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.
Is It All In My Head?
The Importance of Sleep to Brain Function
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
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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
technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health,anxious, heart palpitation, agoraphobia, phobias
Panic Disorder, A Real Illness
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.
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.
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.
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.
5. What can a doctor or counselor do to
help me?
The doctor may give you medicine. Medicine usually helps people with panicdisorder 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.
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."
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.
NIMH at:
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:
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
