Anxiety Attack Symptoms and Treatment
Imagine that you’re sitting at home, or at a desk in the office, when completely out of the blue your chest suddenly tightens up causing you severe pain, you have trouble catching your breath, and your palms start to sweat. Immediately your mind goes into overdrive and you fear the worst, thinking to yourself “am having a heart attack?”.
If you’ve experienced these symptoms and you weren’t having a heart attack, you’re probably already aware of what an anxiety attack is.
Anxiety attacks are periods of extreme worry and panic that manifest themselves physically. They can come on slowly or be triggered by a specific event. There are a number of common symptoms associated with panic or anxiety attacks which include shortness of breath, pain or tightness in the chest, shaking, dizziness, a pounding in the chest, nausea and vomiting, and hot or cold flashes. Many people who are experiencing a panic attack believe they are having a physical problem or that they are simply going crazy.
The bad thing about anxiety attacks is that once you’ve had one, you are more likely to have another one. People who experience regular anxiety attacks have what we call anxiety or panic disorders. They experience excessive amounts of anxiety at inappropriate times.
If you have an anxiety attack due to fear of a specific object or situation, you probably have a phobia, or an irrational fear. Many people simply have anxiety attacks triggered by stress, excessive worrying, or that just occur randomly. These people probably have generalized anxiety disorder which is when you are overly worrisome.
If you are having panic attacks, you should see a psychiatrist so you can be properly diagnosed.
The good news about anxiety disorders is that more often than not they are treatable. For immediate treatment of panic attacks, you need to relax. You may want to learn various breathing techniques or calming exercises. If these do not work, you may just have to ‘ride out’ the attack.
To treat panic attacks in the long term, you should see a therapist. A therapist can not only teach you ways in which you can relax while you’re experiencing an attack, they can also help provide treatment so you no longer have the attacks. This usually involves specific therapy designed to help you cope with your anxiety and cope with your fears. It is possible that they may also suggest making dietary and other lifestyle changes.
If therapy doesn’t remove your anxiety, you may benefit from prescription medications. Anxiety disorders are most often treated with a class of antidepressants called SSRI’s. These medicines work very well if you suffer from a chronic anxiety disorder, and they can also relieve depression caused by constant worrying.
When you start to take one of these medications, remember that it could take a number of weeks before you notice the full effect. You may even notice an increase in symptoms shortly after taking the medications, so make sure you’re monitored because this can increase the incidence of suicide. You need to be fully aware that these medications can have moderate to severe side effects.
The important thing you must remember if you’re experiencing panic attacks is that you aren’t the only person in the world who suffers from these kind of attacks, this is a common, treatable disorder and you are not going crazy. There is plenty of help you can get.
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