESULT of that underlying problem. Who suffers from anxiety? People who have already a build up of adrenaline in their bodies have nowhere to go when a frightening thought strikes - their adrenaline levels spike into the red immediately and the longer they stay there, the worse all the symptoms of their anxiety will become, physical, mental and emotional. This is the same for stressed and anxious children and babies as it is for adults. It is structural, human and entirely logical. Any human who is stressed for too long, or has been stressed repeatedly severely (in war, bullying, abusive relationship), or is unable to escape an ongoing stressful environment (family, school, prison, army, work) will eventually show the symptoms of anxiety, some or many of them, depending on how severe the stress is they have been under, and for how long it has been going on. The highest end and last-ditch "emergency defense" of high anxiety is to have a panic attack. The systems in the body (and mind, and energy system) become so chaotic that "something has to give". Panic attacks are "nature's restart button" on a computer that is blue screening. Is anxiety genetic? A child reared by anxious parents will naturally be more anxious than a child reared by non-anxious parents. Although genetics may play a small part, environment and HOW this is being responded to is much, much more important than genetics. Stressed and anxious people create a stressful atmosphere AROUND them, and those who look to their leadership for security (children with parents, workers with managers, soldiers with officers, students with teachers etc.) will likewise experience far more stress than if their leader or responsible adult was calmer and more in control of their environments. It is far more important to remove excess stress hormones from the body quickly and as soon as possible than to wonder if there are any genetic components to being affected this way. In other words, anxiety or adrenalin allergy is absolutely curable and at the very least, it can be MARKEDLY REDUCED. What is the difference between social anxiety, separation anxiety, performance anxiety? The only difference between any appearance of the symptoms of anxiety, regardless if this is a maths anxiety, sexual or social anxiety, an anxiety about dogs and cats, jury duty, test anxiety, or public speaking is the TRIGGER which causes the adrenaline spikes to go into the red. It is important to understand that WHAT the trigger is doesn't mean ANYTHING about a person who suffers from anxiety disorders and their symptoms - the problem is ALWAYS that there is already a high underlying level of adrenaline rushing around their systems when they meet the trigger. They have nowhere to go, the adrenaline spikes go into the red and that's when the flare up happens. Just as people can become accidentally phobic of just about anything at all, they can become extremely anxious about anything at all - this has little or nothing to do with REAL danger or any logical reasons and is mostly simply accidental. Sections In Panic Attacks Info Tips for stopping a panic attack. (Please read through our EFT info also.) For those of you who have experienced a panic attack will know that is starts off as... A THOUGHT IN YOUR MIND..... From there, it grows very quickly until it is a panic attack and you have the symptoms you usually get. So first point is to try and STOP that thought as soon as it is in your mind! Once you notice this PATTERN happening to you, you will get even better at stopping the THOUGHT PROCESS THAT TRIGGERS YOUR PANIC ATTACK. As horrible as this may sound, you are creating your panic attacks by your thoughts.... (I know easier said than done!) We are not here to pull you down whatsoever, we are simply trying to show you how it works and how you can stop it! Now once you realise your trigger.. yes it can even be the SIGHT OF... something... you can still try and STOP the thoughts that follow that trigger point. We have found that once you are aware of this, you start to, lets say... 'hear the thought trigger coming' in your mind. For some of our customers, they say its like in their mind they can see the 'bad thought' coming into their mind.. yes its all a matter of a few split seconds. However if you STOP this thought and think of something else, PUSH THE BAD THOUGHT out of your mind, it helps to bring down or totally STOP the panic attack in its early stages. Once you feel the panic attack coming on.. immediatley DO SOMETHING ELSE OR START A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE, (NOT ABOUT THE PANIC ATTACK). The tip here is DISTRACTION! If you DISTRACT your mind, it will focus on something else and WONT BE ABLE TO FOCUS on the panic attack thoughts. Some customers have found simply counting to say one hundred stops a panic attack becoming a full blown panic attack. This takes time to learn and for you too recognise the thoughts in your mind. The thing with panic attacks, is you are 'scared of... a WHAT IF' EG.. What if I get stuck and cant get out / back / home? What if I have a panic attack and start screaming? What if I see a spider and I am sick infront of people? You see its all about the WHAT IFS...... Ask yourself this... How many times have you had a panic attack and your 'what if' actually happened? I bet its safe to say you have had many panic attacks but NEVER has the WHAT IF actually happened! I hope this point of the WHAT IF's gives you confidence to move forward with your panic attacks. Many people suffer panic attacks and then turn to AVOIDANCE... and this is can affect your life, (eg, panic attacks about travelling on a bus, plane, train.. panic attacks about standing in a que... touching dirty surfaces....) whatever your panic attack is related too, I bet you have NEVER ACTUALLY HAD YOUR 'END RESULT OF YOUR 'WHAT IF'S' (Eg, got stuck, freaked out in public, gone hysterical....) On that note I hope it does give you something to think about, which help gives you confidence, do try the tapping points, (EFT) next time you get anxious about a matter or suffer a panic attack.... Dont forget you can use EFT on any subject, matter, problem, issue, depression, anger, pain, emotional upset, etc. Lastly if you are suffering from any form of stress related illness, you will get better, and making simple forward positive steps will increase your confidence, and make you feel better that you are at least making an effort! That in itself is a HUGE reasurring step! Your Thoughts When your panic attack starts and kicks in withing a few seconds, you can think of nothing else but your thoughts and how you body is reacting to them. Ask yourself this, How many times I have had this thought? Usually they are of the same topic or number of topics. Then ask yourself, How many times has this panic attack thought actually TURNED INTO REALITY? For example, I think I'm going to go hysterical if I see a spider? Its NEVER EVER ACTUALLY HAPPENED HAS IT? You have Never actually gone hysterical have you, or passed out, or been sick? Or whatever you panic attack provoking thought is? Once you realise that its JUST a thought, a thought that will never ever ever actually come to reality. You may cry and have shaken and wanted to be sick, but you have NEVER lost totaly control, got stuck, been sick or whatever your panic attack end of.. thought is. Say the SPIDER is the trigger, then in seconds its the SYMPTOMS that keep that panic attack on full steam ahead. So try to tell yourself that you have had the re occuring panic attack thought for, however long, lets say everyday for six month, and its never ever happened in reality. If you can identfy its just a thought, consentrate on self reassurance that you have thought this thought a hundred times and its never happened! This can help eliminate panic attacks as fast as they occured! Good Luck and think happy thoughts. Cannot find the product you are looking for? Please contact us by telephone 0870 220 3221, fax , or email: info@adsshop.co.uk. 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