Archive for July 3rd, 2010

An anxiety-prone condition is one that tends to suffer anxiety greater than a normal person, but not necessarily to the extent of an actual attack. Nonetheless, Anxiety is very closely associated with a panic attack as both cause an increase in the adrenalin level along with a typically faster heartbeat and increased blood pressure.   What is now recognized that was previously discounted is that a continual level of anxiety – even without an intense attack -may be even more detrimental to continued health that the occasional full-fledged attacks. 

If you have a generally increased level of anxiety that is constant and ongoing but you do not actually suffer from panic attacks outright, you should also seriously seek professional assistance as your situation may actually be doing you greater harm.  We are not sure why some sufferers can actually live with anxiety, while others who are stressed go right into attacks; it may simply be that some can better control themselves than others.  

Learning Anxiety Management is essentially a process of coming to understand what the feelings are and what can be done over time to control them.  We often experience stress without recognizing it onset until extreme levels are reached.  That is at the heart of Anxiety Management – learning to recognize well in advance of attack levels that an increased level of anxiety has been sustained.  We all wonder, however, if it’s possible to learn and practice anxiety management – why can’t we overcome the anxiety?  

Symptoms of an Anxiety Attack 

Over time it is possible to recognize advance indication of oncoming stress.  Some patients even report that they can – over time – even begin to categorize their oncoming attacks by both type and severity.

The symptoms are both physical and psychological.  The physical symptoms are much more than simply increased heart rate and BP – theres is often tightness in the chest, sweating, muscle cramps, and dizziness; the psychological symptoms include a spinning of the same ‘worry statement’ through the mind with increased levels of negative expectation. 

Anxiety Management 

Anxiety Disorder management techniques obviously should contain both physical as well as psychological elements.  It is now recognized that positive thinking is extremely effective – but only if the physical management techniques, mainly relaxation and controlled breathing are applied.  As the patient begins to master the basic process, which is to recognize its beginnings and instantly apply the management techniques, with growing mastery, there should be a greatly reduced incidence and severity of attacks along with greatly increased mastery of the management process.