ABOUT ANXIETY AND PANIC ATTACKS (they are
the same thing), AND ANXIETY DISORDERS:
There are several categories associated with anxiety disorder,
each having their own specific causes and characteristics.
While some of the symptoms associated with each category
may be unique, the majority of symptoms are common to all
types.
The National Institute of Mental Health lists
the six main categories of anxiety disorder as:
Panic disorder
Panic disorder is described as a sudden attack of terror, intense fear, or
feelings of impending doom that strike without warning and for no apparent
reason. This can be immediately followed by a number of symptoms including
pounding heart, rapid heart rate, nausea, hot or cold flashes, chest pain,
hands and feet may feel numb, you may be lightheaded or woozy, irrational
thoughts, fear of losing control and a number of other symptoms. The peak
of an attack can range anywhere between 5 to 30 minutes, but the symptoms
can last much longer.
While many people have at least one panic attack
in the course of their lifetime, panic disorder affects approximately
3% of the population. Panic disorder often begins in adolescence
or early adulthood, and as is reportedly more likely to develop
in women than in men. However, the statistics may be misleading
because men are more reluctant to seek professional help.
If diagnosed early, panic disorder can be treated
successfully. But if left untreated, it can develop into
a more complex and lengthy condition. However, with today’s
treatments the success rate can be very high. Treatments
include Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Behavior Therapy
(BT), and medication.
Panic disorder often co-occurs with other disorders
such as depression and GAD.
Generalized anxiety
disorder
Most people experience anxiety on and off throughout the course of their life,
but those who suffer with GAD do so on a day to day basis. Their anxiety becomes
chronic and fills their life with exaggerated worry and tension, even though
the subject they are worrying about doesn’t warrant it. Individuals with
this disorder are always anticipating doom, disaster, and ‘the worst’.
They often worry about their health, money, family, work, and the world in
general. Often their reason for worry is hard to pinpoint. Even the thought
of getting through another day can bring on anxiety.
Individuals with GAD feel that they can’t
stop worrying, even though they know the subject they are
worrying about isn’t that serious. They can also experience
accompanying symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, muscle
tension, aches and pains, difficulty swallowing or as having
something stuck in their throat, trembling, twitching, irritability,
hot and cold flashes, profuse sweating for no reason, and
often feel lightheaded or ‘dizzy’. They may also
feel nauseated or that they have to go to the washroom frequently.
Individuals with GAD feel that they can’t
relax and startle more easily than others. They may also
have difficulty in concentrating or that they feel joyless
and frustrated. Often their sleep patterns are disrupted
with their inability to sleep becoming yet another reason
to worry or be anxious.
People with GAD often appear just fine and can go about their day seemingly
normal. However, it’s their thought and internal life that undergoes
the turmoil.
GAD affects about 6% of the population and
affects twice as many women as it does men. The disorder
usually comes on gradually and can begin at any age, though
it is more frequent between childhood and middle age. Those
who experience incessant worry for six months or more are
typically diagnosed as having GAD.
GAD often co-occurs with other disorders such
as depression, or substance abuse.
Obsessive-compulsive
disorder
OCD involves anxious thoughts or rituals the individual feels they must do
or can’t control. Individuals with OCD may be plagued by persistent,
unwelcome thoughts or images, or by the urgent need to engage in certain rituals
like repeatedly washing their hands, repeatedly checking things, counting things,
organizing things, and so on.
They may have relentless thoughts of violence
or a fear that they may hurt someone they love or are close
to. They may have a continual desire to touch things, to
symmetrically organize things, repeated thoughts of sexual
acts that are repugnant to them, or maybe troubled by thoughts
that are against their religious beliefs.
These disturbing thoughts or images are called
obsessions, and the rituals that are performed to try to
get rid of them are called compulsions. There is no pleasure
in doing the rituals, but only temporary relief from the
anxiety that builds when they don’t perform them.
A lot of healthy people can identify with some
OCD symptoms, such as checking to make sure the door is locked
when going to bed or leaving home, or double and often triple
checking to make sure the iron is off. However, individuals
with OCD spend hours doing this, and are very distressed
because it interferes with their daily life.
Most individuals with this condition recognize
that what they are doing is senseless, but they feel they
can’t stop themselves. However, some people don’t
recognize that their behavior is out of the ordinary.
OCD affects approximately 4% of the population
and it equally affects both men and women. One third of adults
with OCD report having experienced their first symptoms as
children. OCD can come and go over time, as well as it can
ease or grow worse with age.
Depression and other anxiety disorders most
often co-occur with OCD. Like other anxiety disorders, OCD
can be successfully treated.
Social phobia
(or social anxiety disorder)
Social phobia, also called Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), is a condition whereby
the individual feels overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness
in everyday social situations. In a sense, the individual becomes extremely
self-conscious in social environments. People with SAD have a persistent, intense,
and chronic fear of being watched and judged by others and being embarrassed
or humiliated by their own actions. This fear may be so severe that it interferes
with work, school, or any other ordinary activities.
While many people with SAD recognize that their
fear of being around people is unusually excessive, they
are unable to overcome it. And often, they worry for days
or weeks prior to a social situation.
SAD can be a limited to one type of situation,
like speaking in public, or it can be as severe as to encompass
many or all social situations.
Symptoms can include any of the symptoms associated
with anxiety disorder, and can often contribute to the anxiety
of a social situation because of the fear associated with
the symptoms coming at an ‘inopportune time’ or
visible enough for others to notice.
SAD affects approximately 7% of the population
and equally affects women and men. This disorder usually
begins in childhood or early adolescence. SAD often co-occurs
with other anxiety disorders such as depression, substance
abuse and panic disorder.
SAD can be successfully treated.
Phobias (including
specific phobias)
A specific phobia is an intense fear of something that poses little or no actual
danger. Examples include closed in spaces, heights, escalators, elevators,
tunnels, driving, flying, spiders, snakes, and so on. In addition, these phobias
aren’t just extreme fears but include irrational fears such as being
able to skydive but can’t use an elevator. While the individual understands
that these fears are irrational, they can’t do anything to change how
they feel, and often just the thought of facing their feared object is enough
to bring on intense anxiety and even panic attacks.
It is estimated that 6% of the population is
affected by specific phobias while it is twice as common
in women as it is in men. These phobias generally first appear
during childhood or early adolescence.
If the object of their fear is easy to avoid,
most often the individual won’t seek treatment. Unfortunately,
this usually influences the individual when making important
life decisions such as not taking an important career advancement
because of having to use an elevator.
Specific phobias can be successfully treated.
Post-traumatic
stress disorder
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) is a condition that can develop following
a terrifying event. Often, individuals with PSTD have persistent thoughts and
memories of this event and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they
were once close to. PSTD can result from a number of traumatic incidents such
as violent attacks, mugging, rape, torture, terrorism, being held captive,
child abuse, serious accidents and natural disasters. The trigger event can
be something that threatened the person’s life or the life of someone
very close to them, or it could be something they had witnessed, such as a
death and destruction from a plane crash, bombing or building devastation.
Some individuals with PSTD repeatedly relive
their trauma through dreams, nightmares and disturbing memories
throughout the day. They may also experience sleep problems,
feel alienated from reality, or easily startled. Other behaviors
they may experience include the inability to show affection,
have difficulty maintaining an interest in things they used
to enjoy, they may feel irritable, more aggressive, and even
violent.
Memories of the trauma can be very distressing
for them, and can lead them to avoid certain places or situations
that bring back those memories. Anniversaries of the event
are often difficult as well.
PTSD affects approximately 6% of the population, and women are more likely
than men to develop this condition. It can occur at anytime, including childhood.
PTSD often co-occurs with depression, substance
abuse and panic disorder.
PTSD is diagnosed only if the symptoms last
for more than a month. For those who develop PTSD, symptoms
usually begin within three months of the event, and the course
of illness varies from individual to individual. Occasionally,
this condition doesn’t show up until years after the
event.
PTSD can be successfully treated.
FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ANXIETY DISORDERS:
There is much left to discover about the many causes of
anxiety disorder. It’s thought that any individual,
given the right circumstances, can develop it. The
following represents what is presently known.
Genetics
Research has shown that there is a genetic link to anxiety disorder. If someone
in your family experiences anxiety disorder, there is a 25% chance that someone
else in the family already does or will experience it as well.
This doesn’t mean that you should expect it to be
the case. However, if there are two or more people in the
family experiencing anxiety disorder, this is common.
Another consideration is that many people either
don’t know that anxiety disorder is causing their symptoms,
or that they won’t admit that it is a condition that
THEY have.
Typically, women are more forthcoming about their condition,
whereas men are more reluctant. If you are trying to determine
if someone in your family has had or has anxiety disorder,
you may have to do some investigative work to truly find
out.
Environment/Upbringing
The environment you grew up in, or presently live in, play a role in anxiety
disorders. If you grew up with a parent or live with a spouse that worries
a lot, chances are you may pick up that habit as well. I call it a habit
because worrying or being anxious about situations can become a learned approach
to how you look at everyday life and the future.
Another factor is whether you grew up in, or are presently
in a stressful environment or situation. Since stress can
increase your anxiety level, being in a stressful circumstance
for an extended period of time can lead to an anxiety disorder.
Examples include being in a family where one or both parents
are often threatening or abusive, if you have been sexually
assaulted or violated, if you’ve been held captive,
live or work in a threatening or unusually noisy environment,
have a high stress job, and so on.
If the body is continually under stress without the opportunity
to properly rest, the effects of sustained stress can bring
on anxiety disorder.
Early trauma has also been shown to bring on anxiety disorder
later in life. Research has found that those who experienced
a traumatic event early in life were more prone to develop
anxiety disorder as they grow older. Some believe that once
the brain’s “panic circuitry” is opened,
it is accessed more easily. Others believe that it’s
the brain’s ability to remember an earlier traumatic
event that leads the individual to respond in a hypervigilant
manner.
Biochemistry
Ongoing research continues to bring forward new theories on how the various
body systems and chemistries work together, and how their individual and
combined actions can impact the health of the body’s biological and
psychological make up.
Studies have shown that certain behavioral traits and symptoms
are related to a ‘chemical imbalance’ in the
body. For example, hormonal swings can cause heightened feelings
of anxiety. Many women notice an increase in their anxiety
and the frequency of panic attacks in sync with their menstrual
cycle.
Stress also plays a key role in the onset and aggravation
of anxiety disorder. Stress causes certain hormone levels
to increase in the body. It’s been shown that heightened
levels of stress hormones cause increased feelings of anxiety
and even panic. For more information on the affects of stress, click
here.
Diet can also impact anxiety disorder. Since the body constantly
monitors and adjusts its internal chemical balance automatically,
radical blood sugar or stimulant levels can also produce
anxiety and even panic attacks. For example, when the body
senses it has unusually low blood sugar the brain sounds
a warning that it needs to produce more blood sugar and does
so by stimulating (among others) a hormone called adrenaline.
Adrenaline stimulates the body to produce blood sugar. Unfortunately,
adrenaline is also a stress hormone and an increase in this
hormone causes anxiety and even panic as a side affect. Similarly,
stimulants like caffeine can also produce the same affect.
For more information on diet, click
here.
Sleep also plays a role. Lack of sleep has been shown to
increase the body’s stress hormone levels. Did you
know that a person will die quicker from a lack of sleep
than from a lack of food? Good sleep habits are vital for
good health. Click here for
more information about sleep.
Underlying health conditions such as Pituitary Dysfunction,
Thyroid disorders, Multiple Sclerosis and heart disease (to
name a few) can also produce anxiety and anxiety-like symptoms.
That’s why it’s vital to have a complete medical
evaluation done in order to rule out other ‘causes’ of
anxiety conditions.
Part One of this web site provides in-depth information
about the body’s biological and psychological make
up and the role they play in anxiety disorder.
While there is a lot known about anxiety disorder, there
is much more to learn. Fortunately, ongoing research continues
with new strides being made everyday.
Personality characteristics
Research indicates that there is an identifiable ‘anxiety disorder’ personality.
People with this personality type are more prone to develop anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorder personality traits include:
• A perfectionist approach to life – things must be done to the best
of their ability.
• Often things have to be done THEIR way.
• They want things done NOW.
• Everything has to be in place or done BEFORE they can rest.
• Relaxation is very low on their priority list.
• They almost always have too much to do and not enough time to do it.
• They like to be in control and have all the angles figured out.
• They have many interests.
• They have high expectations and expect others to meet THEIR expectations
as well.
• They are analytical thinkers, and often worry about the ‘what ifs’.
• They like to be liked and accepted by others.
• They have a martyr complex – do as much as they can to please others
and often overload their plate with “Sure I can do that for you. No problem.”
• Tend to be more animated and have a tendency to over-react.
For more information about the ‘anxiety personality’,
there is a full section on it in the Member's Area. Click
here to become a member to read this, and a wealth of
other information about anxiety including a natural recovery
strategy.
While the characteristics in themselves aren’t harmful,
it’s the effect they have on the lifestyle and nervous
system of the individual that can cause anxiety disorder
to appear.
Medication and drug abuse
Another consideration includes the effects of medication (both
prescription and over-the-counter). Since each body is unique, medications
will affect everyone differently. What is effective for one person may be ineffective
for another. As well, what is harmless for one may be harmful to another.
Similarly, a common or popular medication may produce no
lingering side effects for one person, yet may be very problematic
for another.
It’s known that adverse side affects can sometimes
increase anxiety and even produce panic attacks, with the
anxious condition persisting beyond the use of the medication.
Also, prescription and over-the-counter medications, even though tested before
market release, have the potential to negatively affect the body especially
when taken in combination, or in multiples (two or more prescription medications
combined with one or more over-the-counter medications). It’s important
to discuss EVERY medication with your doctor AND your pharmacist before taking
them (including herbal remedies).
Recreational drugs can also lead to anxiety
disorder. It’s common for those using recreational
drugs to experience heightened levels of euphoria, excitement,
paranoia and fear. These heightened feelings and emotions
can sometimes produce panic attacks which can lead to sustained
anxiety disorder and even more attacks long after the recreational
drug has left the body.
Unfortunately, this factor is becoming more common and is
associated with both recreational drugs and alcohol. Because
many of the recreational drugs affect the same parts of the
brain and body chemistry that anxiety disorder does, there
exists a fine line between remaining healthy and inviting
illness whenever they are induced.
Lastly, prescription anti-anxiety, anti-depressant and mood
altering medications hold the potential for lasting problems.
This is because these medications directly affect the brain
and body to degrees that aren’t yet fully understood.
While these types of medications can help reduce anxiety
disorder symptoms, they also have the potential to pose a
long-term health risk. I hope more will become known about
this as research continues. In my experience, the majority
of people I have talked with over the last ten years have
had their condition complicated and extended solely because
of the medication they were prescribed.
I experienced the same type of complication. I was prescribed
a number of medications only to later discover severe difficulty
in dealing with their long term negative affects. Only after
being off of medication and fully away from their residual
affects was I able to see the significant difference.
Unfortunately, many front line medical professionals often
recommend these medications as their “first and only
line of treatment” rather than providing a more comprehensive
approach. I recommend seeking the help of a professional
anxiety disorder specialist even though your doctor believes
he or she knows how to manage an anxiety disorder condition.
The help of a professional anxiety disorder specialist is
your best bet for a full and lasting treatment.
With today’s proliferation and promotion of new ‘designer’ and ‘social’ drugs,
it’s vital that you be fully engaged in managing your
personal health. Seek the best professional help, then, work
closely with them.
Click here to become a member and begin your recovery from
anxiety.
