Anxiety disorders - Symptoms and causes

Overview

Experiencing occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. However, people with anxiety disorders frequently have intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Often, anxiety disorders involve repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks).

These feelings of anxiety and panic interfere with daily activities, are difficult to control, are out of proportion to the actual danger and can last a long time. You may avoid places or situations to prevent these feelings. Symptoms may start during childhood or the teen years and continue into adulthood.

Examples of anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder (social phobia), specific phobias and separation anxiety disorder. You can have more than one anxiety disorder. Sometimes anxiety results from a medical condition that needs treatment.

Whatever form of anxiety you have, treatment can help.

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Symptoms

Common anxiety signs and symptoms include:

Feeling nervous, restless or tense

Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom

Having an increased heart rate

Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)

Sweating

Trembling

Feeling weak or tired

Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry

Having trouble sleeping

Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems

Having difficulty controlling worry

Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety

Several types of anxiety disorders exist:

Agoraphobia (ag-uh-ruh-FOE-be-uh) is a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and often avoid places or situations that might cause you to panic and make you feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed.

Anxiety disorder due to a medical condition includes symptoms of intense anxiety or panic that are directly caused by a physical health problem.

Generalized anxiety disorder includes persistent and excessive anxiety and worry about activities or events — even ordinary, routine issues. The worry is out of proportion to the actual circumstance, is difficult to control and affects how you feel physically. It often occurs along with other anxiety disorders or depression.

Panic disorder involves repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks). You may have feelings of impending doom, shortness of breath, chest pain, or a rapid, fluttering or pounding heart (heart palpitations). These panic attacks may lead to worrying about them happening again or avoiding situations in which they've occurred.

Selective mutism is a consistent failure of children to speak in certain situations, such as school, even when they can speak in other situations, such as at home with close family members. This can interfere with school, work and social functioning.

Separation anxiety disorder is a childhood disorder characterized by anxiety that's excessive for the child's developmental level and related to separation from parents or others who have parental roles.

Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) involves high levels of anxiety, fear and avoidance of social situations due to feelings of embarrassment, self-consciousness and concern about being judged or viewed negatively by others.

Specific phobias are characterized by major anxiety when you're exposed to a specific object or situation and a desire to avoid it. Phobias provoke panic attacks in some people.

Substance-induced anxiety disorder is characterized by symptoms of intense anxiety or panic that are a direct result of misusing drugs, taking medications, being exposed to a toxic substance or withdrawal from drugs.

Other specified anxiety disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder are terms for anxiety or phobias that don't meet the exact criteria for any other anxiety disorders but are significant enough to be distressing and disruptive.

When to see a doctor

See your doctor if:

You feel like you're worrying too much and it's interfering with your work, relationships or other parts of your life

Your fear, worry or anxiety is upsetting to you and difficult to control

You feel depressed, have trouble with alcohol or drug use, or have other mental health concerns along with anxiety

You think your anxiety could be linked to a physical health problem

You have suicidal thoughts or behaviors — if this is the case, seek emergency treatment immediately

Your worries may not go away on their own, and they may get worse over time if you don't seek help. See your doctor or a mental health provider before your anxiety gets worse. It's easier to treat if you get help early.

Causes

The causes of anxiety disorders aren't fully understood. Life experiences such as traumatic events appear to trigger anxiety disorders in people who are already prone to anxiety. Inherited traits also can be a factor.

Medical causes

For some people, anxiety may be linked to an underlying health issue. In some cases, anxiety signs and symptoms are the first indicators of a medical illness. If your doctor suspects your anxiety may have a medical cause, he or she may order tests to look for signs of a problem.

Examples of medical problems that can be linked to anxiety include:

Heart disease

Diabetes

Thyroid problems, such as hyperthyroidism

Respiratory disorders, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma

Drug misuse or withdrawal

Withdrawal from alcohol, anti-anxiety medications (benzodiazepines) or other medications

Chronic pain or irritable bowel syndrome

Rare tumors that produce certain fight-or-flight hormones

Sometimes anxiety can be a side effect of certain medications.

It's possible that your anxiety may be due to an underlying medical condition if:

You don't have any blood relatives (such as a parent or sibling) with an anxiety disorder

You didn't have an anxiety disorder as a child

You don't avoid certain things or situations because of anxiety

You have a sudden occurrence of anxiety that seems unrelated to life events and you didn't have a previous history of anxiety

Risk factors

These factors may increase your risk of developing an anxiety disorder:

Trauma. Children who endured abuse or trauma or witnessed traumatic events are at higher risk of developing an anxiety disorder at some point in life. Adults who experience a traumatic event also can develop anxiety disorders.

Stress due to an illness. Having a health condition or serious illness can cause significant worry about issues such as your treatment and your future.

Stress buildup. A big event or a buildup of smaller stressful life situations may trigger excessive anxiety — for example, a death in the family, work stress or ongoing worry about finances.

Personality. People with certain personality types are more prone to anxiety disorders than others are.

Other mental health disorders. People with other mental health disorders, such as depression, often also have an anxiety disorder.

Having blood relatives with an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders can run in families.

Drugs or alcohol. Drug or alcohol use or misuse or withdrawal can cause or worsen anxiety.

Complications

Having an anxiety disorder does more than make you worry. It can also lead to, or worsen, other mental and physical conditions, such as:

Depression (which often occurs with an anxiety disorder) or other mental health disorders

Substance misuse

Trouble sleeping (insomnia)

Digestive or bowel problems

Headaches and chronic pain

Social isolation

Problems functioning at school or work

Poor quality of life

Suicide

Prevention

There's no way to predict for certain what will cause someone to develop an anxiety disorder, but you can take steps to reduce the impact of symptoms if you're anxious:

Get help early. Anxiety, like many other mental health conditions, can be harder to treat if you wait.

Stay active. Participate in activities that you enjoy and that make you feel good about yourself. Enjoy social interaction and caring relationships, which can lessen your worries.

Avoid alcohol or drug use. Alcohol and drug use can cause or worsen anxiety. If you're addicted to any of these substances, quitting can make you anxious. If you can't quit on your own, see your doctor or find a support group to help you.

Readmore : How to Manage Panic Attacks

Source: www.mayoclinic.org

When you enter an unfamiliar social setting, does your heart start to pound and your palms begin to sweat? Are you worried about saying the wrong thing and embarrassing yourself?

Are you more focused on whether others are judging you than on the actual conversation? Do you try to make up excuses to leave social situations or to avoid them entirely?

If you answered yes to all or the majority of these questions, it’s possible you have social anxiety disorder.

Social anxiety disorder is quite common in the United States. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), an estimated 12% of adults in the United States will experience social anxiety disorder at some point in their lifetime.

The exact symptoms of social anxiety disorder may vary from person to person. For instance, while some people may have social anxiety while meeting new people, others may have it

when they’re

speaking in public

Some may even have social anxiety in nearly all social settings.

A diagnosis of social anxiety disorder requires having a consistent fear about social situations. This fear has to do with feeling embarrassed, humiliated, or rejected by others.

Shyness and social anxiety often get confused. While shyness can be a symptom of social anxiety disorder, it is not the same thing as social anxiety.

Instead, common symptoms of social anxiety disorder may include:

dreading social situations, including work, school, or parties

avoiding social situations where you may receive significant attention

fear of embarrassing yourself in front of people

fear of offending others

fear of meeting new people

fear of speaking in front of larger groups

remaining silent in social settings

feeling anxious in social situations

feeling under scrutiny by other people

fear of exposing your anxiety symptoms

fear of being judged negatively

fear of being rejected socially

overanalyzing your social performances

If your anxiety isn’t specific to social settings, it’s possible that you have a different type of anxiety disorder. Some of the most common anxiety disorders include:

It’s also possible that you have a co-occurring condition. This means having two conditions at the same time.

A 2019 review of research studies suggests that about 90% of individuals with social anxiety disorder have another mental health condition.

Additionally, leaving social anxiety disorder untreated increases the likelihood of developing major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder.

Medication and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are often the best options for managing social anxiety disorder.

If you think you may have social anxiety disorder, consider speaking with a healthcare professional to find out what course of action may be best for you.

This brief, time-saving questionnaire is designed for anyone who thinks they may be having symptoms of social anxiety disorder.

The items below will help you determine whether you might need additional help and professional support for your symptoms. It can also provide you with some language to help describe your symptoms to a mental health professional.

A mental health professional can then help you determine whether your issues might be a symptom of a social anxiety disorder or something else and recommend treatment if needed.

This online screening is not a definitive tool. It is not designed to diagnose social anxiety disorder or take the place of a professional diagnosis.

A professional diagnosis is the only way to know for sure if you have social anxiety disorder. But this quiz may be a good place to start to determine whether you would benefit from an evaluation by a mental health professional.

You can also use this test as a self-screening tool to track your moods or to show your doctor how your symptoms have changed from one visit to the next.

Only a trained medical professional, such as a healthcare or mental health professional, can help you determine the next best steps for you.

Readmore : How to Handle Anxiety Attacks

Source: psychcentral.com

Josh Pyke on anxiety and panic attacks: ‘I was worried medication would affect my creativity’ | Australian music

S

o many lockdown albums carry with them the echoes of confinement – but not Josh Pyke’s latest release, To Find Happiness. The songs are infused with the vibe of lying in a field on a summer’s day, being warmed by the sun. It’s sweet, expansive and lovely, about finding moments of happiness in everyday life.

After a long hiatus, Pyke is keen to get back on the road to play it for crowds: his struggles with anxiety saw him take a two-year break from touring before the pandemic. When he finally felt well enough, Covid hit and the lockdowns began. It is reminiscent of what happened to US performer Bo Burnham, who took five years off to deal with his severe panic attacks before preparing to tour in March 2020 – just as everything was shut down.

“I was having really bad anxiety issues,” says Pyke. “I was having severe anxiety attacks and I wanted to get my mental health under control, so I took a break. It was the spiral of thinking, I couldn’t just have negative thoughts and let them pass. It just spiralled and that manifested into panic attacks – and it would happen when I started performing.”

The other trigger was meet-and-greets with fans: “I’ve done so many and it’s not just not good for me … It’s just too much.”

So Pyke stepped away. “When you are touring, you have enormous highs on stage, then you get off stage and you start to come down – you don’t get to sleep until 3am and then have to be up at 7am,” he says. “The lifestyle of touring is not super healthy. But [anti-anxiety] medication helped. Medication, exercise and counselling were all part of the mix. Ultimately for me, it was medication that worked. I was very worried medication would affect my creativity, but that has not come to pass.”

Pyke spent lockdown in a whirr of creativity. In 2020, he released his first in album in five years, titled Rome. He also started a podcast about the music industry, It’s Raining Mentors (with Elana Stone). He wrote children’s books and TV scores.

“There was a bit of panic creativity, but there was also an opportunity to throw things to the wall and see what stuck,” he says. “I always wanted to do film and TV music, so I wrote songs for [ABC kids’ show] Mikki vs the World, about gender diversity and bullying. And I did the theme song for [ABC drama] Troppo. This type of work is more regimented, which I like. It’s like writing a kids’ book. But creativity is everywhere, it’s 24/7, like a tap I can’t turn off.”

To Find Happinesswas recorded in his home studio in Sydney and mixed in the bucolic environment of the Music Farm Studios outside Byron Bay: “It’s in the hinterland – a big property with pigs and goats and an amazing studio. It was beautiful … it’s crazy to see what’s happening there a year later with the floods.”

After more than two years of struggle and patchy government support in the pandemic, musicians could feel less inclined to perform for free in charity fundraisers – but Pyke disagrees. “Everyone is super happy to support flood relief. It’s to do with being compassionate humans. Even if artists might say privately ‘We are always being asked to put our hands up’, it’s about helping people. I’ve never felt unsupported by people but I’ve felt unsupported by the government.”

During the pandemic, he received some grants “but Australia has been grossly underfunded in the arts forever, so the baseline was very, very low. I don’t think the financial support reflects the contribution we make. There was a lot of hypocrisy in the pandemic between the rules for hosting musical events versus the caps on sport events.”

Now that he’s gearing up to tour again, the anxiety is still there. But Pyke feels he can be open about it – and the response has been positive.

“The other day I was speaking in front of 2,000 people at a school event when I felt a panic attack coming on. It was a wave of cold that started in my feet and then went up my whole body to my head,” he says.

“The big thing for me is I feel very happy to speak about it openly and to tell people when it’s happening or could happen. No one is a prick about it. The sooner you kill the taboo, the better.

“Touring is what I’ve done for 20 years and I know I’m good at it. The muscle memory kicks back in. I love the physical feeling of singing – it stimulates the vagus nervous system. And it’s an incredible feeling to connect with the audience and seeing people singing the words back … it feeds my soul.”

To Find Happiness by Josh Pyke is out now
(Sony). His album launch is in Brisbane on 24 March, then he tours nationally in June and July.

Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day: Lifeline 13 11 14; Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467; Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800; MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78; Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636

Readmore : How to Deal With Anxiety Attacks

Source: www.theguardian.com

"Agoraphobia is a prison": Man confronts anxiety disorder that has restricted his life to one mile from his home

Agoraphobia has gripped Cecil Jackson's life since he was 19 years old. He's one of an estimated 2 million adults in the United States who have the anxiety disorder that causes them to stay home to avoid situations that could cause a panic attack – like traveling or going too far away from home.

"I have been colorfully living and silently suffering for years," Jackson said.

Jackson has missed family weddings, birthdays and even funerals because of agoraphobia. He has restricted his life to one mile from his home — living across the street from his job and a grocery store.

"For me, agoraphobia is a prison," he said.

Recently, Jackson watched the "CBS Mornings" story about longtime anchor Karen Swensen stepping away from her TV career after overcoming a series of tragedies. Jackson said it was that story that caused him to take a clearer look at his own struggles and reach out to "CBS Mornings" lead national correspondent David Begnaud, asking Begnaud to be with him as he broke his boundaries.

"That was so powerful. I'm a 35-year-old Houstonian, and I suffer from agoraphobia. I seemingly lead a normal life as a local store manager, but no one knows that I haven't traveled beyond a one-mile radius from my home in over 10 years," Jackson told Begnaud.

Jackson's late mother also suffered from agorophobia, but he never imagined it would happen to him, too. His symptoms first appeared when he was driving on the freeway, headed to school, on a sunny day.

At first, he said, his heart began racing, his arms felt weak and he felt lightheaded. Jackson said he tried to ignore those symptoms, hoping it was something like hunger, but he was also having breathing issues and his vision became distorted. That's when he started experiencing depersonalization, in which things "don't appear to be real," Jackson said.

"Eventually, I went into a complete panic," he said.

"That morning, I thought I had the world at my feet," he said. "Hours later, the way that I viewed the world, the way that I viewed life had completely changed."

Jackson said the best way to describe agorophobia is feeling like he's living in a glass box — "like there are walls and boundaries that I cannot get past. And if I attempt to, or when I do, I literally feel as though I'm going to die."

In 2016, he found Dr. Karen Cassiday, the owner of the Anxiety Treatment Center of Greater Chicago. Throughout the years, Cassiday not only responded to him. She also arranged for a local therapist to treat him with a session held online.

This past year, Jackson said he has accelerated steps to recover. He has lost 90 pounds in seven months by going meatless and giving up soda.

Dr. Karen Cassiday helps guide Houston resident Cecil Jackson, who suffers from agoraphobia, as he visits places he hadn't been to in years.

CBS News arranged for Cassiday to fly to Houston to help guide Jackson as he confronted places and conditions.

Jackson had a list of goals he wanted to get done during their meeting, including going to his therapist's office, going to the grocery store and riding an elevator — something he hasn't done in four years.

"The last time I attempted to get on one, or got on one, I jumped off," he said. "So I kept trying to get on, but it got so overwhelming. I just said whatever's up there, I won't see today."

The two embarked on the escalator together, Cassiday coaching Jackson every step of the way.

"I want you to reframe the anxiety to say 'This means I'm doing something really good. This means I'm actually successful. I'm bringing it on,'" said Cassiday.

He would ride up and down four times, relying on exercises to induce dizziness to make it through. It was not soon after that Jackson noticed that the exercises were working.

"The sweaty palms, the dizziness, the sensitivity to light, I think I stood there for like three minutes talking to her... and it just subsided," Jackson said.

One of those exercises is a rapid breathing technique known as hyperventilation, in which Cassiday would intentionally provoke Jackson's anxiety. That is done to get him used to the sensation of panic and learn that he can handle it and teach his body to not respond with panic attacks, she said.

"I want to give you practice recovering from a panic attack so that you discover you can do it," Cassiday told him. "You don't have to be afraid of it. And even if the next time you go to your therapist's office it's the worst traffic jam ever, I want you to feel confident that you're going to get there."

Houston resident Cecil Jackson, who suffers from agoraphobia, goes into a grocery store for the first time in years.

For the first time in years, Jackson took an escalator by himself. He didn't just stop there: Together with Cassiday, he went to a grocery store for the first time in years.

"It's amazing to be here," Jackson said as he slowly walked through the aisles.

He seemed quiet but not visibly nervous. But he managed to get through the cashier by himself and was all smiles as he walked out of the store moments later and high-fived Cassiday.

Jackson also ran outside his apartment complex for the first time ever and went to his therapist's office for a face-to-face appointment — a step toward his future treatments.

He said he wanted to share his road to recovery to help others suffering from mental illness — but also to "be seen."

"Initially I thought that in telling my story that I needed to be in a place where I was recovered. You know, 'Let me be recovered so that everybody will see, you know, what it looks like at the end of the road,'" Jackson said.

"I think that sometimes when you suffer, you feel like nobody sees you," he said. "And when you deal with agoraphobia, people write you off, and you're often hidden in the shadows. I hope that others feel seen by me sharing this message."

David Begnaud

David Begnaud is the lead national correspondent for "CBS Mornings" based in New York City.

Readmore : How to Manage Panic Attacks

Source: www.cbsnews.com

Surprise! A Kentucky man has been awarded $450,000 — after his colleagues threw him an office birthday party against his wishes.

Kevin Berling, 29, was working as a lab technician at Gravity Diagnostics in Covington when his co-workers conducted the lunchtime celebration back in August 2019.

Berling said he subsequently suffered a panic attack from the unwanted attention, and was soon fired from Gravity Diagnostics. He later filed a compensation suit against the company, according to legal docs seen by The Post.

“Managers started giving him a hard time for his response to the birthday celebrations,” Berling’s attorney, Tony Bucher, told local TV news outlet WKRC. “They actually accused him of stealing his co-workers’ joy.”

Berling had allegedly asked the office manager not to throw a birthday party for him when he first joined the company in 2018.

Kevin Berling has won a $450,000 case against his former employer, Gravity Diagnostics. Their Covington headquarters is pictured center.

However, the manager subsequently “forgot” his request, and the office festivities went ahead, giving Berling a panic attack. He was forced to flee to his car, where he spent an hour trying to recover.

The following day, company bosses held a meeting with Berling to ask about his behavior. That incident sparked a second panic attack.

Berling was fired from Gravity Diagnostics less than a week later, with bosses telling him they were “worried about him being angry and possibly becoming violent.”

The lab technician subsequently missed out on being a part of Gravity Diagnostics’ rapid growth, which occurred during the COVID pandemic. At the time, some employees were given 300% raises, the Independent reported.

The sacked worker subsequently filed a lawsuit in Kenton County, seeking damages and compensation for lost income.

Bucher told WKRC that there was no chance of his client becoming violent, saying he was simply “using coping techniques to calm himself down” during both of his panic attacks.

Surprise! Berling was awarded $300,000 for “past, present and future mental pain and suffering, mental anguish, embarrassment, humiliation, mortification, and loss of self-esteem." — The $450K settlement includes $120K in lost wages and benefits, $30K in future wages, and $300K for “past, present and future mental pain and suffering, mental anguish, embarrassment, humiliation, mortification, and loss of self-esteem,” according to the court’s judgment in Berling’s favor.

On Friday, a 12-person jury unanimously awarded Berling a $450,000 judgment against the company.

The amount includes $120,000 in lost wages and benefits, $30,000 in future wages, and $300,000 for “past, present and future mental pain and suffering, mental anguish, embarrassment, humiliation, mortification, and loss of self-esteem,” according to the court’s judgment in Berling’s favor.

Gravity Diagnostics told The Post that the verdict was “improper,” and that they would appeal it if necessary.

A spokesperson for the company further claimed the case should never have gone to trial in the first place because Berling did not disclose that he had a disability (anxiety), and made “threatening behavior to a female supervisor” after the birthday party.

Gravity Diagnostics added that they have a “commitment to zero tolerance for violence in the workplace” and that “employers are entitled to and indeed should take prompt action… in this era of workplace violence.”

Readmore : How to Manage Panic Attacks

Source: nypost.com

3 immediate actions you can take

It happened in the last place I wanted it to: the airport security line at Newark Liberty International Airport. Someone had accidentally taken my laptop and I had a panic attack.

I knew what was happening, even as I asked an overwhelmed TSA agent what I was supposed to do about my bag. My breath started to rattle. My heart rate jumped. My skin crawled with chills, and my environment started to appear distorted. I sat down. People stared, their concerned eyes looking at me over their face masks.

As I tried to breathe, an angel appeared. Vanessa from United Airlines crouched next to me in heels, gently asked if I wanted help, if she had permission to touch my arm, and basic, grounding questions. Then she led me to a private space to compose myself.

Having a panic attack sucks, but it’s also difficult to know how to help someone having an attack with such grace as Vanessa. Most people will have one or two panic attacks at some point in their life. If you haven’t had one, it’s likely you’ll come across someone who is in the midst of a panic attack. What Vanessa did helped me. Experts tell me there are other helpful steps you can take, too.

What is a panic attack?

Panic attacks are both common and distressing. Triggers for a panic attack can vary — like financial stress or a painful memory — but they can also have no clear cause.

Critically, a panic attack is not a measure of your ability to cope, explains psychologist Jenn Cooper.

“These physical sensations are very real and not ‘in their head,’” Cooper tells me.

Panic attacks can be accompanied by blurred vision, chills, and a quickened heart rate. Getty Images

During a panic attack, the body’s sympathetic nervous system becomes activated and the parasympathetic nervous system is dulled. This is why the body shifts into “fight or flight” mode, rather than “rest and digest.” Blood pressure rises and the parts of the brain which respond to fear become hyperactive.

A 2011 study published in the journal Biological Psychiatry suggests only three of 13 symptoms associated with panic attacks are psychological:

A feeling of unreality

A fear of losing control

A fear of dying

The physical symptoms, like chest pain and shortness of breath, can cause people to initially believe they are having a heart attack.

Importantly, if you have a panic attack, it does not mean you have panic disorder, but they are a feature of the condition. When people meet the criteria for the disorder, however, and they seek help for panic attacks, they are often advised to try cognitive behavioral therapy. Raphael Rose, a clinical psychologist and a researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, explains this approach encourages people to face their fear and build resilience.

“People with panic often interpret their avoidance behavior — such as leaving a situation, pulling the car off the road; lying down when feeling dizzy — as proof that they were out of control or bad things were going to happen, when in fact it just really supports how scared or worried they felt,” Rose tells me.

This approach encourages people to not fall back on avoidance behaviors and instead face the situation. The idea is they will learn that the thing they fear won’t happen and realize they are capable of coping.

How to help someone with panic attacks

Helping someone having a panic attack is grounded in the same approach: The goal, Cooper explains, is to help someone regulate their physical sensations and make them feel safe.

First, she recommends approaching the person and offering to help them sit or find a quiet space. Everyone reacts differently in these kinds of situations, Cooper explains, so it’s good to ask if they need or want your help first. Then there are three powerful actions you can take.

1. Focus on breath

“The most powerful tool to help someone with a panic attack is to encourage them to breathe,” Cooper says.

A panic attack can make breathing become rapid and shallow, which actually perpetuates the feeling of being threatened. Try to encourage a person having a panic attack to breathe deeply and slowly: Cooper recommends breathing in for 4 seconds and out for 4 seconds. Even better, do it with them, she says.

“Model it for them so they follow along rather than having to do the thinking,” Cooper says.

2. Bring them cold water

Cold water can be useful because it triggers our parasympathetic nervous system, which is calming. This system essentially switches the body’s function back from a high alert mode to a restful mode after an emergency passes.

“A really cold glass of water, running wrists under cold water, or splashing our faces with cold water can be helpful,” Cooper says.

3. Distract them

“Distraction is also really useful for panic as our brains can’t really focus on more than one thing at a time,” Cooper says.

“Chat away to them — without expecting a response — to get their minds distracted from the panic.”

One option: Ask them to describe what is happening. This can help take their focus away from feeling unsafe.

“Encourage them to sit with the feelings.”

Another option is more dependent on the person you’re interacting with: You can hold the person’s arm as you stand facing them. But the person experiencing panic may not want to be touched, so you need to ask them permission before you touch them. Remember you are trying to help them regulate their nervous system.

If a person is learning how to manage panic attacks with cognitive behavioral therapy, Rose says you can encourage them in their practice. Rose says he sometimes holds a therapy session with the client and their trusted friend or family member so that they can learn more about panic and how they can best support the person.

Typically, Rose encourages them to “validate that the person is experiencing intense anxiety or fear and to encourage them to sit with the feelings and learn they can tolerate and face them in ways they didn’t think they could.”

How to know if someone is having a panic attack

Panic attacks, Rose says, are usually not overtly noticeable. Anxiety and fear are typically private feelings: You’re more likely to see someone leaving a situation because they feel anxious or are worried about panicking (as seen in Ted Lasso), rather than letting you be privy to the experience.

“Distraction can be really powerful in this instance.”

With that in mind, you should be careful not to assume a person you see experiencing distress is having a panic attack, Cooper says. Instead, ask them if they are okay, do they need help, and do they need you to call someone or an ambulance.

“If someone is having a panic attack in a public place, having everyone notice them might be their worst nightmare and make it worse,” Cooper says. “If the person has someone else with them, then I would suggest giving them some space.”

If they are on their own and say yes to your help, you could guide them to a safe and quiet place and then ease into simple conversation, like telling them about yourself or the weather.

“Distraction can be really powerful in this instance,” Cooper says.

Be explicit in your communication, Cooper says. For example, you can ask: “Why don’t we move over to this bench so you can catch your breath? Is it okay if I put my hand on your arm and we breathe together?”

Whether you’re helping a stranger or someone you’re close to, it’s important to remember that seeing someone having a panic attack may trigger some degree of panic in yourself, Cooper says. Notice your anxiety, tell yourself it will be okay, and work on your breathing.

Readmore : Dealing With Anxiety Attacks

Source: www.inverse.com

What to Do If You’re Experiencing a Panic Attack

Everything You Need to Know About Panic Attacks

COVID cases may be trending downward, but anxiety levels after two years of uncertainty are still at an all-time high. The pandemic has brought an abundance of stressors, both big and small, that can trigger full-blown panic attacks for anyone who may feel the burdens of chaos, loss and loneliness.

“Panic attacks may happen out of nowhere,” warns psychiatrist Dr. Vania Manipod, whose Freud & Fashion blog delves into topics like overcoming burnout, making meaningful connections and tips to approach therapy sessions. “Anxiety is an evolutionarily normal feeling that humans experience when in fearful or stressful situations, but when anxiety is experienced in excess and has a negative impact in someone's daily life, that can be the difference between a healthy level of anxiety and an anxiety disorder.”

“You don't have to have a pre-existing anxiety disorder in order to have a panic attack,” she adds. “People without any major past issues with anxiety can still experience a panic attack at some point in their lives.”

RELATED:
How to Date With Anxiety

The good news is that anyone who feels like they may be experiencing a panic attack can take immediate measures to ensure their symptoms don’t worsen. Here’s Manipod’s expert advice for treatment, including how you can prevent an instance from happening in the first place.

What Is a Panic Attack?

The first step to lessening the intensity of a panic attack is to identify its symptoms.

“A panic attack is an intense, sudden episode of fear that consists mostly of physical symptoms,” explains Manipod. “Some of the common symptoms are shortness of breath, racing heart, tense muscles, sweating, shaking, fear of losing control and a sense of impending doom.”

During panic attacks, sufferers may feel as if they’re experiencing an urgent medical issue such as heart attack, stroke or asthma attack, but you technically can’t die from one (which is something you’ll absolutely want to keep in mind as a remedy).

How to Treat a Panic Attack

If you suddenly experience any of the aforementioned symptoms, there are three quick actions you can take to calm your mind and lessen the severity of your body’s reaction.

Take Deep Breaths

This may seem easier said than done, but the ability to control your breathing patterns will help to significantly lower your heart rate and blood pressure.

“When we sense danger, we experience a fight or flight response that triggers a reaction for us to evade danger,” says Manipod. “Our heart beats faster, muscles tense, we breathe faster — we experience a physical reaction to help us survive, and eventually we relax once we are safe.”

“When we experience panic attacks, many times we are not sure what the threat is, therefore the fight or flight response persists and the physical symptoms can further trigger our anxiety since, in the moment, we don't know where it's coming from,” she adds. “In order to put a stop to this response, it's important for us to be mindful, proactive and recognize the need to apply relaxation techniques like deep breathing in order to trigger relaxation.”

One tried-and-true method is the 4-7-8 technique. Simply inhale through your nose for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of seven and exhale deeply through your mouth for eight seconds. Repeat these cycles multiple times until you feel rested.

Immediately Challenge Negative Thoughts

The power of positivity plays a significant role in maintaining good mental health, but it’s more important than ever if you are experiencing a panic attack.

“During a panic attack, negative, automatic thoughts flood our mind, such as ‘I feel like I’m going to die’ or ‘people must think I’m crazy,’” says Manipod. “Counter these thoughts and remind yourself that you’ve got this and are going to get through it.”

Little affirmations like these may seem like they wouldn’t help, but research suggests otherwise.

Look for Distractions

It’s difficult to interrupt and subdue a panicked response in the moment, but Manipod recommends seeking distraction techniques or attention diversions to refocus your energy elsewhere.

“Step out for fresh air, squeeze a stress ball, sing a happy song or drink a glass of water,” she advises. “Or try grounding techniques such as focusing on something around you or touching the ground beneath you.”

These actions force your body to reroute its response to other movements, which will take stress off your lungs and heart. It also forces your brain to do the same which, when compounded with positive mantras like “this can’t kill me” and “you are going to be okay,” can help to alleviate any sense of urgency or despair.

How to Prevent Panic Attacks

While you can certainly avoid situations that may trigger an extreme psychological response (i.e. not scaling a building if you’re afraid of heights), Manipod also recommends getting adequate sleep and adopting stress-reducing practices like yoga or meditation.

“It’s difficult to pinpoint causes of panic attacks that can come on suddenly. Panic attacks can result from a combination of factors, such as medical conditions that have similar symptoms like asthma exacerbation,” she says.

But if stress-prone individuals make an effort to keep their anxiety levels balanced in everyday life, that is the first step to prevent a panic attack from occurring in the first place.

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Source: www.askmen.com