Anxiety comes from many different aspects… Alcoholism, Depression, Grief and Stress etc. Whatever the cause your mind is invaded by worrying and frightening thoughts. In order to control these thoughts, you first need to understand why they affect your lives so much. So how do you stop the intrusive thoughts that cause Anxiety and Panic Attack.
Understanding that it is not the the intrusive thoughts that are responsible for your despair is the one of the steps in overcoming Anxiety and panic attacks. It’s the way you react to the thoughts that causes your mind and body to go into panic mode. Anyone who suffers from Anxiety and Panic Attacks know only to well how frightening that panic mode can be. I found it terrifying when I had a panic attack when I was out of the house, but found it extremely distressing when I found I wasn’t even safe at home.
My home was my safe place and when I found out the anxiety intruder could invade my home..it left me felling pretty helpless. It’s amazing how these intrusive thoughts can turn your life upside down and badly affect the wiring in your brain. I like to to compare the worrying thoughts the self esteem. Just like some people find it hard to except the positive words spoken to them, yet have no problems believing the negative things that people say to them.
It works very much the same with your thoughts, when you have negative or worrying thoughts, you tend to concentrate on them and not the positive and happy thoughts… and then so it goes… off into panic mode. The symptoms as frightening as they are can be controlled, it’s just a matter of understanding your anxiety disorder and learning some coping skills to help you over come the fear that Anxiety brings on.
Learning to control our thoughts is another step towards beating Anxiety and Panic attacks. In my case I learned that these attacks couldn’t hurt me, that was the hard part. I then learned that if I faced my thoughts and the things that made me anxious, I could take control again and not be crippled by my Anxiety Disorder. Anxiety can be overcome, sometimes in a very short time, for some people it might be a longer process but it’s one you can overcome with a little help.
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The root of anxiety grows from different seeds, in my case the seed was alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant, as much as it can make you feel good for a time, long time use can cause mental disorders, along with the normal reduction of brain function caused by excessive use. Not everyone suffers from mental disorders from alcohol, but in my case excessive use of alcohol left me with severe depression.
After a couple of years of drinking and depression, I started having panic attacks which lead to a vicious circle of self medication. I remember my first panic attack like it was yesterday…I was on the way to pick up my youngest son from school, when the gripping fear came on followed by dizziness and a very short blackout. I had no idea what it was at the time but I new it wasn’t normal.
At first the attacks only came on very now and then, but they terrified me and lead me to start drinking each time an attack came on. The alcohol calmed me down and made feel strong and in control again. So the vicious circle begins…that’s how my life went for the next 10 years. It got to the stage I just stopped going out in fear of having an attack, instead I locked myself behind my front door and wouldn’t step outside without a drink and my partner by my side.
I learned how to control the panic attacks when I went to alcohol counseling, but I still suffered anxiety. The key to my recovery from Anxiety and panic attacks was to get my head around the fact that the panic attacks couldn’t hurt me, and that I would be ok. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy was my life saver. It taught me about my feelings, why I was feeling the way I was, and how to control those feelings.
I feel so much better now than I have for years, since my attacks I went back to work, and are now capable of leaving the house without any alcohol or someone holding my hand. I hope this short article can help you come to terms with whatever form of anxiety your suffer from, and helps you understand that you don’t have to live with Anxiety. You are not crazy, even though you may feel you are. Please be aware there are many others like you and I all over the world and you can be free of these attacks for life.
Anxiety is a life crippling disorder, often accompanied by panic attacks. Unless you have suffered from this disorder, it is very hard to understand just how debilitating this can be. The fear that arises from anxiety is very real to the individual that is suffering from it, but can seem very irrational to friends and family. It is very important to support sufferers of Anxiety Disorder, in order to make them feel like they are not alone or going crazy, because most of the time that’s exactly how they feel. That fact is they are not crazy and need to be taken seriously.
Symptoms of Anxiety
At some time in all our lives we experience some form of anxiety, but for Anxiety Disorder sufferers anxiety is a part of their everyday life. There is a big difference between normal anxiety and Anxiety Disorder and Panic Attacks. Normal anxiety is what we feel when we are a bit anxious about something.. a job interview, or a doctor’s appointment etc. With Anxiety disorder the symptoms are much more severe…such as difficulty controlling worry, Restlessness and being on edge, difficulty concentrating or mind blankness, irritability, social impairment and impairment in other major areas of functioning.
Panic Attack Symptoms
Anyone who has suffered from panic attacks will know they are absolutely terrifying, you literally feel like you are going to die. Some of the symptoms are accelerated heart beat, sweating, trembling or shaking, shortness of breath, chest pain or discomfort, feeling dizzy or unsteady, fear of losing control, upset stomach, chills or hot flushes, numbness and tingling and fear of dying. All very frightening and not fun to live with.
Statistics show that….
National Institutes of Health, 2005. NIH Publication No. 06-4584
* 6.8 million Americans have Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
* Approximately 40 million Americans suffer from all anxiety disorders combined.
* Approximately 6 million American adults ages 18 and older have panic disorder.
* Approximately 15 million American adults age 18 and over have social phobia.
* Approximately 19.2 million American adults age 18 and over have some type of specific phobia.
The statistics are very frightening, and with the worlds economic state the way it is, these statistics are bound to rise. There is no doubt times are tough and there are going to be a lot more cases of Depression worldwide, and depression can lead to anxiety and panic attacks.
There is good news is anxiety disorder and panic attacks don’t have to be a part of your everyday life, there is no need to let these disorders cripple your lifestyle. I lived with both anxiety disorder and panic attacks for 12 years, but have learned how to control them and you can do the same. You will find a new found freedom as I did and will start enjoying life once again..there is help and it’s not as hard as you may think.