Interesting Facts

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.


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Posted by Outrageous Success at 7/30/2006 10:24:00 PM 0 comments

More Resources

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.

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Posted by Outrageous Success at 7/24/2006 12:25:00 AM 0 comments

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Even Celebrities Get Them. . .

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



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Posted by Outrageous Success at 7/22/2006 04:42:00 PM 0 comments

Links to Panic Relief Support Organizations

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.


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Posted by Outrageous Success at 7/16/2006 11:36:00 AM 0 comments

Anxiety keeps the anxious from getting help

She was anxious. Her heart rate increased. That frightened her, and the more scared she became, the more her heart raced. Before long, she was running down the dark alleys of her own fears. That's what it feels like inside the jagged edges of what we now know to be panic attacks,says Clark Vinson, the therapist who eventually treated the woman at the Phobia Center of Dallas/Fort Worth.

But back then, 20 years ago, panic attacks weren't so well understood. The woman went through 64 electroshock treatments, and then sought Vinson's help.

"What we needed to do was treat her reaction to her own fear," Vinson says.

Doctors, therapists and the public have made great leaps in the understanding of panic attacks in the last two decades.

Everybody's favorite mob boss, HBO's Tony Soprano, suffered from panic attacks. Willard Scott has said he succumbed to them while readying his weather reports for the "Today" show. Nicole Kidman has said she has been hit with them before stepping out on the red carpet.

About 2 percent to 5 percent of Americans will have repeated panic attacks throughout their lives. Mental health specialists say that percentage is "not" increasing, and a study funded by the National Institute of mental Health, and released last year, showed not even the terrorist attacks of 2001 boosted the rate of the nation's anxiety disorders.

Yet despite celebrity confessions and public awareness, the same study found the average sufferer waits 10 years before seeking help.

"Panic disorder is highly treatable," says Dr. Sanjay J. Mathew, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Behavioral therapy and antidepressants are the most common treatments.

Panic begins in the neurotransmitter systems of the brain, Mathew says. Some of those systems, such as those that control adrenalin, are overactive.Others, such as the ones that work to slow down fight-or-flight instincts, are underactive.

Panic disorders can be inherited, Mathew says.

That lends credence to the claims of New Kids on the Block stars Jonathan and Jordan Knight, who told Oprah Winfrey a few years back that they inherited their panic disorder from their father.

In the world of behavioral therapists, however, panic attacks begin and end not with brain chemicals but with thoughts and actions.

Therapists say particular types of people are most prone to panic attacks.Perfectionists and overachievers are more likely to have anxiety overflow.

No matter what causes panic attacks, doctors and therapists agree that the real trouble starts after the first panic attack. Singer Carly Simon once confessed not only to panic attacks but also to a secondary and just as crippling fear, the fear of more panic attacks.

A fear of an attack returning can cause the development of other phobias, such as performance anxiety, claustrophobia or the fear of the outdoors.

"I've talked to people who won't go to the dentist or go get their hair cut because they don't want to have a panic attack in a place where they cannot easily flee," says Margaret Rummy, a Fort Worth therapist.

Often, those people assume their fear is of the dentist or of the hairstylist.

"That's not it," Rummy says. "After the first attack, they start analyzing it and say, 'I'm not going to do that again.'"

One woman whom Vinson treated had refused to leave her house without her husband for 11 years, so fearful was she that another panic attack would occur.

She told Vinson that one day she left the house by herself and tried to spark another panic attack.

"You can't have one when you want to," he told her. "You have to fear it or it won't appear."

The woman has since left the house by herself.

One of the most common things sufferers say about panic attacks is "It came out of the blue."

"It doesn't come out of the blue," Vinson says.

Often, people don't recognize the degree of anxiety that they live with daily. Left untended, it can lurk below the surface until finally we notice physiological effect of the stress, such as a heightened heart rate.Then the fear starts.

People suffering panic attacks often visit emergency rooms and eventually undergo thousands of dollars worth of tests before realizing that their heart is not the problem.

Therapists focus on other behavioral changes, including ones that are simple and effective.

"In general, when a panic attack is coming on, the best thing to do is slowdown," says Vinson. "Walk more slowly, talk more slowly, breathe more slowly."

Breath control is key in the therapy provided by Summy.

"People who have panic attacks hold their breath and are not aware of it," Summy says.

That lack of smooth breathing is associated with anxiety.

"Imagine what would happen if someone threw a rattlesnake in a room," Summy says. "Now imagine that in slow motion. The first thing people do is quit breathing."

It is during that gasp, that breathless moment, that people decide to fight or flee.

Even when the rattlesnake isn't in the room, we subtly reinforce fight-or-flight instincts when we do not breathe smoothly, Summy says.

Treatment begins that simply, and few would argue that the electroshock of two decades past is a better way to go.

Anxiety keeps the anxious from getting help
From the Times-Hearld Record, RecordOnLine

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Posted by Outrageous Success at 7/16/2006 03:29:00 AM 0 comments

A Basic Outline To Cope With Stress!

This is one approach to learning some calming techniques. This is by no means a cure-all, it's just a tool to have available for coping. The way I figure it, the more tools you have available to you, the easier it is to 'retrieve' one when you really need it.

A Basic Outline To Cope With Stress!

By: Ashish Jain -

Your ears might have heard countless number of times “do this… and get away from stress,” or, “do that…, and you will be totally relieved of stress,”turning you even more stressed out!!

…Stop scratching your head over what to be or what not to be done. I have compiled a definite set of action plan to cope with stress in life. I have tried it in the past and it really helped. In fact, I have used them time and again.

This might help you as well, simply read on.

1. Beware of your own warning signs. For, this could just be a sudden feeling of anxiety.

2. Consider what is really causing stress to you? You may be surprised to find the fact.

3. Think over what you could do to change the things. Find out how much of stress is indeed caused by you?

4. At times, due to excessive stress we fall into vicious trap of not eating properly and go to ill practices such as smoking and drinking to further worsen the situation. Instead, you should try and eat a balanced diet.

5. Eat complex carbohydrates rather than refined ones. This will really help you cope with mood swings.

6. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and keep sugar and salt intake low.

7. Drink plenty of water, it will rehydrate your body. Try to keep caffeine consumption to the minimum.

8. Avoid nicotine or any other self prescribed drug.

9. Don’t feel guilty about including a period of relaxation every day. We all need to turn off from time to time.

10. Do something that is creative and helps you relax. Say, listen music, do yoga, meditate, enjoy aromatherapy or any other stress busting exercise.

11. Learn to be more assertive and try to manage your time properly.

12. You can even consider attending a stress management training course.

13. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

These are certain steps that can truly help you cope with stress. It will work wonders for you. The choice is yours, if you wanna live with stress or acquire any of these good points to mar the stress out of your life.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Ashish Jain writes on different topics. For more information on stress management visit www.aboutstressmanagement.com and for stress management articles visit the articles page: www.aboutstressmanagement.com/index.html To comment visit: www.aboutstressmanagement.com/stressrelief

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Posted by Outrageous Success at 7/11/2006 12:32:00 PM 0 comments

Program Going On in New Jersey Addresses Panic Attack Relief


Thanks to a site called www.nj.com (Everything New Jersey) a current news story touches on this very common issue:


Don't panic, relief is here




Monday, July 10,2006

By CHRISTOPHER WEIR


Staff Writer

Seventeen years ago, Judy Schiffman began having
panic attacks that were affecting her quality of life. After
overcoming her affliction through counseling, she decided
she wanted to help others who suffer from the disease.


In 1994, Schiffman started Panic Relief Inc., an organization
with the purpose of educating individuals on the various way of dealing
with fears, anxiety and agoraphobia.


"In the process of trying to find help and in searching for
information on the topic, I realized I could make a difference in
people's lives," Schiffman said."I was looking for a program similar to
one I'm doing now and since I couldn't fine one, I thought I would
start my own."


With headquarters located in Monmouth Junction, the
organization is now offering services in Salem County for the first
time.


The program consists of workshops, seminars and individual
counseling and is geared towards adults who suffer from anxiety
disorders. The program teaches ways to control panic attack and anxiety
and teaches how attitudes and current thoughts affect panic and
anxiety.


Symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks include heart
palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath,chest pains,
nausea, dizziness, chills or hot flashes,tingling sensations, or a
feeling of choking, according to panic Relief Inc.


In more extreme cases, panic attacks can lead people to become
housebound.


The organization estimates that 19 million people suffer from
panic attacks, but only one in three receive treatment.


Among the various programs offered include the "six weeks to
Panic Relief Program," which includes a CD, DVD, workbook, phone
counseling and group counseling sessions.


There are currently a few hundred people participating inthe
program throughout New Jersey. The program is for adults, typically
between the ages of 18 to 60, but older people have been known to
enroll as well.


The organization is also conducting programs in several high
schools in New Jersey.


Schiffman hopes the program will be as successful in Salem
County.


"We've just started marketing the program in Salem County and
it takes a good month to get things going," Schiffman said. "The
programs we have already started in counties such as Bergen and
Middlesex have been really successful."


"I feel that Panic Relief has really made a difference in
hundreds of lives over the years," Schiffman said."We hope to continue
with the work and the teaching that we're doing. It's changing the way
people see themselves and how they relate to others."


Anyone who would like more information can go to
www.panicreliefinc.com
or call (732) 940-9658.


Don't panic, relief is here






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Posted by Outrageous Success at 7/10/2006 01:11:00 AM 0 comments

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What Do They Mean By 'Panic Disorder'?


Lots of health-related sites give more information to aid in your understanding of what panic attacks are all about. The University of Michigan Health System web site has this to say about it:

Panic Disorder

What is panic disorder? Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder. When panic attacks occur repeatedly, without warning, it is called panic disorder. These attacks can happen many times every day or every week. People with this disorder might worry about having these attacks throughout the day. It can interfere with work and personal life.

How does it occur? Panic is a "fight or flight" reaction. It is an adrenaline surge that goes wrong. How it happens is not known. Scientists know that certain parts of the brain and nervous system cause the emotional and physical surge of fear. A panic attack is very scary, but having one attack doesn't usually mean that you are developing panic disorder.

Panic disorder usually begins when you are a teenager or a young adult. Sometimes it begins after age 30, but almost never in middle age or later. It tends to run in families. Studies of identical twins suggest a genetic link to the disorder. However, one half or more of people with panic disorder do not have a close relative with the same problem.

Many people with panic disorder also have agoraphobia, which means you avoid going places or doing things because you are afraid you will panic and have no help. It is common to have depression along with panic disorder.

What are the symptoms?   read the whole article here

Adult Health Advisor 2005.4: Panic Disorder

Copyright © 2005 McKesson Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved.

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Posted by Outrageous Success at 7/08/2006 08:07:00 PM 0 comments

Panic Attack - it's real

There are lots of resources out there to learn more about and to help those suffering from panic attacks and other anxiety-related difficulties. Here is information from one of those web sites called DRADA which stands for Depression and Related Affective Disorders Association.

DRADA is a community organization; we serve individuals affected by a depressive illness, family members, health care professionals and the general public. We are committed to our mission to alleviate the suffering arising from depression and manic depression by assisting self-help groups, providing education and information, and lending support to research programs. DRADA understands the need to eliminate the stigma that is attached to mood disorders, and we are constantly striving to promote public knowledge of signs, symptoms, and resources available to persons affected by these illnesses.

DRADA - Depression and Related Affective Disorders Association

Did you know about the website devoted to teenage depression?

Posted by Outrageous Success at 7/08/2006 02:29:00 PM 0 comments

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The Difference Between 'Panic Attack' and 'Anxiety Attack'

One definition to try and tease out the distinctions is

From "Anxiety Disorders and Phobias - a Cognitive Perspective" by Aaron T. Beck. M.D. and Gary Emery, Ph.D. with Ruth L. Greenberg, Ph.D. (1985):

"When a person has anxiety he experiences a subjectively unpleasant
emotional state characterized by unpleasant subjective feelings, such as
tension or nervousness, and by physiological symptoms like heart
palpitations, tremor, nausea, and dizziness... Panic is an acute state of
anxiety associated with other dramatic physiological, motor, and cognitive
symptoms. The physiological correlations of panic are an intensified
version of those of anxiety - that is, rapid pulse, dizziness, cold and
profuse sweating, and tremor. In addition, one has a sense of impending
catastrophe, pervasive inhibitions, and an overwhelming desire to flee or
get help."

(pp. 9-10).



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Posted by Outrageous Success at 7/07/2006 12:52:00 PM 0 comments

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Welcome - Come And Learn More About Relieving Panic Attacks

Here is some basic information from the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research to help you understand what anxiety and panic attacks are all about.

OVERVIEW
Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric conditions, affecting between 15% and 20% of the adult population at some time in their lives. They often result in severe emotional distress and impairment in social, occupational, academic, and leisure functioning. Anxiety disorders are also associated with increased medical problems. For these reasons understanding the nature of anxiety problems, and how best to treat them, is very important.

Anxiety Disorders Clinic (Abramowitz Lab)

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Posted by Outrageous Success at 7/06/2006 08:43:00 PM 0 comments

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