Unlike common diseases and disorders such as cancer, kidney failure, pneumonia, and others, panic attacks and anxiety are sometimes not given proper medical attention. This is because the sufferer is confused of his/her condition. Just like many other mental illnesses, these disorders are either unidentified or ignored.

However, these problems can have real negative effects on the lifestyle of an individual. The reason why most people do not receive medical attention is because they do not know the signs and symptoms. In this article, you will learn about the symptoms of panic attacks and anxiety to help you to identify them.

What is the difference between Panic Attacks and Anxiety?

Anxiety is a generally less serious mental condition. It can be due to emotional stresses such as separation and fear, or it could also be due to physical causes such as tiredness or injury. On the other hand, panic attacks are more severe especially in terms of symptoms. It is characterized by sudden attacks of unexplained fear and feeling of dying or going crazy. The experience can be very traumatic.

What are the signs and symptoms of Panic Attacks and Anxiety?

Anxiety is a condition that is often accompanied by depression, feeling of worthlessness, and fear. It may also make a person feel tired and drained of energy. Losing interest on things that a person usually goes frantic about is another sign. Panic attacks on the other hand are accompanied by palpitations, numbness, unexplained fear, feeling of dying, hot flashes, trembling of muscles, sweating, and choking. It usually lasts for a few minutes and can sometimes be longer.

Who can have panic attacks?

Panic attacks can be a sign of a serious mental illness. Experts believe that people who went through very traumatic experiences as kids are most likely to have episodes of panic attacks as adults, usually starting between ages 20 to 30. However, some experts in the field claim that panic attacks can also happen on individuals with completely healthy mental and emotional condition.

Do you have panic disorder?

Sometimes, a panic attack is a symptom to a more serious mental illness called panic disorder. While common panic attacks can be caused by a recent traumatic experience, a physical injury, or a serious health condition, if these possible causes are not present, then it is likely a panic disorder.

Where can you get help?

If you suspect that you have anxiety or panic disorder or are suffering from the signs and symptoms of panic attacks and anxiety, you would do well to consult a doctor immediately. A doctor can give a brief examinations and advise you with the right course of treatment.

Are They Related? If So, How?

If you read forums about panic attacks and anxiety on the internet, you will find that some people are reporting to have experienced panic attacks after drinking alcohol. As a result, they are linking the two as if they are connected. So the question is, can alcoholism cause panic attacks? Read on and learn the answer.

Alcohol as a trigger

The cause of a panic attack is different from one person to another. Likewise, the stimulus that causes the symptoms to re-appear each time also differs from individual to individual. As such, many experts believe that drinking alcohol is a potential trigger to episodes of panic attacks on some people. If you and your doctor cannot identify other triggers to your panic attacks such as having a traumatic experience or suffering from a disorder, then alcohol can be the likely culprit.

Result of withdrawal

Alcohol itself may not be the direct cause of panic attack. Instead, it might be a reaction of the body towards withdrawal. This usually occurs with heavy drinkers who suddenly decide to stop drinking. This sudden change can be shocking to the body. The organs and systems may not be able to immediately cope with the change in body chemistry. To avoid panic attacks related to alcohol withdrawal, it is best to seek professional help about stopping alcoholism instead of just abruptly stopping.

B-vitamin depletion

Drinking alcohol will definitely cause some changes within the internal chemistry of your body. For instance, increased alcohol intake can result in a depleted count of B-vitamins in the body. And because B-vitamins are partly responsible for the regulation of one’s mood, sudden changes in the levels of B-vitamins in your body can result in anxiety and even panic attacks.

Establishing a link

As already mentioned, panic attacks can be due to many other causes other than alcohol. So how do you know if alcohol can potentially trigger panic attacks or anxiety in you? If you feel that your mood changes after drinking alcohol, say for example you become angry, happy, or depressed each time after drinking, it is a good indication that alcohol has a strong effect on your emotional and mental condition.

If this is true for you, it would be best if you avoid drinking alcoholic drinks. If you must, then you should probably exercise moderation. If you believe you are alcoholic, do not abruptly stop your habits. You should do this with the help of a professional. Undergoing rehabilitation may be the best option.

If you are worried that your panic attacks or anxiety is triggered by panic attacks, then it is wise to seek advice and medical help from your doctor at the earliest convenience.

What is it And Are They The Same Thing?

There have been debates on whether Social Anxiety Disorder is just another term for shyness. However, many in psychology have already stipulated that Shyness is not Social Anxiety Disorder. On the other hand, the lines between what characterizes shyness and social anxiety disorder is still blurred, causing confusion and raising questions among people on whether they are shy or already suffering from a mental disorder.

Shyness And Social Anxiety – Much Different!

Social Anxiety Disorder is an anxiety disorder wherein a person feels excessive anxiety towards social situations. This anxiety or extreme nervousness comes from the fear of being scrutinized and judged by other people and is different from just general shyness.  People with Social Anxiety have a different way of thinking about social situations and about other people, and if untreated, Social Anxiety Disorder can greatly cripple a person’s day-to-day life and relationships with other people.

There are two kinds of social anxiety disorder or social phobia, general and specific. General social phobia is characterized by excessive self-consciousness to the point of refraining to go to public places, difficulty asserting oneself to other and a dislike for being introduced to new people. Specific social phobia affects people who are usually the center of attention, like performers or executives in a company.

They experience specific social phobia when they have to be in front or a large crowd to speak or to perform. Their anxiety can be seen in the way that they stutter or show nervousness in front of the public eye. Social Anxiety Disorder can be spotted when a person is extremely worried about being embarrassed in front of other people. They can worry about a particular social situation days, weeks or even month before, already thinking about the embarrassing things that could happen. The anxiety felt by a person with social anxiety disorder is so great that an extreme dislike for social situations is developed and avoids them altogether. Social Anxiety Disorder could be connected with other disorders, specifically Agoraphobia and Depression.

Social Anxiety can be treated through Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), where a person with social phobia is helped to rationalize their fears and thoughts so that they could avoid feeling anxiety. CBT teaches people to react to social situations or to the things that trigger their anxiety through systematic desensitization or exposure to situations that are feared. Medication can also be given to those with social anxiety disorder, including antidepressants, tranquilizers and beta-blockers which is used for heart conditions to lessen the physical manifestations of anxiety such as heart palpitations and shaking. Lastly, counseling for self-esteem and social skills and relaxation techniques could also be used to help a person handle their social anxiety.

There are major differences between Shyness and Social Anxiety, and they although may from the outside seem similar, are completely different.

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The Main Causes Of Social Anxiety

Social Anxiety Disorder is characterized by an intense dislike for social situations because of excessive anxiety that these cause to a person. A person with Social Anxiety Disorder is someone who feels anxiety during social situations such as gatherings or situations where public speaking is required.

This anxiety is rooted on the fear of embarrassment and has physical and behavioral manifestations. A person with Social Anxiety Disorder could experience breathing problems, heart palpitations, sweating, shaking, muscle tension, diarrhea, dry mouth or numbness when they are in a social situation. The anxiety is so great that the person often avoids going to social gatherings. Social Anxiety Disorder is severe and can greatly affect the way of life of a person.

What Causes Social Anxiety

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact causes for the presence of Social Anxiety Disorder in a person, because studies have shown that the development of the disorder can be attributed to biological, environmental and psychological factors.

Social Anxiety Disorder may be caused by a chemical imbalance, specifically an imbalance of a neurotransmitter, serotonin. An imbalance in neurotransmitters causes messages to the brain to be disrupted, since neurotransmitters aid in the transmission of information from nerve cell to nerve cell. It is this imbalance in neurotransmitters and the consequent difficulty in information transmission to the brain that causes the brain to react to stressful situations which lead to feelings of anxiety.

It has also been found that Social Anxiety Disorder can be passed on from parent to child.

Psychologically speaking when it comes to What Causes Social Anxiety Disorder can spring forth from past experiences in social situations. For instance, being humiliated in front of a large number of people during a party or during a business meeting could spark the beginnings of extreme anxiety towards social events and excessive self-consciousness and fear of judgment.

Social Anxiety Disorder can also be caused by the people and events that happen around him or her. Severe anxiety towards social situations may be developed from seeing the behavior of others towards other people, especially in embarrassing situations. Witnessing people being laughed at bullied or made fun of during social situations encourages a person to feel more anxious about socializing with other people and deepens the fear of embarrassment even more. Also, if children grow up to be lacking in social skills, this may be a starting point for Social Anxiety Disorder. The lack of social skills makes a person feel uncomfortable in social situations, a jumping point for Social Anxiety Disorder to develop.

So, there are many things that can attribute what causes social anxiety.

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Shyness And Social Anxiety

What are they?

Social Anxiety Disorder is a kind of anxiety disorder wherein a person is excessively and unreasonably fearful of any kind of social situation and gets anxious over the thought of being the center of attention and being judged by their peers.

A person with Social Anxiety Disorder is characterized as a person who shies away from social situations because of fear of making a mistake or humiliating oneself in front of other people. Those diagnosed with this disorder are known to have a skewed way of thinking about themselves, as well as hold negative views about social situations or other people, even if it is the contrary. Having Social Anxiety Disorder or Social Phobia greatly debilitates a person’s life in that it hinders a person from functioning normally during the most normal of social situations. If SAD is not treated properly, a person with this disorder may not be able to handle going through school, work, social activities and having meaningful relationships.

Social Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

If you think that there is a person you know who is suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder, there are telling signs and symptoms that indicate whether he or she has this type of anxiety disorder.

First, a person with Social Anxiety Disorder often feels uneasy and that there is something amiss, but they do not see that as a sign of a disorder. Excessive feeling of anxiety during participation in any kind of social situation is another key Social Anxiety Disorder symptom.

Because of the anxiety they feel during social situations, people with Social Anxiety Disorder often try to find an excuse to avoid any opportunity to socialize.

Physical Social Anxiety Disorder Symptoms can be seen in the changes that happen to a person physically and behaviorally. If a person experiences heart palpitations or irregular heart rate, sweating, shaking, rapid breathing, blushing, dizziness, dry mouth, tension in the muscles, upset stomach, diarrhea and numbness in the fingers and toes, especially during times of socializing or whenever a person is the center of attention, then this could mean Social Anxiety Disorder.

In the case of children, anxiety is expressed by crying, clinging to a parent or throwing a tantrum.  In terms of behavior, one can see if a person has this disorder when he or she worries about a particular social event days, weeks or even months from now. In social situations, they feel extremely self-conscious and always experience the fear of embarrassing themselves in front of other people.

If these social anxiety disorder symptoms seem familiar, always remember to seek help because leaving this disorder untreated could significantly affect one’s way of life.

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The Main Causes

Panic attacks are described as a surge of overwhelming anxiety and fear over a period of time. A panic attack usually starts when the flight-or-fight response, an instinctual reaction in animals and humans when in danger, is activated due to a stressful event. A panic attack can last from a few minutes to a few hours.

Causes Of Panic Attacks In Children

Panic attacks in young children are shown quite differently from adults. Children who get panic attacks throw tantrums and cry inconsolably.  The child may experience shakiness, shortness of breath, the feeling of choking, sweating, numbness and nausea.

In terms of behavior, children who suffer from panic attacks are easily startled; experience a decrease in appetite, a difficulty in concentrating, stomach ache, headache and difficulty sleeping because of frequent nightmares. Panic attacks can be so severe in children that they may feel an aversion to certain things, like school, because of the fear they feel towards them.

The main causes of panic attacks in young children are both found to be genetic and environmental. Family history can be one of the causes of panic attacks in children. It is said that children who have direct relatives who suffer from panic attacks are also more likely to develop symptoms of panic attacks themselves.

Most reasons for why children get panic attacks are environmental in nature, and most of them are from the things that they are exposed to. One reason for the development of panic attacks is separation anxiety.

Children have a fear of losing people and a secure environment, and when the child realizes that he or she is lacking either a parent or a safe environment, a child feels anxiety.

Traumatizing events can also be a starting point for panic attack symptoms. When a child associates fear with a certain event or thing, like a red balloon suddenly bursting, the child develops and imagined fear for that balloon. It is this association that a child feels anxiety.

Physical, emotion or sexual abuse is a traumatic experience that can greatly affect a child and anxiety. Social anxiety can also be a reason and part of the main cause of panic attacks in children. A bully at school, a rival sibling or the inability to make friends can cause a child to feel a panic attack and consequently feel a need to avoid school.

Exposure to negative feelings can also be a reason to feel anxiety. If a child witnesses his or her parents arguing, the child may feel anxiety over the parents’ argument.

There really are many causes of panic attacks in young children and it is important to address all angles to get to the bottom of it. Finding out what the main cause of panic attacks in your child is important for many reasons especially treating them.

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Panic Attacks In Children

In order to understand Panic Disorder and ultimately the causes of panic disorder, one must know what a panic attack is. A panic attack is an overwhelming feeling of anxiety and fear. A panic attack happens when a fight-or-flight response, an instinctual response for survival in animals and humans, is activated when faced with a potentially dangerous situation.

While panic attacks, which usually last a few minutes before dissipating, are quite normal, a panic disorder is a much more serious case.

Panic Disorders

A Panic disorder is when a fight-or-flight response is triggered even when there is no impending danger. When a panic attack occurs repeatedly without reason, then it is a sign that one has panic disorder. The anxiety felt can be seen through physical symptoms such as troubled breathing, tightness in the chest, racing heartbeat or heart palpitations, sweating, nausea, dizziness, shaking and numbness.

Those who suffer from a panic disorder are constantly afraid of the next panic attack because of its spontaneous nature and would avoid any situation where help could be unavailable. People suffering from panic disorder usually have the beginnings of agoraphobia.

Causes Of Panic Disorder

It is unclear what the specific causes of panic disorder are, but the development of panic disorder can be attributed to a combination of biological and environmental factors.

The constant panic attacks are caused by an imbalance of the neurotransmitters in the brain. These neurotransmitters help in the transmission of messages to the brain and with the imbalance, the reaction of the brain to certain situations are altered, causing a fight-or-flight response to be triggered even without reason.

Panic disorder can run in the family. Studies have shown that children who have parents who suffer from panic disorder are more likely to develop the disorder themselves. Studies have also shown that those who have depression or bipolar disorder are likely to have children who have a high risk of developing panic disorder too.

Causes of Panic disorder can also develop from environmental reasons.

It has been found that children who have been exposed to anxiety are likely to develop an anxiety disorder as well. An overprotective parenting style can also contribute to the development of the disorder. Life events that could cause severe stress could trigger the beginnings of this anxiety disorder. Symptoms of panic disorder could also begin to show during childhood, when the child experiences trauma or abuse during their formative years. Finally, panic disorder can be triggered by hypersensitivity to sensations that they believe are dangerous.

Whether biological or environmental, it is important to be aware of these causes of panic disorder as to prevent further development in an individual.

When it comes to treating panic disorder, working out the causes of it is one of the most important steps. Whether it be hereditary, an environmental issue or a social issue, working out the causes of your panic disorder is the first step towards treatment.

Stress Relief, Relaxation Techniques and Possible Herbal Remedies For Panic Attacks

Panic attacks can happen anytime and anywhere without warning. With symptoms such as nausea, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat and sweating, it can be easily mistaken as a heart attack or seizure. Treating this condition usually involves consulting a mental health professional. However, there are a few natural remedies for panic attacks you can try for yourself.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Of all natural remedies for panic attacks, this kind of therapy has shown the most successful ones. This method encourages patients to investigate and recognize the thoughts that serve as trigger points for panic attacks.

On top of this, coping mechanisms are introduced as well. In other words, patients are taught how to deal with panic attacks with the end goal of managing and even preventing one from happening again. The more control you have, the better you feel about yourself and less chances of feeling anxious.

Relaxation Techniques For Panic Disorder

Another form of treatment that focuses on the psychological causes is various forms of relaxation. These can be used to control anxiety and reduce the stress that may be triggering the attack. Deep breathing can be practiced by just about anyone. This involves controlling your breathing through various inhaling and exhaling exercises to help you calm down.

Meditation on the other hand involves clearing your mind and substituting positive thoughts in your head. Yoga is a more advanced method of meditation and involves techniques for both mental and physical well–being. Both will need a bit of practice though, but are recognized as effective natural cures for panic attacks.

Avoiding Stress

More often than not, stressful situations help trigger anxiety, and then panic attacks and some of its symptoms. In some cases, it even makes them worse. With this in mind, it is important to identify the causes of stress and address them right away.

Stress is usually caused by social relationships, work and other external factors. Patients should learn to take it easy and relax a bit before stress gets worse. One of the simplest ways to do this is by lying down and getting some rest. Doing anything that you find pleasant is also a good way to de-stress.

The important thing here is to put your mind at ease and prevent panic attacks from coming up.

Herbal and Homeopathic Remedies For Panic Attacks

You may not know it but the treatment for your panic attacks may already be sitting quietly in your kitchen. Various herbs and homeopathic remedies have been proven to work against panic attacks and have already helped a lot of patients. These help minimize anxiety and stress which also helps improve your overall mood. As such, certain symptoms are avoided as well.

Some of these natural remedies for panic attacks include lemon balm, passiflora and lavender. These remedies are some of the most effective when it comes to relief from panic attacks and its symptoms. Do not forget to consult your doctor or homeopath for additional advice.

When it comes to breaking free from your panic attacks, it is important to know that it can be achieved and with the use of natural remedies and a plan of action, it can be overcome.

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The Causes and Possible Techniques To Control Panic Attacks While Pregnant

For most women, the news about their pregnancy brings a feeling of joy and excitement to their lives. In truth, most women go through a cycle of emotions which may lead to panic attacks. Usually, the attacks are caused by increased hormone levels. On the other hand, there could be other causes that would require a trip to the doctor.

The Causes Of Panic Attacks During Pregnancy

Being overwhelmed by pregnancy is all too common among expecting mothers. This is an enormous responsibility after all. More often than not, women are worried about their body image, raising a child and other things related in this chapter of life. It is these kinds of thoughts that can develop into overwhelming ones, and those that bring on anxiety during pregnancy.

In such a case, a woman may feel that she has lost control or losing her mind with all her concerns.

Panic attacks have physical manifestations as well. This includes a racing heart, trembling, fainting, shaking and sweating. Of course these attacks are not good for both mother and child. As such, it is important to address these attacks right away without relying on any kind of medicine.

Relieving Anxiety During Pregnancy

Panic attacks during pregnancy are one of the worst things that can happen to expecting mothers. However, this fear can get worse if the thought that another panic attack might follow the previous one. To prevent this from happening, it is a good idea to have a plan in place.

One of the best ways to fight off panic attacks is through various relaxation techniques. This puts the mind and body into a relaxed state of peace and quiet. Keep going until all symptoms simply go away. A few deep breathing exercises are helpful as well.

While you perform breathing exercises, focus your mind and thoughts on your breathing, think about breathing in, and then out again.

Shifting your mind from the panic and anxiety attack, can quickly calm the situation and help you to gain control.

Practice Makes Perfect

Relaxation and gaining control can be a bit difficult at first but with enough time and practice, it will help to relieve your problem. Stress being another factor of increased anxiety can be identified with a loss of energy and mood swings. Once these set in, take it as a sign that you need to start relaxing.

The good news is that there are plenty of ways to relax and reduce stress. Simple methods such as deep breathing exercises like above and stretching already go a long way in stress relief. Once you get the hang of it, you can try more advanced methods such as yoga and tai chi.

The important thing here is to find the time to perform any relaxation method of your choosing. Remember to do this as often as possible and turn it into a daily routine. This is

A Simple Stress Relief Technique For Reducing Anxiety During Pregnancy

Deep breathing exercises are among the simplest forms of relaxation. To do this, start by sitting straight with a hand on your chest and the other on the stomach. Breathe enough that your stomach rises. Exhale through your mouth with more force than normal. Repeat this process taking note of your lower abdomen.

This like the above technique takes your mind out of the stressful thoughts and into more relaxing thoughts. Simple techniques like this can do a world of good.

Panic attacks during pregnancy are certainly not to be taken lightly, and it is advisable if this is occurring regularly, to book an appointment with the doctor and find out the best route forward.

Causes and Possible Treatments Of Panic Disorder In Children

You may not know it but panic attacks are not exclusive to adults. Even children are vulnerable to such a condition and perhaps sometimes more so because of their innocence. In simple terms, a panic attack is recurring periods of intense fear and discomfort which comes with a few symptoms. It can last anywhere between a few minutes to a few hours.

There is a wide range of factors that causes panic attacks in children. It could be anything like peer pressure, living up to parent’s expectations, blaming himself for the parent’s divorce, losing a loved one other personal and social issues. In any case, your child needs you to be his pillar of strength and know that he or she can count on you.

Another thing to remember is that your child needs to go through this kind of situation no matter how depressing it may be. Keeping him from this is counter-productive and will only cause a repeat of the problem. Remember that this is all part of life and he needs to learn this for personal development.

Knowing its root cause is very important to overcoming panic disorder. In this case, you will want to find out what it is that is bothering your child and the reasons behind this. From here, a plan should be drawn up to help your child work through this condition.

So, what can be the causes of panic attacks in children, and how can they be treated?

1. General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in children – Anxiety over what may seem like simple, everyday social events such as birthdays, holidays and reunions of the family cause GAD. Relaxation and therapy are two of the most effective ways to treat anxiety caused by GAD.

2. Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD) in children – Children of any age may also experience anxiety when separated from parents and other loved ones. In this case, explaining the reality of life to a child is the best way to go. Help him or her realize that separation is only temporary and that you will return eventually. Teaching them to cope with emotional stress is recommended as well.

3. Fear of returning to school after a long break – It is easy for children to forget about school especially after a long vacation. Once the school year draws, anxiety may set in. The best way to address this is to give your child an incentive to go to school. Systematic desensitization is a kind of behavior therapy used to treat phobias and other behavioral problems which involve anxiety and may be helpful in this situation.

4. Anxiety with a specific event in a child’s life – Children do not have the same faculties as adults in dealing with certain events in life. This may include deaths in the family or other significant loss which may be too emotionally overwhelming. Like other causes, the same techniques mentioned earlier are effective at dealing with this kind of situation.

To find the best treatment for your child, it is best to consult with your doctor and ask for advice. Finding out the main cause or underlying root to the panic disorder affecting your child is one of the first things to look at as already touched on above.

Panic and anxiety attacks in children are actually more common than many people think. The thing to remember, if your child is suffering from a panic or anxiety disorder, is that they can be treated.

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