Escalating Symptoms Of Anxiety
May 30, 2010 by Lyle Holmes · Leave a Comment
The Impact of the Escalating Symptoms of Anxiety
Escalating symptoms of anxiety impact up to 40 million adults in the US per year. While it’s perfectly expected to feel nervous or anxious in certain periods of your life (graduating from school, starting a new job, losing a loved one, etc., people with anxiety disorders feel often and excessively worried for no apparent reason. The symptoms of anxiety can start innocently enough with just a worrying thought but often they progress quickly to more physical discomforts such as a pounding heart, heavy chest pain, lump in the throat, weakness, and dizziness.
Often referred to as panic attacks, escalating symptoms of anxiety may be diagnosed as a phobia, panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive disorder or other types of anxiety disorders. While each of these conditions are characterized by different symptoms, all of them are marked by an irrational and unwarrented dread and/or fear that usually worsens very quickly and leads to more severe physical symptoms.
The symptoms of anxiety can make you feel like you are completely losing control or “going crazy”. Those who have suffered these symptoms will describe them as feeling like world is coming to an end, he/she is having a heart attack, or that he/she is going to die. What’s even more unfortunate, is that once you experience a panic attack in this magnitude, it can very easily become part of a viscious cycle which consists of the panic attacks themselves and the ever-present fear of having another panic attack.
These anxiety symptoms can also lead to a multitude of phobias which render some individuals almost totally disabled. One such phobia is agoraphobia, the fear of being trapped in a setting that makes the person feel extremely ill-at-ease and unable to escape. For this reason, the person may not even venture outside of his/her home. Because this type of anxiety can lead to such extreme disability, it is important to treat anxiety symptoms before they are allowed to climb the ladder to another disorder.
The causes of anxiety are still not clear. But professionals do believe that it is likely that many factors contribute to a person’s chances of developing the condition. Scientists have broken down the potential causes into three groups, genetics and early learning, brain biochemistry, and the fight or flight mechanism.
Sometimes the cause is a chemical imbalance in the brain which impairs the way messages are sent. Two of the primary neurotransmitters that affect a person’s feelings are serotonin and dopamine. When there is an imbalance of these chemicals, a person can feel depressed or anxious.
Anxiety disorders also tend to run in families, so if a person’s mom, dad, or other close relative has anxiety, they have a higher chance of developing anxiety themselves both because of genetic factors and learned environmental factors.
The above information about the escalating symptoms of anxiety does not substitute medical advice given by a health professional.
Top Methods To Relieve Stress Using PMR Progressive Muscle Relaxation
May 26, 2010 by Lyle Holmes · Leave a Comment
By relaxing your muscle groups in a systematic fashion, you will harness the power to attain a level of relaxation that brings peace to an otherwise stressful day. What you do is a series of exercises called PMR or Progressive Muscle Relaxation. It’s the art of releasing tension though initially tensing a muscle group and then relaxing that muscle group and then moving onto the next muscle group.
Relaxation methods to relieve stress are the best ways to achieve peace of mind.
This reduces anxiety and with the mind and body in balance, you can be sure to be feeling relieved of the stress that has been plaguing your body all day. Anxiety is a bad form of stressful disorder as it causes panic attacks. If you don’t find ways to control this kind of tension, it can lead to higher blood pressure, increasing health problems and eventually death – if not treated. That’s how serious it is.
For many people, it is a known fact that they are unaware of being affected by stress. What I mean is simply that they don’t know the difference between a relaxed muscle group and one that is tense as that has been the norm for so long. That person’s life style is much to blame for this issue as he or she has failed to realize the severity of the problem.
These methods to relieve stress can help with levels of chronic pain, depression, anxiety and stress related health problems:
1.Find a quiet environment and site comfortably.
2.Tense your facial muscles by grimacing. Hold for 10 seconds and release.
3.Tighten your fist and flex your hand upwards. Hold that position for 10 seconds and then slowly release the tension.
4.Between each muscle group, inhale slowly for the count to 4 and then exhale on a count to 2. Inhale enough to feel your diaphragm stretched and upon exhaling, feel the tension flow out of your body.
5.Continue working down through the body from the neck muscles to the chest, then the abdomen, arms, legs, buttocks and feet. Each time tense the area by stretching the limb. Then release after 10 seconds.
Do these exercises once a day initially for a few weeks or until you feel much less stressed, more relieved. Even better, ask your doctor if your blood pressure has improved. This is a form of controlled focus that cannot be rivaled if done correctly.
Also, if you enjoy going to the local gym, these exercises work well to prepare your muscles for any vigorous routine to be undertaken such as aerobics or weight lifting.
When it comes to the top methods to relieve stress, PMR is such a simple and quick routine that anyone can perform each day.
How To Relieve Tension Using Your Imagination
May 22, 2010 by Lyle Holmes · Leave a Comment
If exercise or fast paced aerobics sessions are not your cup of tea then consider another tool that can be used to relieve stress. That tool is your mind, more specifically, your imagination. I am referring to visualization. You do this more than you know. Often you cast your mind back to a memory or try to remember an event from the past by picturing the setting in your mind. This is powerful as it ignites emotions related to that event, attracts good feelings and will relieve tension.
This technique is sometime referred to as Guided Imagery. The idea is to place yourself into a mind induced setting of a happy memory or visualize something that you wish to see occur in your life. By placing yourself into this relaxing scene, you begin to facilitate a state of mind that embraces feelings of joy. This is because you are attracting what you wanted.
Psychologists deal with this therapy in many ways though you don’t need see your local shrink to perform this task. It’s really quite simple. Nothing strenuous is involved here as in the case of a yoga session for example. So if physical limits are a daily concern for you, then this is probably the simplest and best way to relieve tension.
This form of subconscious state is practiced in many self-hypnosis sessions worldwide. Though there is a difference between the idea of self—hypnosis and this technique. We are not about to program your brain with thoughts and images, rather the other way round. You will conjure up an image of something wonderful and extract the feeling of joy from that visualization.
This can be performed anywhere where you can find some quiet time away from distractions:
1.Sit yourself comfortably and begin a controlled breathing cycle. Slow deep breaths and then exhale for a couple of seconds.
2.Relax as much as you can, feel the tension dissipate from your muscles.
3.Each time you exhale, begin the visualization process by feeling all negativity leaving your body.
4.Now, think about a point in your life or a point that you are striving to reach, and build that image in your mind. This could be the birth of a baby, or the day you fell for your partner, or a relaxing tropical holiday. Whatever it is, whether it’s a memory or a desired holiday, picture yourself in that moment in that setting. Become wrapped in it, hear any sounds, and believe you are there right now!
5.Become involved in the scene, look around you if you can, walk around the scene if possible. As you do this, you will be enjoying being in an idyllic setting and you will feel the joy of being there.
Decide when to open your eyes again and return to reality. You will feel amazing, more refreshed as you have basically been on a vacation in your mind. The vision will have felt so real that you actually feel like you experienced it and that is because – you were there. So, if you need to relieve tension at any time, you now have a place that costs you nothing to visit and relax comfortably.
What Are The Best Ways To Relieve Stress
May 18, 2010 by Lyle Holmes · Leave a Comment
Relieving stress is a very crucial task each day if you feel that it’s a problem at work or at home. Stress does strike at anyone for a multitude of differing reasons. Whatever the reason, you must know the best ways to relieve stress in order to bring harmony to your day.
Do not focus on the problem, focus on the solution!
This is the wisest statement and if you apply it to your everyday life, you will find yourself becoming elated instead of feeling down and out. Problems can be blown completely out of proportion. Accept as a human being that you will encounter problems. There are lots of people in the world with no problems and to find them, look up the local graveyard in your town – it’s full of people with no problems!
‘C’est la Vie’ is a great expression and stating ‘hey, that’s life’ at times simply reminds you that as a human, dealing with problems is as frequent as having a meal. The most successful people in the world are drowned in problems. How do they cope? Why – by knowing the best ways to relieve stress through a systematic focus on the solution.
Replace the negative thoughts with some positive reflections. Put things in proportion by placing your life in perspective. Do this by seeing the solution to your problem and start to believe that it’s being solved right away. Visualize the problem disappearing and feel the joy of that problem no longer existing. Believe it or not, you will feel happier.
Stress tends to flow from our inability to deal with problems at the time. It results in a lack of productivity, many headaches and nervous tension. All uncomfortable feelings are just not conducive to a healthy day.
It’s all about how you feel because what you feel is influencing your every thought, your every decision, and in turn each day. Feel healthier by shifting your focus towards an activity that makes you feel better. Think of something funny or just laugh anyway, the effect is one of the best ways to relieve stress.
Physical activities can really help you focus on what you want as you will change your mood and feel that stress is not afflicting you in any way. Jogging is a very good activity and therefore a remedy. Is there a sport that you like?
I can tell you that anti-depressants are not the answer. The problem still exists when the tablet wears off. You have to find a more controlled and happier way to deal with the stress. You have acknowledged the stress by recognizing it as a problem. Try meditation if sport activity is not for you. Just concentrate on your breathing with your eyes closed for 10 minutes.
The best ways to relieve stress can be listening to music, cooking, driving, and playing with your kids in the garden as these are all happy moments. Find a relaxed position in your home or at work and focus on a happy moment. This kind of activity alters your state of mind by replacing the stressful thoughts with a good feeling to occupy your mind.
Different Types of Anxiety Disorders
May 15, 2010 by Lyle Holmes · Leave a Comment
Everyone feels anxious once in a while. We may feel anxious about taking a test, going to the doctor or any other situation in which we feel uncomfortable. For some people, however, they are unable to control their anxiety, and they wind up having a full blown anxiety attack. This can often land someone in the ER of the hospital because they feel as though they are having a heart attack.
When you are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, you have to have several anxiety attacks over at least 6 months. This is chronic anxiety and most doctors will then evaluate you for these conditions. While anti-anxiety medications such as Xanax and Klonopin can help take the edge off of an anxiety attack, they are not the cure. Most doctors will refer you to a counselor or a psychiatrist who will then diagnose you with one of the types of anxiety disorders that are common and treatable.
General Anxiety Disorder
This is an anxiety disorder in which no known cause for the anxiety exists. A person who suffers from this type of anxiety disorder will often have anxiety attacks, triggered by an unknown source. It can be something in their head that sets them off. Doctors will give anti-depressant medication coupled with anti-anxiety medication so that it balances the chemicals in the brain and allows the person to function regularly.
Panic Disorder
Someone who suffers from panic disorder gets frequent anxiety attacks and often winds up in the ER of the hospital thinking that they are having a heart attack. This can be a very disabling anxiety disorder and is the one that is the most pronounced. Like general anxiety disorder, this has no known cause. Again, it is treated with anti-anxiety medication as well as anti-depressants.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Those who suffer from this anxiety disorder have undergone some sort of life threatening stress in their lives that keeps them from functioning at full capacity. While is it often associated with veterans who come home from war, anyone can suffer from this disorder who has been through a great deal of stress or life threatening situation. In this case, the source of anxiety is well known and therapy is often used to alleviate this type of anxiety disorder.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder is one where you may have an anxiety attack when you are around crowds of people. The person who experiences this type of social anxiety disorder will feel cold and clammy, may feel heart palpitations and even fainting when they are around crowds of people. Anti-Anxiety medications can help someone overcome social anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorders are best diagnosed by a professional. If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms regarding anxiety, you should seek out a medical opinion and not suffer in silence. There are many types of anxiety disorders and only a medical professional can give you the proper diagnosis.
The Basics Of Stress Management
May 12, 2010 by Lyle Holmes · 1 Comment
Stress has always been a part of our daily routine; problems at work or issues with your business, or even some conflicts between your friends and family members — stress always rears its ugly head to make our life difficult. If left unchecked, stress will result to wrong decisions due to our confused state of mind. In fact, being unsuccessful is also attributed to stress — which involves a person’s fear and anxiety taking over their rational thinking.
Stress Management aims to help an individual cope with stress. This involves techniques and strategies to help a person to physically, mentally, and emotionally cope with their individual problems. If it’s your first time to hear this term then you might want to read on to know more about it and apply it to yourself if you need to.
Stress Management 101: Definition
Stress management involves methods and strategies in which a person can directly take control of their problems before they take its toll on their bodies. In most cases, a person who is under the grip of stress is often plagued with physical ailments, emotional problems, or even mental and behavioral changes that can affect your lifestyle.
There are different techniques and tricks that a person can use to deal with their own stress and problems. Even if one method of stress management worked on some, there is no guarantee that it will have the same effect on you. In truth, the application of stress management depends on our mindset on how we view stress and our capability to deal with it.
Relaxation Is The Key
Experts would agree that stress always starts with problems that crop up in our life from time to time. Small problems are easy to deal with, but when they start piling up on you that they become stressful. In truth, stress takes root in our minds and may become a problem when we let it control our way of thinking.
It is very important for an individual to relax when gripped by stress. There are plenty of relaxation methods you can use to achieve a calm state of mind. Meditation is a great way to focus your thoughts on a more productive subject than wallowing in your problems that will eventually result to self-pity and depression. Practicing meditation daily will help a person develop a method of looking into a problem in a detached state — which is to say that your emotions will not be affecting your decision and you can proceed to fixing it without worries of making a mistake.
Breathing exercises are also very useful if you want your mind to achieve a relaxed state. Proper intake and distribution of oxygen throughout your body can help keep our mind clear and focused. Also breathing exercises serves as a prologue to meditation.
Ask The Help Of A Professional
If you are having problems in dealing with stress on your own, then its fine time to look for a professional to help you out. You can have an expert on stress take a look at your condition and help you cope with it. In most cases, these experts will help you face your fears and worries head-on and help you find a solution to cope with the problem to remove stress from your system.
What Stress Can Do To You
May 9, 2010 by Lyle Holmes · Leave a Comment
Stress doesn’t only affect the mind; it can also have some adverse effect on your body if left unchecked. Even if we are mentally capable of doing all our tasks, there is a possibility that our body is not fit enough to cope with the burden you are subjecting it to. If you push it to the limit, then you will surely feel a breakdown that might disable you permanently.
We can never deny the fact that all of us have our limits. Like our minds, our body can only take so much until it falls apart. It is a common fact that we can do anything if we set our minds into it, but we need to realize that our body should be able to cope with what we want it to do.
Your Body And Stress
Stress affects us different depending on the state of our body. The most common ailment attributed to mental stress is headache or migraine, or even dizziness from time to time. We would also feel some minor cramps, aches and pains on our back, shoulder, or in different parts of our body when under the grip of stress.
There is also a possibility that stress can affect our body chemistry as well. Too much brain activity can lead to nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, or even constipation. There were even reports that stress is attributed to a bout of ulcer when a hyperactive body produced too much acid that can abrade the linings of your organs.
There is a chance that a person might need to go to the hospital or undergo a series of medication to remedy the problem. But if you don’t take the initiative to nip stress at the bud, then you will sure to experience the same thing all over again.
Stress And Your Behavior
A person under the grip of stress tends to act rash and outside their normal behavior. Depending on the level of stress a person is subjected to, they might have trouble sleeping or might affect their sleeping time altogether. You might no longer want to sleep in the evening since you tend to think more of your problems when you lie down in bed during the quiet of the night. Unconsciously, our bodies would slowly get sleepy during the day and remain active at night.
Stress can also affect the emotional state of the person. They will either go into depression and self-pity; or give in to their rage by venting it out on everyone they see. There were even cases that stress can drive a person berserk or permanently affect their state of mind if not properly addressed.
Stress Management 101 – Coping With Your Problems
The mind is where stress starts so it is up to you to take the necessary steps to teach your mind how to cope with your problems when they crop up. Determining the source of your stress is the first step to getting rid of it.
It is essential that a person undergoes stress management to help them relax even when they are swamped with problems. You can delve into your favorite hobby to divert your mind to help it relax. Watching movies and listening to your favorite songs is also a good idea on getting your stress level under control.
Stress Management For Self-Improvement
May 5, 2010 by Lyle Holmes · Leave a Comment
Stress has always been a part of our daily lives. We often find ways to deal it with but can become unbearable when you’re tightly under its grip. The important part here is to take control of stress before it ends up controlling you — which is to say that you will be making a lot of mistakes that will take quite a lot of time and effort to fix. This is where stress management comes in.
Why Get Rid Of Stress
We can never deny the fact that stress can be a big hindrance in everything you plan to do with your life. It can get in the way of business, career, or even with your family and friends. If you give in to the irritation and anger that is often the result of stress, you are bound to make wrong decisions and plenty of mistakes that will bring you down.
You can lose your job, do badly in a business deal, or even make enemies left and right when you let your stress control you. Learn to control stress and get rid of it every time it crops up for self-improvement.
Find The Source Of Your Stress
Knowing the source of your stress gives you plenty of options to counter it. If your stress stems from overwork, then take some time off from your busy schedule to relax. The home can also become a stressful environment, especially when it’s disorganized. If you think that the design of the interior is giving you problems, then take some time to rearrange the furniture around or add some home décor to make it comfortable to look at. Once you are able to determine the problem then you can take the necessary steps to correct it.
Learn To Relax Once In A While
Everyone would agree that work, or the demands of work, is mostly the cause of stress. If you think that you have that wild look in your eyes every time your boss asks you to do something, then you better ask for a vacation leave to relax yourself outside your work area before it leads you into trouble.
Take some time off from your busy schedule and visit the local spa. Pamper yourself by indulging in a full-body massage or get an aromatherapy session going on to help you relax. You can always take a vacation if you really want to get the thoughts of work out of your system, but a massage will do just fine if you can’t afford to be absent from it.
Find The Child Within You
Kids are known to be stress-free. Even if you scold them or force them to eat vegetables, you will never see them suffer from stress. The reason here is with their mindset to enjoy life as they see fit. You can take your cue from them and enjoy life more.
Find your inner child and just play. You can grab your Playstation out of the cabinet and bring out the games you usually play during your free time. Another idea is to listen to your favorite music or read some comics on the Internet. You can even play online games if you like just to get your mind off your work.
Keep in mind that the gist of stress management is not the methods you take for getting stress out of your system. The idea here is to learn how to divert your mind from the problems that causes stress to give yourself time to relax and face the problem with a clear mind.
Exercise To Treat Anxiety
May 1, 2010 by Lyle Holmes · Leave a Comment
Exercise is one of the best ways that you can help your anxiety naturally, without pills and other medications. Exercise is the “cure all” for just about everything. The reason exercise works so well is that it releases endorphins to the brain and gives your mind a boost of serotonin. This is the same way that many SSRIs work. Not only that, but exercise puts you in control of your body and is a proactive approach in treating your health.
Most anxiety disorders all have one component in common – control. People who are worried about losing control are often those who are the most anxious. While most people accept the fact that control is not necessarily in their hands at all times, those with anxiety cannot accept this fact. They feel that they need control in order to function. The loss of control can send them into a tailspin that launches a full anxiety attack.
While we cannot control everything that happens in our lives, we do have control when it comes to our bodies. And we can exercise. Exercise is the wonder cure. It helps alleviate anxiety by working out the stress that you are feeling as well as raising endorphins that send messages to your brain. What can be better than that?
In the morning, you can perform cardiovascular exercises. This includes running, jogging, stair climbing and even elliptical workouts. Whatever you can do to get the old ticker working will do just fine when you are exercising to treat anxiety. This will not only help you mentally, but physically as well. It will burn off calories and keep your heart in good shape. But do not do cardiovascular exercises before you go to bed or else you may have a difficult time falling asleep.
Prior to going to bed, you may incorporate some Pilates exercises or even some Yoga. These are stretching exercises that will relax you as well as keep you in good shape. You can be relaxed and feel ready for a good night’s sleep when you are practicing these exercises at night. You do not have to attend Yoga classes to learn the moves and you do not have to contort your body into all sorts of impossible shapes. The main thing is that you learn how to stretch and relax.
By exercises to treat anxiety and depression, you do not only boost your mood and relax your body, you give yourself something to concentrate on, instead of concentrating on yourself. An exercises routine will take away the troubles that you have in your mind and give you something else on which to focus. It truly is the cure all for anxiety and depression.