By Health Square desk What is Anxiety Attack?
Anxiety is a natural reaction of the body in a situation of stress. It is an unknown fear about what is about to come. Anxiety can affect any age, gender and group ranging from young kids to older people. Women are more likely to suffer from anxiety attacks than men. An anxiety attack can cause people to feel nervous and distressed, making them avoid situations that trigger their symptoms. Sometimes every day, things such as Job performance, school work and personal relationships can be affected by the disorder. The effects of anxiety on health are sometimes devastating for the physical and emotional wellbeing of a person.
In a given year, the approximate percentage of U.S. adults with various anxiety disorders are:
- 7 to 9 per cent: specific phobia
- 7 per cent: social anxiety disorder
- 2 to 3 per cent: panic disorder
- 2 per cent: agoraphobia
- 2 per cent: generalized anxiety disorder
- 1 to 2 per cent: separation anxiety disorder
Anxiety attacks attribute to the anticipation of a future concern and are more correlated to muscle tension and avoidance behaviour. Fear is a spontaneous response to a physical or emotional threat and is responsible for a fight or flight reaction – either staying to fight or preparing to escape the dangerous situation. The anxiety attacks can result from several types of anxiety disorders, including
- generalized anxiety disorder,
- separation anxiety disorder.
- specific phobias,
- social anxiety disorder
- and panic disorder,
How can I stop having Anxiety Symptoms?
Physical symptoms of anxiety are real and can be a nightmare and disrupt everyday functioning. If you experience a cluster of dread and pinching feelings of a panic attack, look out for things that can help such as
- Talking to a friend
- Calming yourself
- Sit down and relax for a while
- Avoid the situation if you can
What happens to the Body when we are Anxious?
The body responses to anxiety by turning on its flight and flight mode. In response, the heart starts racing against regular beating, concentrating more blood in brain and stomach swirls. The body detects it as a situation of danger. As long as the symptom of anxiety continues, the body remains stressed for this intense situation. The only way to bring the mind to relaxation is interrupting the trigger elements.
What is the difference between Anxiety Attack and Panic Attack?
The symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks are so similar that sometimes it becomes challenging to differentiate between the two.
| Anxiety Attack | Panic Attack |
| Anxiety attack is always a response to a threat or a stress condition. | Panic attacks do not require a trigger factor. |
| Anxiety symptoms may vary from mild to intense. | Symptoms of a panic attack are intense and disturbing, involving a sense of detachment. |
| Anxiety attacks develop gradually and become intense after hours. | Panic attacks are usually sudden. |
| The symptoms of anxiety remain there for an extended period. | The symptoms of a panic attack vanish after a few minutes. |
How to control Anxiety?
It seems scary to overcome anxiety, but merely taking some deep breaths can help you alleviate the symptoms. Other methods are meditation, yoga and mindfulness that helps to calm down the hyperactive nervous system. But sometimes the situation is a bit more complicated, and medication is the only option left. At times all the techniques mentioned above and even consulting a therapist are not helping out. This aggravates the symptoms due to a feeling of helplessness. At this point, it is essential to consult a doctor and start taking medicines to gain back control of your life.
What should I do during a Panic or Anxiety Attack?
The following measures may help:
- Understand what is happening and sit down in a relatively quiet place
- Breathe slowly and deeply
- Adopt relaxation methods including progressive muscle relaxation or guided imagery
- Practice mindfulness.
In addition to above-mentioned practices; daily exercise, a healthy diet, and eight hours of sleep every night can help to reduce stress and anxiety on a long-term basis.
Is there any difference between Anxiety and Depression?
Depression and anxiety are not the same, but people with suffering from depression usually experience symptoms similar to anxiety disorder. They include nervousness, sleeping disorder, difficulty in concentrating, irritability and decrease in problem-solving ability. Although there is no scientific data proving that depression causes anxiety or vice versa, however, there is evidence that shows that many people suffer from both disorders.
What does an Anxiety Attack feel like?
Anxiety attack peaks within 10 minutes and usually lasts for more than 30 minutes. During this short time, a person experiences such severe terror as if he is about to die. The physical symptoms of anxiety attacks are very frightening and feel like having a heart attack. Symptoms of an anxiety attack include:
- A surge of overwhelming panic
- A feeling of losing control
- Heart palpitations
- Feeling like you’re going to pass out
- Choking sensation
- Hyperventilation
- Hot flashes or chills
- Trembling
- Nausea or stomach cramps
- Feeling detached
It’s necessary to seek help if you feel like avoiding certain situations because you’re afraid of having a panic attack. The truth is that there is a treatment of anxiety attacks. Many people are behaving regular and stress-free within a few minutes of treatment.
Treatment
The two primary treatments for anxiety disorders are psychotherapy and medications. Sometimes the benefits come more by using a combination of the two prescribed by the doctor. It may take some trial and error to discover which treatments work best for you. Treatment decisions for anxiety attacks depend on how significantly generalized anxiety disorder is affecting your ability to function in your daily life.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy involves working with a therapist to alleviate your anxiety symptoms. Cognitive-behavioural therapy is the most compelling of all the psychotherapy treatments for anxiety attacks. Generally, a short-term treatment, the therapy focuses on using specific skills to manage the stress and panic during a problematic situation. Through this process, your symptoms improve quite obviously.
Medications
Several types of medications are used to treat anxiety disorder, including those below. Always consult your doctor before taking any medication.
- Antidepressants: Escitalopram (Lexapro), duloxetine (Cymbalta), venlafaxine (Effexor XR) and paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva). Antidepressents may take several weeks to become fully effective.
- Buspirone: Anti-anxiety medication can be used on an ongoing basis.
- Benzodiazepines: In limited circumstances, are used only for relieving acute anxiety on a short-term basis.
Medications should only be used according to the prescription of a registered health practitioner.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies to Improve Anxiety
Most people with anxiety disorders need psychotherapy, consultation, or medications to manage anxiety and keep them under control. However, lifestyle changes can also bring a big difference. Here’s what you can do:
- Keep physically active. Develop a routine to do daily exercise throughout the week. Training is a powerful stress reducer. It improves your mood and helps you stay healthy. Start slowly and gradually increase the duration and intensity of your activities.
- Make sleep a priority. Make a bedtime routine and make sure you’re getting enough sleep and avoid any tiredness when you awake. If you aren’t sleeping well, see your doctor.
- Try to relax using mental health techniques. Mindfulness, meditation and yoga are relaxation techniques that can play a significant role in easing the anxiety.
- Eat healthily. Taking a healthy diet such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and fish — may be linked to reduced anxiety, but more research is needed.
- Limit alcohol and avoid recreational drugs as they can worsen the situation.
- Quit smoking and cut back or quit drinking coffee. Both nicotine and caffeine can worsen the symptoms of anxiety.
Take-Home
Anxiety is a natural reaction to situations that bring stress or nervousness and can be beneficial in some ways. It rings the alert and warn us against dangers and help us prepare to pay attention and cope with the situation. But if anxiety is interfering with your everyday routine and making you stressed at a position where you should not-you need a therapy.
Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental disorders. They affect nearly 30 per cent of adults at some stage in their lives. But the point to ponder is that anxiety disorders are treatable, and several effective treatments are available. There is no need to suffer in silence as therapy helps most people lead every day productive lives.
Sources:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/generalised-anxiety-disorder/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961
https://www.bbrfoundation.org/research/anxiety
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201019164939.htm