| You have come to this article because you want to | | | | well as any kind of diagnosis from your drinking buddy |
| manage your anxiety attacks online. So let me get | | | | in he pub! A professional psychologist can help you |
| right down to giving you some useful and practical | | | | understand your anxiety and prescribe medication if |
| advice. | | | | required or recommend a range of other effective |
| Anxiety attacks can cover a whole host of | | | | techniques. |
| circumstances. Have you ever experienced the onset | | | | 2. Try to get a good night's sleep. It is a well know fact |
| of sweats, rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath? | | | | that during the sleep cycle, your body repairs itself. |
| You may even have thought you were having a heart | | | | You feel more rested after several hours of good |
| attack! You were not - most likely you were | | | | quality sleep, reaching the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) |
| experiencing an anxiety attack. | | | | stage. Most people need at least eight hours a night |
| If you suffer from anxiety attacks, learning to | | | | which can vary within an hour or two each way in |
| recognise this condition and then being prepared to | | | | different individuals. Try to get to bed well before |
| manage it, is the first step to overcoming these awful | | | | midnight. |
| anxiety attacks. Anxiety can best be described as | | | | 3. Exercise on a consistent basis is a great |
| presenting an extreme reactions to perceived fearful | | | | recommendation. Exercise helps you to use oxygen |
| situations. Have you ever been in the situation where | | | | more efficiently also to get more oxygen to the brain. |
| someone follows you along a dark alley? Did you | | | | It also increases focus which may help you see |
| experience those anxious feelings of a racing | | | | solutions to problems rather than simply worrying about |
| heartbeat and sweaty palms? Sometimes in these | | | | them. Exercise produces valuable chemicals in the |
| moments of heightened senses when a rush of | | | | body and will help with point #2 above - getting more |
| adrenalin pumps through your body. It is believed by | | | | sleep. |
| many researchers that this could under certain | | | | 4. Consider Meditating. I know this may sound |
| circumstance save your life. This is the fight or flight | | | | daunting and a bit "New Age", but give it a try. Try |
| syndrome the scientists often describe. | | | | Yoga, as an exercise that involves quieting the mind |
| In many cases of anxiety attacks there are fearful | | | | and controlling your breathing, it is well woth considering. |
| feelings and dread of a particular situation. Getting | | | | There are numerous books and dvd courses on all |
| caught in the rush hour traffic can cause the onset of | | | | aspects of meditation. It may be that you simply find |
| an anxiety attack. You start to worry about the | | | | time to clear your mind everyday for 10 to 15 minutes. |
| consequences of being late. Going to a party where | | | | This in itself can work wonders in the fight against |
| you do not know any of the other guests can bring on | | | | anxiety attacks. |
| an anxiety attack. You don?t know anyone and that | | | | 5.You will need to manage the worry. When you feel |
| fear of that unknown can send you into a panic. You | | | | your pulse start to quicken, breath deeply and evenly |
| do not seem to be able to look on the optimistic side | | | | and start to count backwards from fifty. As you |
| of the possible outcomes, just the downside is visible | | | | count, focus on the situation. What has actually |
| to you in your minds eye. It should be reassuring for | | | | happened? Resist the urge to read anything more |
| you to know that just about everyone experiences | | | | into the situation. |
| some form of anxiety attack during their lives. Like the | | | | 6. Do not under any circumstances try to solve the |
| fight or flight example described above, it can | | | | problem with drugs or alcohol. You might think that |
| sometimes save people's lives. | | | | the glass of wine or beer is relaxing your tension but |
| In many new situations that we find ourselves in, we | | | | alcohol is known to be a depressant. As for drugs - |
| get panicky and anxious, but when the outcome we | | | | just do not go there! In anxious and frustrating |
| fear fails to materialise, the panic and anxiety stops. | | | | situations you could begin to rely too heavily on the |
| Unfortunately for someone with chronic anxiety | | | | drugs and alcohol and gain a whole new serious |
| disorders, this is not the case. You must try to | | | | problem in the process. |
| understand that every situation that brings about an | | | | 7. Find some relaxing activities or hobbies. Stress can |
| anxiety attack is not life-threatening. More than likely | | | | rob you of your energy. On a regular basis, do |
| it is probably caused by an extremely stressful | | | | something you like such as gardening, painting, reading |
| situation that has brought on the anxiety attack as a | | | | or listening to music. |
| way of dealing with it. Unchecked anxiety attacks of | | | | Unfortunately anxiety attacks can come into your life |
| this type can lead to a form of prolonged depression. | | | | at any time. It is a normal occurrance. If the anxiety |
| And you do not want to go there!! If you suffer from | | | | attacks become more frequent you could be at risk |
| occassional anxiety attacks or indeed a more frequent | | | | for more serious conditions. If you feel your anxiety |
| anxiety disorder, then there are a number of steps you | | | | attacks are starting to take over your life or |
| can take which have proved effective in keeping your | | | | increasingly causing you problems, seek professional |
| anxiety under control: | | | | help immediately. Do not suffer on your own. Talk over |
| 1. I would always recommend you consult a | | | | your problems with a qualified professional. In the |
| professional. Self-diagnosis of any type of physical or | | | | meantime I hope this discussion of anxiety attacks |
| mental condition is unwise and can be dangerous, as | | | | online has helped, if only in a small way. |