I've been thinking a lot about holiday stress. I guess the fact that it's holiday time would explain that. At any rate, a favorite book of mine is called Unplug the Christmas Machine. It is focused on putting the 'reason for the season' back into celebrating holidays. How we can strip off the commercial junk and focus on the celebrating part. Panic and anxiety have a hard time coexisting with comfort and joy.

I also read a good article on About.com's Panic Disorder page called "How to Cope with Holiday Party Anxiety". I liked the author's suggestions focused on self-care. This focus is probably a good one for all times of the year, not just the super-stressful holidays.

Anxiety attacks don't have to be a part of the December madness. Panic can be alleviated with attention to some of the basics (enough sleep and hydration) and many of the hints and tips mentioned in the How to Cope article above. Have a safe and panic-free holiday season and a calm new year!

My son just recently took the GED. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s the test you take in the US to get your high school ‘equivalency’ if you don’t finish high school. Basically it’s what lets you move on to the next step in life and it's something that can cause people a lot of anxiety - even lead to a panic attack.

He had studied some for it, but he’s always done pretty well on standardized tests like this, so he wasn’t too worried about if he could pass it or not. But taking the test was a pretty important event because of what it stands for in his life, especially since he struggles with depression.

The morning of the test, he woke up with a killer stomachache. He was miserable. He had no idea what he was going to do because he couldn’t miss the test. He tried a couple of home remedies including eating some chicken noodle soup, but the stomachache wouldn’t go away.

A couple of friends suggested that he ‘just try to relax’. Sounds like an easy thing when it’s someone else, but not so much when it’s you who has to do the relaxing!

Well, he got to the test. He looked at the test. He started to review the contents of the test. He told me later, that about 30 seconds after he realized how easy it was going to be, his stomachache was almost completely gone! He had been holding in that tension; that anxiety so strongly that he had caused himself actual, physical pain.

He was really lucky to have a concrete way to get rid of the stress even though he didn’t know it until it happened. It’s not always that easy to let it go, especially if you don’t know what you’re anxious about.

Sometimes you just need some ‘reprogramming’ so you don’t need to know exactly what’s going on – sometimes you have to get relaxed a little just to be able to figure out what’s going on. Luckily, one of the ways you can do that is with the use of Think Right Now programs. I've been using the Think Right Now! for Windows product for years and it's a really cool way to send yourself 'subliminal' messages of encouragement and positive energy - relaxation, whatever you want more of. Click here to learn more about these products and enjoy.

Panic is a state created by a person's brain, and the more tired your brain is, the fewer resources it has to combat anxiety and panic. Here is an executive summary of the article entitled, "Sleep Deficit: The Performance Killer" A Conversation with Harvard Medical School Professor Charles A. Czeisler
============================================================

Companies today glorify the executive who logs 100-hour workweeks, the road warrior who lives out of a suitcase in multiple time zones, and the negotiator who takes a red-eye to make an 8 AM meeting. But to Dr. Charles A. Czeisler, the Baldino Professor of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, this kind of corporate behavior is the antithesis of high performance. In fact, he says, it endangers employees and puts their companies at risk.

In this interview, Czeisler describes four neurobiological functions that affect sleep duration and quality as well as individual performance. When these functions fall out of alignment because of sleep deprivation, people operate at a far lower level of performance than they would if they were well rested. Czeisler goes on to observe that corporations have all kinds of policies designed to protect employees—rules against smoking, sexual harassment, and so on—but they push people to the brink of self-destruction by expecting them to work too hard, too long, and with too little sleep. The negative effects on cognitive performance, Czeisler says, can be similar to those that occur after drinking too much alcohol: “We now know that 24 hours without sleep or a week of sleeping four or five hours a night induces an impairment equivalent to a blood alcohol level of .1%. We would never say, ‘This person is a great worker! He’s drunk all the time!’ yet we continue to celebrate people who sacrifice sleep for work.”

Czeisler recommends that companies institute corporate sleep policies that discourage scheduled work beyond 16 consecutive hours as well as working or driving immediately after late-night or overnight flights. A sidebar to this article summarizes the latest developments in sleep research.

Read complete article

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Stress Tips

By Bill Reddie

Anxiety and stress rob us of valuable energy. Many of Bill's tips for relieving anxiety, worry and panic are very helpful. Even if you're not struggling with anxiety, these relaxation methods help to bring more calm and perspective into your life.

=========================

26 ways to minimize and manage the unhealthy effects of stress, anxiety and burnout.
No doubt about it - we live in an increasingly competitive and stressful world. In many subtle and not so subtle ways it affects us all and it's not unusual for people to lace their conversation with phrases like 'Stressed out', 'Anxiety syndrome', 'Panic attack', 'Burned out', and more. That's today's reality.

The question is, how do we go about dealing with that kind of world? What can we do to minimize the prolonged, unhealthy effects of a stressful environment? How can we prevent stress, anxiety and burnout from becoming a way of life?

Well, first we need to take a good hard look at what exactly is stressing us out and perhaps do a bit of repair work on our perspective of the situation. A good way to do that is by reviewing some very basic and constructive advice that has always been available but is often forgotten in our daily scuffle to get ahead.

For the most part, the advice is based upon common sense and can often provide clarity and guidance in stressful situations.

That said, study the list below to see if it contains something that will work for you. At first glance, these suggestions may appear deceptively simple but each will, nonetheless, require dedicated effort and discipline.

1. Don't try to please everyone. It's impossible, debilitating and very stressful.

2. Stop living your life according to the beliefs, opinions and prejudgments of others. Its your life, not theirs.

3. Create dependable friendships with people who can be counted on to support your effort to change, learn and grow.

4. Try to make changes gradually. Doing so will help you to maintain a more positive outlook as you progress. Attempting to change too much too soon often leads to disappointment.

5. Establish priorities that are consistent with your own values.

6. Examine your beliefs and goals. Are they unrealistic or unattainable?

7. Accent the positive and learn from the negative.

8. Focus on the present. The past cannot be changed. The future hasn't arrived yet. That leaves you with now. Now is the time to create the future you desire.

9. Are you a workaholic? If so, try to create a more balanced lifestyle. By so doing, you'll minimize a lot of stress too.

10. Choose a goal that you can be proud to work toward and which enhances and maintains your self-respect.

11. Don't forget to take short breaks throughout your workday.

12. Think ahead. Always have a plan B in case plan A does not work.

13. Mistakes happen. If it's your fault, admit it and don't waste time and energy with excuses.

14. Take the time to exercise regularly. Exercise is a good stress-buster.

15. Improve your relationships. Give up those that lead nowhere and drain your energy.

16. Pace yourself. Know your limits. If you feel you can go the extra mile and it's a worthy goal, then go for it...but don't obsess or overdo. Sometimes, less is more.

17. If a situation or workload appears overwhelming don't panic. Instead, analyze the problem and divide it into smaller, more manageable parts to be completed in an orderly manner.

18. Trying to be king of the hill is ok so long as it remains a game. When it becomes a stressful, obsessive and competitive desire to win no matter the cost, you've got a problem.

19. A little humor can often diffuse a tense situation.

20. Don't take yourself too seriously. Lighten up...your friends and co-workers will appreciate it and you'll feel better.

21. Continual worry or guilt solves nothing. Take action by changing what you can, ignoring the rest and concentrating your effort on creating a better future.

22. Choose work that: (a) you enjoy (b) you are capable of (c) produces results that are helpful to and appreciated by others.

23. Get plenty of sleep and rest. Sleep deprivation is a major cause of burnout, stress and anxiety.

24. Listen to soothing, relaxing music that provides the space you need to pause, reflect and regenerate.

25. Unreasonable deadlines can be very stressful. Try to establish a schedule that is realistic and manageable.

26. If a problem or situation is too complex for you to handle, seeking the aid of a qualified professional counselor or doctor may provide the help and guidance that you need.



Copyright © 2003-2005 Channel 1 Records All rights reserved
ef and stress management since 1972. Further information regarding the beneficial effects of music and its potential for relieving stress, anxiety and burnout may be found at: http//www.channel1records.com

Source: www.isnare.com

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by Pam Triick

Most people unfamiliar with anxiety see it as just a simple case of the nerves. Those of us who live with anxiety know it is much more than that.

Anxiety is similar to fear, yet very different. Let me explain. Fear is a rational emotional response to a real threat. Anxiety is an irrational emotional response to an imagined threat. However it feels very real to those of us who suffer with anxiety on a daily basis.

Example: Imagine you are walking down a dark deserted road and you turn around to see a man coming at you with a gun. This is real... this is fear.

Now imagine you are walking down a familiar street in broad daylight and you imagine some disaster is about to happen, to you, and without warning. There is no visual threat, it is all imagined, though very real in the mind of a person suffering anxiety. This is imagined... this is anxiety.

Social anxiety or social phobia is often misdiagnosed. Often, you are just labeled as being shy.

“Oh, you are just shy?” Are you sick and tired of hearing that? Are you wondering what is wrong with you? Do you feel like no one understands? You are not alone!

I lived with “shyness” all my life. Everyone told me to just “get over it.” I wanted to scream! Something is wrong with me! I can't just get over it!

Then I got older. The problem with my “shyness” got worse. Other symptoms started to arise. Depression, anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia, and many others.

If you are still wondering if you are just shy, or if it is something more, maybe this will help.

Do you worry for days, weeks, months about an event you have to attend?
Do you immediately start coming up with excuses not to attend an event?
Do you have an extreme fear of being judged by others?
Do you have extreme fear of talking to strangers?
Do you find it extremely hard to post in forums, newsgroups, use an instant messenger, or any form of conversation online?
Do you find it almost impossible to use the phone?
Do you panic when someone knocks on your door? Do you even get nauseous and not answer it?
Do you avoid going to the store?

Some of these you may do, some you may not, and there may be other things you do or avoid that is not on this list. It should give you some points to ponder. Notice a couple of key words in the examples above. Extreme and Avoid.

Someone who is shy may blush when meeting someone new. Someone with social anxiety may also blush when meeting someone new. However, this person may also feel nauseous, light headed, and tremble. Their heart might race, they may sweat excessively, their mouth and throat may get extremely dry, they may have panic feelings and want to find the nearest exit.

It is imperative for anyone with these kinds of feelings seek professional assistance.

I have been living with Social Anxiety all of my life, though misdiagnosed until late adulthood. I now share my daily struggles in hopes to help someone along the way. My blog is here
===============================
Note from editor of this blog:

The author of the article above views it as imperative that anyone with any of these symptoms of anxiety or panic seek professional advice. I would argue that feelings of panic and anxiousness serve a purpose. The time to seek help is when panic or anxiety are getting in the way of your ability to conduct your life the way you would like to. Anxiety and panic are only a 'problem' if they impair your functioning.

Developmental Support Associates, LLC

technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health,anxious, heart palpitation, agoraphobia, phobias

Panic Disorder, A Real Illness
Does This Sound Like You?

Do you have sudden bursts of fear for no reason?

Do you feel awful when they happen?

Check the statements that apply to you during these sudden bursts of fear.

• I have chest pains or a racing heart.


• I have a hard time breathing.


• I have a choking feeling.


• I feel dizzy.


• I sweat a lot.


• I have stomach problems or feel like I need to throw up.


• I shake, tremble, or tingle.


• I feel out of control.


• I feel unreal.


• I am afraid I am dying or going crazy.

If you put a check in the box next to some of these
problems, you may have Panic Disorder.

Panic disorder is a real illness that needs
to be treated.

It's not your fault if you have this illness, and you don't have to suffer.

1. What is panic disorder?

Panic disorder is a real illness. It can be treated with medicine or therapy.

If you have panic disorder, you feel suddenly terrified for no
reason. These frequent bursts of terror are called panic attacks.
During a panic attack, you also have scary physical feelings like
a fast heartbeat, trouble breathing, or dizziness.

Panic attacks can happen at any time and any place without warning.
They often happen in grocery stores, malls, crowds, or while traveling.

You may live in constant fear of another attack and may stay
away from places where you have had an attack. For some people, fear
takes over their lives and they are unable to leave their homes.

Panic attacks don't last long, but they are so scary they feel like
they go on forever.

2. When does panic disorder start and how
long does it last?

It usually starts when people are young adults, around 18 to 24 years old.
Sometimes it starts when a person is under a lot of stress, for example after
the death of a loved one or after having a baby.

Anyone can have panic disorder, but more women than men have the illness.
It sometimes runs in families. Panic disorder can last for a few months or for
many years.

3. Am I the only person with this illness?

No. You are not alone. In any year, 2.4 million Americans
have panic disorder.

4. What can I do to help myself?

Talk to your doctor about your fear and panic
attacks.
Tell your doctor if the panic attacks keep you from doing
everyday things and living your life. You may want to show
your doctor this booklet. It can help you explain how
you feel. Ask your doctor for a checkup to make sure you
don't have some other illness.

Ask your doctor if he or she has helped other
people with panic disorder. Special training helps doctors
treat people with panic disorder. If your doctor doesn't have
special training, ask for the name of a doctor or counselor who does.

Get more information. Call 1-866-615-6464 to have free
information mailed to you.

You can feel better.

5. What can a doctor or counselor do to
help me?

The doctor may give you medicine. Medicine usually helps people with panic
disorder feel better after a few weeks. Talking to a specially trained doctor or
counselor who can teach you ways to cope with your panic attacks helps many
people with panic disorder. This is called "therapy."

Therapy will help you feel less afraid and anxious.

Here is one person's story:

"One day, without any warning or reason, I felt terrified. I
was so afraid, I thought I was going to die. My heart was pounding
and my head was spinning. I would get these feelings every couple
of weeks. I thought I was losing my mind.

"The more attacks I had, the more afraid I got. I was always living in fear.
I didn't know when I might have another attack. I became so afraid that
I didn't want to leave my house or other safe places.

"My friend saw how afraid I was and told me to call my doctor for
help. My doctor told me I have panic disorder. My doctor gave me
medicine that helps me feel less afraid. I've also been working with a
counselor learning ways to cope with my fear. I had to work hard, but
after a few months of medicine and therapy, I'm starting to feel like
myself again."

Remember - you can get help now:

Talk to your doctor about your fear and panic attacks.

Call 1-866-615-6464. It is a free call.
You will get free information about panic disorder
mailed to you.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is part of the
Federal government. NIMH conducts medical research to find new and better ways
to prevent and treat mental illnesses. NIMH also provides free information
about mental illnesses.

To get free information about other mental illnesses, write to

NIMH at:

National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard
Room 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663

Phone: 301-443-5413 or
1-866-615-NIMH (6464) toll-free
TTY: 301-443-8431
TTY: 866-415-8051
FAX: 301-443-4279

E-mail: nimhinfo@nih.gov
Web site: http://www.nimh.nih.gov

You can also find free NIMH information online at:

http://www.nimh.nih.gov

For information on panic disorders, go to
MedLinePlus®, a service of the U.S. National Library of
Medicine and the National Institutes of Health at the following website:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/panicdisorder.html

technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health,anxious, heart palpitation, agoraphobia, phobias

The subject of penis size is the topic of so much discussion and concern that I wanted to include this article about anxiety related to the issue. The author describes the vicious cycle of worrying about size which can actually make it smaller: ". . . the real joke is that the more anxious one becomes about penis size, the more it is likely to shrink."

Give a man six inches and he'll want a …

technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health,anxious, heart palpitation, agoraphobia, phobias

Poll Shows Many Parents Are Anxious About Their Children's Academic Success

By Denise Mann WebMD Medical News

Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD on Thursday, August 10, 2006

Aug. 10, 2006 (New York City) -- Today's parents are stressed out about their children's academic success and believe starting early is the key to achievement, according to a new poll.

In fact, 54% of parents of children aged 2 to 5 said they had anxiety about their child's academic performance and 38% felt that their child was in competition with other kids. The new findings come from a telephone poll of about 1,000 parents of children aged 2 to 11 conducted in July 2006 by the National Parent and Teachers Association (PTA) in New York City, and the Public Broadcast Service (PBS) Parents.

More than 90% of all parents polled said that they believe that starting early to prepare their children for academic success is key. When the findings were broken down by income status, low-income families had significantly greater concerns about education and were three times more likely to think that they are not as able to help their child prepare for school as their richer counterparts.

Read the full article here

Panic
Anxiety

technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health

To many of us, this isn't really 'news' but I suppose there are a lot of folks that still retain the old stigma about working with a therapist or a counselor. Hopefully, some of you will use some of the information in this article as a stepping stone to seeking help if you haven't already.
=========================================

COGNITIVE THERAPY

The Bay Area embraces a 'here and now' approach to psychotherapy with surprising results

by Suzanne Leigh, as published in The San Francisco Chronicle

It used to be that seeing a psychotherapist involved delving deep into the

past: Our narcissistic mothers and controlling fathers came under microscopic
scrutiny as we grappled with gaining insight into our tarnished lives. Under
the therapist's prolonged probing we chewed over our "stuff" and "baggage" and
family "dysfunction" and relationship "co-dependency." And the next week we
came back for more.

But that scenario has gradually shifted. Many psychiatrists and
psychologists in the Bay Area no longer encourage patients to languish in the
past. Instead they propel them into the here and now with a powerful tool:
cognitive therapy.

Read the complete article:
COGNITIVE THERAPY / Don't Tell Me About Your Childhood / The Bay Area embraces a 'here and now' approach to psychotherapy with surprising results

technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health

THOUGHT CONTROL -- By LEIGH WOOSLEY
World Scene Writer
7/27/2006 - The cure for anxiety disorders remains elusive

Editor's note: This is the last of five articles looking at the complex problem of anxiety disorders, the most prevalent mental health disease in America.

A cure for anxiety disorders does not exist. It's not like a headache, easily treated with an aspirin. What might temper one person's anxiety won't always do so for someone else. Treatment is oftentimes guesswork, a juggling act of medication, psychotherapy or both.

Read complete article

technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health

When even a mainstream publication like Forbes, which has nothing to do with health, is putting out information about a subject, you know that the topic is effecting a large portion of our population. Here is part of that article:

Health Tip: Recognizing a Panic Attack 08.02.06, 12:00 AM ET(HealthDay News) -- Panic disorder can be triggered by serious stress or milestones in a person's life, like getting married or having a first child. Panic disorder is characterized by individual panic attacks -- sudden bouts of intense fear.
Read the full article:

Health Tip: Recognizing a Panic Attack - Forbes.com

technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health

An Amazing Statistic About Sufferers of Panic Attacks

Panic attack symptoms can be symptoms of many medical conditions. These include heart attack, hyperthyroidism, and low blood sugar. The symptoms can also be a side effect of drug abuse or some medications. It is important to rule out any medical reasons for panic attack symptoms. Most persons who have panic disorder consult with their doctor 10 or more times before their condition is accurately diagnosed.

Section II - Mental Health Topics - A panic attack is a brief period of acute anxiety that comes on all of a sudden. It occurs when there is no real danger. It comes without warning.

technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health

Web MD's Anxiety/Panic Disorders Health Center is a wealth of information from the medical community about this difficult condition.

Anxiety and panic disorders affect an estimated 2.4 million Americans. Panic attacks are twice as common in women as in men. Find in-depth articles here about anxiety, its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and effective treatments.

technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health

LOSTPROPHETS rocker LEE GAZE almost drowned after suffering a panic attack while snorkelling in Hawaii. The guitarist claims bandmates JAMIE OLIVER and MIKE LEWIS saved his life by dragging him from the surf. Gaze explains, "I nearly died. We were snorkelling and I had a panic attack in the ocean. I was spluttering and almost lost consciousness while screaming for Jamie. He grabbed me and he and Mike carried me on to the shore. It felt like I was a minute from dying. Jamie saved my life, no exaggeration."

20/07/2006 12:26

LOSTPROPHET'S NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE

technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health

There are many, but here are a couple to get you started:

Anxiety Disorders Association of America


Open Door Outreach, Inc.


ABIL (Agoraphobics Building Independent Lives), Inc.

technorati tags: panic, attack, anxiety, disorder

technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health