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Posts Tagged ‘panic disorder’

Live and Learn: Anxiety Disorder Knowledge

January 22nd, 2008

Anxiety disorders are varied an include agoraphobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, specific phobias, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and a number of other medical conditions. Most Anxiety Disorderpeople do not learn about anxiety disorder normally, so it is important to put effort into learning about anxiety disorders if you or a loved one is diagnosed with one of these medical conditions.

The first place you can start when looking for information about anxiety disorders is, of course, you medical professional. If you think that you may have a problem with anxiety to the point where it is disrupting your life, you should see a doctor immediate and describe your symptoms. Your doctor will run tests and check your health in order to make a diagnosis, and be sure to save enough time during your appointment to ask questions about you anxiety disorder and your treatment options. If you feel rushed, make sure that you make another appointment in order to go over your anxiety disorder. If you doctor seems too rushed to talk to you, you are probably better off finding a new doctor who will be able to help you.

Once you leave your doctor’s office, don’t go home—hit the library. There are hundreds of books devoted to anxiety disorders and you can find general information here, that has probably already been covered by your doctor, as well as specific information, including theories on the causes of anxiety disorders and the best treatment options. Along with the books you’ll find at the library, you will also find medical journals and magazine, which will provide you with the most up to date information in the medical community regarding anxiety disorders.

At home, you can continue your education online. The Internet is a wonderful resource when it comes to research just about any topic, including anxiety disorders. You can do this without leaving the home, which is an advantage to people who are suffering from anxiety disorders that are not yet under control. The Internet also allows you to connect to others dealing with the same conditions or in the health care world through email, forums, and chat rooms. However, remember that the information you find on the Internet may not always be the most accurate. Anyone can post on the Internet, from someone with a Ph.D. to your mailman.

No matter how you chose to research your anxiety disorder, it is simply important that you do so. Only when you have all of the information available to you can you truly be able to totally make the best decisions for your body.

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Cognitive-Behavior Therapy: Could it Work for You?

January 4th, 2008

Anxiety disorders can be very difficult medical conditions with which to live. However, if you are suffering from panic disorder, social phobias, generalize anxiety disorder, or any one of the number of other anxiety disorders, all is not lost. By talking to your doctor, you can get help controlling your symptoms and treating these disorders at the core. One form of treatment you can consider is cognitive-behavior therapy.

Cognitive-behavior therapy is a combination of cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy. With cognitive therapy, a person learns to understand and change their thoughts and beliefs. With behavioral therapy, a person learns to change specific actions. Combining these two therapies is not difficult and have provide anxiety disorder patients with the very best results.

Cognitive therapy focuses mainly on patients recognizing certain things within themselves. Many people are confused about cognitive therapy—it isn’t about changing negative thoughts to positive thoughts in order to push for happiness. Instead isn’t about changing destructing thoughts that are often repetitive and feed into anxiety to thoughts that are more easily controlled and do not trigger anxiety attacks.

Behavior therapy, on the other hand, focuses on changing your actions instead. Relaxation and breathing exercises are common with behavioral therapy for anxiety disorder patients. Another type of behavioral therapy treatment commonly used is desensitization, which places patients in situations that cause anxiety gradually, in order to get used to the idea and control the anxiety.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy does not work well for absolutely everyone. While there are many people who can benefit from this form of treatment, there are others who will do better with other treatments. If you are considering cognitive-behavioral therapy, you need to meet two qualifications. First, you have to be motivated to change. If you are resistant to change, you won’t do the work required to make cognitive-behavioral therapy work and recovery is not possible. Secondly, you need to have access to a therapist specially trained to deal with cognitive-behavioral therapy. Your doctor can help you find a professional in your area.

In short, think about trying cognitive-behavioral therapy as a form of treatment for your anxiety disorders, even if nothing else has helped you. When you seek treatment, you put yourself on the right track for actually feeling better. Seeing a doctor and learning about all of your treatment options is the first step towards overcoming your anxiety disorder and controlling your life once again.

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Panic Disorders: Are They Real?

December 1st, 2007

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard of people having a panic attack and someone saying that they just wanted attention. Nothing could be farther from the truth. While a panic attack is not the same as some traditional medical conditions, it is both a mental and physical disorder that must be taken very seriously. If you suffer from panic attacks, see a doctor immediately to get you condition under control.

As classified by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), panic disorders are technically under the umbrella of anxiety disorders. Other anxiety disorders include social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and agoraphobia, among other conditions. Over 20 million people in the United States alone suffer some kind of anxiety disorder or another.

Panic disorder is characterized by reoccurring panic attacks that often happen spontaneously and unexpectedly. A panic attack is an intense feeling of irrational fear that lasts over a period of time. Some symptoms of a panic attack may or may not include a pounding heart, chest pains, sweating, difficulty breathing, the fear of going crazy, shaking, cold or hot flashed, the choking sensation, and nausea. One panic attack doe not mean you should be diagnosed with panic disorder, but if this condition occurs a number of times and interrupts your life, you should see a doctor immediately.

Most people experience the unpleasantness of a panic attack at some point or other in their lives. While this may be a scary experience, you should generally not be concerned unless the month following the panic attack leads to constant worry about have another panic attack, constant worry about a condition that could be related to the attack, or major changes in your lifestyle.

When you have a panic attack, even for the first time, see a doctor. Try to clearly think about the symptoms you’ve experienced and note the time and length of the attack. This information will help your doctor find the best treatment options available for you. Often, panic attacks occur simultaneously with other anxiety disorders, so being clear about your experiences will help your doctor to understand your experiences.

Remember, panic attacks are real. While there may be a few cases where people pretend to have attacks to get attention or for other reasons, this is not the norm. If someone around you is experiencing a panic attack, offer your help and call a doctor immediately to get help for the person.

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