Simon's Panic

Treatment of Depression

In this article I am aiming to enlighten people about the different treatments of depression under Psychotherapy. There are three major treatments that are mostly used by the experts, these are: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT, Interpersonal Therapy and different combinations of therapies.

Depression needs treatment. This kind of episode is recurrent and is best treated with short-term interventions partnered with ongoing maintenance therapy. An individual who has depression may even acquire chronic mental illnesses that demands for the team of medication and psychiatric expertise.

Psychotherapy techniques would always include counseling. The therapy’s duration can be from 2-3 weeks, and may even extend to twenty weeks, depending on the progress of the client. In this approach, the family is also involved in the therapy. This is done to help the patient as well as his / her loved ones to cope with the stress of the disorder.

First on the list is Cognitive Behavior Therapy or CBT, this intervention focuses on the thinking or thought process of the patient. The aim of this therapy is to stop the negative thoughts which depressed individuals are inclined to think about. Hence, their thought process is directed towards the realistic and positive side of consequences.

Interpersonal Therapy or IPT is a short-term version of therapy. It is usually limited to 15 – 20 sessions, which last for about an hour each. The purpose of this treatment is to be able to determine and work around the root of the patient’s problem or depression. It would be very helpful for the client to be able to free him / her from the root cause of the episodes.

Other forms of Psychotherapy treatment are combination of the interventions mentioned above. In this style, there are cases where a group session is executed. This allows the patients to be able to interact with other people. Group activity is said to be effective as the sufferers openly share their problems with fellow patients, and they even help each other out with ways to handle their situations.

The Symptoms of Agoraphobia

The thought of being stuck within a crowd while you are experiencing a call of nature can be anxious for most of us. Despite that idea, the possible embarrassment does not stop most of us from frequenting concerts, the theater or other public and crowded places. However, this is not true for some people. The situation that I have mentioned is one of the symptoms of agoraphobia.

Fear, panic, anxiety and embarrassment, these are the 4 major feelings or symptoms that a person with Agoraphobia mostly experiences. Basically, they have a fear of experiencing an anxiety or panic on a situation that is embarrassing or difficult to escape from. Another concrete example would be the idea of choking in front of a crowd or in the presence of strangers. We know that choking is not exactly the best reason for you to be known for. Moreover, the aid for choking demands another person, which can be a scene stealer.

The symptoms of agoraphobia can extend to fear of being in an elevator, being left home alone or leaving home. In these circumstances, the panic may surface in the idea of no escape in an elevator. While being left alone, is difficult for the sufferer because nobody might lend a help in time of a panic or anxiety attack.

Agoraphobia’s intensity varies from one person to another. There are some sufferers who live a normal life as they simply avoid the potential situations that may provoke their panic attack. On the other hand, people with severe form of Agoraphobia are home bound. These are the sufferers who completely avoid any kind of triggers or events that pushes their panic button.

These are the two major characteristics connected to Agoraphobia:

1. People experience panic while thinking of being in a place, event or situation that is out of their comfort zone. Also, there is a fear of being trapped, where they perceive it would be embarrassing or difficult for them to escape from the situation.

2. People steer clear of situations that might bring them panic or anxiety. It is their intense fear of anxiety that leads to Agoraphobia.

According to studies, there are about twice as many women than men who sufferers from agoraphobia. Most of the people with this disorder have undergone a stressful or traumatic event before they had their first experience of their panic or anxiety episode. In terms of age, the most common sufferers had their first experience of agoraphobia during their mid or late 20’s.

Often times, people with agoraphobia go through a phase where they feel that they are losing their mind or they are in the verge of being crazy. They have such feeling due to the overwhelming physical, emotional, mental and psychological effect of fears and anxiety. Accordingly, they seek for the help and advice of a mental health professional.

Another common incident that leads to diagnosis of Agoraphobia, is through the testimonials of a family member or a friend. Sometimes, the people around the sufferer notice a great reluctance to leaving home without a companion. For example, a wife might notice her husband usually seeks reason for not leaving home. Hence, the family member is urged to advice the sufferer to consult for professional help.

On the actual diagnosis, the mental health professional carefully takes note of the personal history of the client or patient. In diagnosing agoraphobia, laboratory test is no longer required to confirm a case nor physical conditions that must be met. However, the therapist must be careful not to overlook illnesses that might be similar, to a point that it mimics the psychological disorder. When the psychologist encounter doubt during the diagnosis, he / she can ask for the help of a physician, who has the authority and knowledge to execute a complete physical examination and laboratory tests.

Agoraphobia is serious but it can be treated. These are the following treatments that are commonly used to help the sufferers of this disorder:

Behavior Therapy, this is the kind of treatment that aims to modify and control the unwanted behavior. The sufferers are taught to cope with difficult scenarios, by exposing them to the actual situation but with control. This therapy is somewhat effective because the patient develops a feeling of being control in his / her life.

Cognitive Therapy, this intervention appeals on the cognitive aspect of the patient. The objective is to alter the sufferer’s harmful and unproductive thinking patterns. The sessions enable the person to reflect and examine his / her feelings, and be able to fish out realistic from unrealistic perceptions.

Cognitive-Behavior therapy or CBT is a combination of cognitive and behavior techniques. One of the perks of this intervention is its capacity to allow the patient to acquire recovery skills that he / she can utilize for a lifetime.

Relaxation Technique is effective in helping patients to empower them with ability to cope with the stress that may contribute to their fears. Also, it relieves the physical effects of phobia. Most of the techniques taught in this treatment are breathing exercise and other physical work-outs.

Other forms of therapy include Hypnotherapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming or NLP and Energy Psychology. These are the new installments in the treatment arena of Agoraphobia. Bear in mind that this disorder is just an obstacle. You have the power to bring an end to it. There will come a time that you’d be able to enjoy life again and be freed from the symptoms of agoraphobia.

Depression: Symptoms and Treatment

Being sad once in a while is just a part of life. When a loved-one leaves for abroad, we feel a tinge of loneliness, despite the fact that we can easily communicate with them. This is also true when the team that we are rooting for was not able to make it in the finals. The sadness is there but it does not linger. Today, I will be discussing about the intense and lingering kind of sadness or depression, its symptoms, and treatment.

Depression makes it difficult for a person to function normally and enjoy life as they did before. Their friends and hobbies have ceased to interest them. Often times, they feel really exhausted and the mere idea of getting through the day can be very overwhelming. This kind of situation can make things seem hopeless. It is like being inside a tunnel without the “light at the end” in sight.

Often times, people make use of the term depressed to characterize a feeling of depression or disappointment. However, it is a different case for those who have clinical depression. The sadness is much more intense and the feeling lingers for a long period. Most of the time, the feeling of depression is characterized by a feeling of an imminent doom. For other depressed patients, they don’t feel loneliness. Instead, there is strong sensation of emptiness, lifeless and being apathetic.

Basically, depression is very much different from the loneliness that surfaces in your day-to-day life. It is a far cry from the sadness that gets in between your ability to eat, work, study sleep and fun. Just imagine being completely conquered by the feeling of hopelessness, helplessness and losing your self-worth.

For you to have an idea about clinical depression or if you have intentions of checking if you are currently experiencing one, check these depression symptoms:

You find it difficult to sleep or you have sleeping to much than normal
You find it hard to focus or concentrate with whatever you are doing (e.g.: work or academics)
Your previous daily tasks seem to become difficult
There is a lingering feeling of hopelessness and helplessness
Your mind is always occupied with negative thoughts that you can’t seem to sweep off your system
You have greatly lose your appetite or you can’t stop yourself from eating
You are easily annoyed, irritated or short-tempered than usual
You have thoughts that life no longer worth living (In this case, you have to seek for help immediately).

Unlike with other illnesses, depression is highly complicated. It is not merely an imbalance in the chemical make-up of the brain, which a medication can bring a solution to. According to experts, depression is caused by the combination of biological, psychological and social aspects of the sufferer. There were even studies that suggest the vulnerability of a person to depression can be traced in their genetic make-up. Given these factors, the solution also concerns your lifestyle, relationships and coping capacities.

The mere fact that you are informed about depression can be of great help. This will allow you to help yourself as well as the people around you. It is in uncovering the real cause of your depression that enables you to overcome the problem. Say, you are depressed due to losing your job, the treatment for this would be finding yourself a more fulfilling career. Thus, you don’t have to take anti-depressants right away. Another coping strategy that you could help you is finding new friends. You may find new buddies at work or through a similar hobby. Sometimes, merely changing the situation can do wonders to your depression.

Causes of Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia is derived from the Greek words Agora and Phobo. The meaning of this is fear of marketplace. This kind of disorder is not fear of open spaces. Instead, it is a fear of crowded events or places. In this article, I would like to give light on the causes of Agoraphobia.

Having Agoraphobia is a double whammy since it is associated with another disorder called panic attack. A person who has this case is not comfortable to be in a rock concert, the peak hours of the underground, the airport, shopping mall or any assembly where there is a huge space and a lot of people. Hence, sufferers are often perceived as anti-social which is not actually the case.

Their fear is rooted from embarrassment. They are afraid to have a panic attack amidst an event and in front of many people. Also, they are thinking of “what-ifs” when they have an attack. For them, it would be difficult to find a place to hide in an open space.

Mostly, they just prefer to stay inside their homes where they feel face. Even the simple task of going to the grocery to buy the essentials is a difficult task for them. Travelling is also impossible because of their irrational fears regarding their panic attacks and embarrassment.

The usual treatment for this case is cognitive behaviour approach. One popular technique under this approach is cognitive restructuring. This focuses on replacing their irrational fears or beliefs with realistic information. It is actually greatly informational. A simple tactic that can do wonders for the sufferer.

Another treatment available for people with agoraphobia is Psycho-pharmaceutical approach. In this case, a person is given anti-depressants and other medication that would provide chemical balance to lessen their anxiety. Also, some counselling is applied too.

Coping With Anxiety

Nervousness is actually a normal mechanism of our body. It is a warning sign when one’s life is in danger. However, this feeling can actually get serious if it is highly intense and frequent. This kind of nervousness can already be characterized as Anxiety. In this article, I’ll be sharing my own experience about coping with anxiety.

It was around my teens when I noticed that I easily feel nervous and panicked. I thought it was just my default and I have nothing to worry about. Until, I was in college when I first experienced a Panic Attack. At first I was nervous, then, I have hard time breathing, I have palpitations and I kind of feel dizzy. I was overwhelmed with the situation that it made my symptoms more intense.

I did not know what to do then. Good thing I have my roommate who helped me go to the hospital. There, I was told that what I just had was panic attack. My doctor told me to relax and not worry about anything. Actually, it was hard to feel relaxed at the midst of the physical symptoms of my episode. I was given a medication to relax me. After a few minutes, my breathing went back to normal and the remaining symptoms subsided too.

I was not given any medication yet, the doctor recommended me to another expert. I learned more about my case when I visited a psychologist. It was difficult at first to accept that what I have is classified as a disorder.

According to the DSM or Diagnostic Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, these are the usual symptoms of panic attacks: accelerated heart rate, profuse sweating, shaking or trembling, shortness of breath, feeling of choking, chest pain, nausea, feeling of light headed, derealisation and depersonalization.

Most of the time, the attack is consisted of combination of the mentioned symptoms. Also, as the attack progresses the symptoms also intensifies. It may start with shortness of breath that eventually affects other parts of your body. Hence, it is best to focus on your breathing to cease other symptoms from surfacing.

From the American Psychological Association or APA, an episode usually lasts for thirty minutes or less. On the other hand, anxiety can also be as short as 15 seconds. There are also cases where in episodes go in a cyclic series, lasting for a longer period, sometimes even hours.

As I have mentioned awhile ago, the popular first aid for your attack is to focus on your breathing. What you should do is to normalize your breathing. To do this, you may use your cupped hands to cover your nose and mouth. Then, breathe-in and breathe-out through until you feel that you are breathing normal again. You may also use a brown paper bag to control the air the volume that you are inhaling.

For our information to be balanced, I want to mention that there are those who critique of the importance of paper bag breathing. This kind of practice has the hazard of limiting the oxygen that goes inside the body. What it does is increase the carbon dioxide that a person inhibits.

An alternative for the paper bag theory is initially determining if there is a hyperventilation in the case. If there is a necessity to balance the oxygen and carbon dioxide of the victim, a perfect tactic would be to extend their out breathe by humming or counting.

Now, let us go to the triggers of the attack. Other people have Agoraphobia which is associated with panic or anxiety attacks. This agoraphobia is another form of disorder. Those who have this case find it very had to be in a crowded place. They fear that they might have an attack at the midst of the crowd and they may not be able to escape successfully.

So, places like the subway or underground, concerts and other crowded events are the usual situation that people with Agoraphobia avoid. Another thing that they fear of is being embarrassed in front of other people. The name of this disorder is derived from the Greek words agora and phobos, when translated means fear of marketplace.

Another trigger of panic is phobia. This can be a fear you have for an arachnid or an enclosed placed which is popularly known as claustrophobia. One of the most popular triggers of nervousness is public speaking. I too am not comfortable in such setting.

For treatment, experts usually recommend cognitive behavioural approach. The first part of this therapy is greatly informational. Victims, like me, found this information vital in for our survival. This simple step allows us to protect ourselves from an incoming attack. Moreover, we no longer have to feel an “extra” anxiety for now knowing what is happening to our body.

A lot of people who have panic disorder feel that they are “going insane” or that their attack might continue to a heart attack. Hence, cognitive restructuring or changing one’s way of thinking guides the sufferers to replace these thoughts with realistic and proper way of viewing their panic episodes.

If you haven’t consulted your doctor and you have the same symptoms as I had. It is best to go to the experts and be informed of what you really have. This will give you peace of mind and the right information that you need. You will be surprised that there is nothing to be afraid of from learning about your health. So, good luck and I wish you well.

Treatment for Agoraphobia

A crowded place is a huge no for those who have Agoraphobia. It’s difficult for them to be in the public due to the fear that they might have an anxiety attack in the midst of this event or place. Yes, this episode is associated with panic or anxiety attack. Hence, in this article I will be discussing the possible treatment for agoraphobia.

The most important part of treatment is determining whether you really have a case of Agoraphobia or not. This episode is characterized by fear of crowds, fear of public transportation, social isolation and panic attacks. A concrete example would be concert. People with agoraphobia often avoids this event because they are afraid that they might not escape successfully when their panic surfaces.

Panic attack usually surfaces during Agoraphobia. Its symptoms include palpitation, nervousness, difficulty of breathing, nausea, dizziness and trembling. There are people who experience all of these symptoms while others only have a few. They even differ in their intensity.

The most important thing to do during this kind of attack is to control breathing. To do this, use a brown paper bag to cover your nose and mouth. This tactic will allow you to control the amount of air you are breathing. Just do breathe-in and breathe-out exercise for the panic to subside. As an alternative to the brown paper bag, your cupped hands can also do the trick.

The technique that I have given you is first aid treatment for agoraphobia. It does not have the capacity to bring an end to the cycle of this episode. It’s best to consult an expert for you to receive the necessary treatment.

The treatment for Agoraphobia varies. Some experts would make use of psycho therapy, hypnosis, behaviour modification plus breathing exercise. Most of the solutions that will be given to you are combination. Possibly, breathing exercise would be an ad- on since it greatly helps patients to overcome the associated panic attacks.

The Duet of Anxiety and Panic

Anxiety and panic is a combo that is partly stressful and blissful. Well, depending on the situation. This partnership is a mechanism that our body undergoes when we are excited or nervous. It’s actually natural but some of us experience a very intense form of these two which can already be categorized as a disorder.

The cause of anxiety or panic can be different from one person to another. There are people who feel the symptoms when they are exposed with their fear, say an arachnid or a small space. Agoraphobia, which is a fear of being trapped in an enclosed place, is mostly associated with anxiety attack.

It’s not an easy state when you are in the midst of a panic. I have been in this situation. It can be quite scary, mostly if you don’t know much about panic attacks. The physical effects of anxiety include difficulty in breathing, palpitation, trembling, nausea, and dizziness. The experience can be very overwhelming because the intensity tends to increase.

The best way to deal with an anxiety attack is to control your breathing. This will allow you to avoid the extra symptoms that your body can undergo through. To do this, you may put your cupped hands to cover your nose and mouth. This tactic helps you to control the amount of air you breathe in. Inhaling too much air makes it more difficult for you to breathe. You may also use a brown paper bag to cover your mouth and nose as an alternative.

Don’t rush for your anxiety and panic to subside instantly. This may only make the situation worst. Instead, try to divert your attention, read a book or watch your favourite television. These are just simple tactics that you can instantly do as a first aid for your episode.

Stop Panic Attacks

For victims of anxiety episodes, we all hope that we could simply stop panic attacks in just one night. However, the reality is far from what we are wishing for. Panic Attacks can’t be avoided by just flicking a switch. It’s actually a long process that demands patience and perseverance.

I myself have experienced sleepless nights due to the physical effects of panic attacks. The palpitation, difficulty of breathing, trembling, nausea and dizziness isn’t good add-ons for a good night sleep. Medication does its work but one solution that will absolutely stop panic attacks has not been found yet. Well, I think that is from a pessimistic point of view.

I believe that anxiety attacks can be stopped with a few alterations to diet and lifestyle. I have tried this system and it does work. First thing that I removed from my diet is caffeine. I don’t need the boost that coffee or soda provides to keep me awake. It will just make me more susceptible to the painful symptoms of a panic episode. Instead, I just eat an apple if there is an urgent need for me to be up late at night. Yes, apple is a good alternative to caffeine.

Second, get rid of nicotine. This substance that can be found on the cigarettes is an upper. Like, caffeine it will give you a supply of unnecessary energy that will make you vulnerable to an attack. You may also want to avoid getting near smokers since second-hand smoking has the same effect. To stop panic attacks, you must protect yourself from its triggers.

Third, observe regular exercise. Spare 30 minutes a day on your tread mill, jog in the park or simply brisk walking. This improves your breathing and exercise helps you get a good night sleep. Also, it reduces stress which is a robust trigger of panic.

We may not be able to stop panic attacks over night but we can actually break its cycle or lessen its episode. Good Luck to us!

How To Cure Panic Attacks

This article aims to help people who experience intense anxiety by giving easy tips on how to cure panic attacks. The tactics that I will be giving are quick relief that can be done in order to subside the painful symptoms of panic. For people who have this kind of episode, preparedness is one of the best tools they can own.

First, we must be aware of the symptoms of the attack before we delve into the how-to’s of cure. The most common ones are difficulty in breathing, nervousness, palpitation, nausea, dizziness, and trembling. Like the symptoms, triggers of panic attack also vary. Some experience intense nervousness before giving a speech to a crowd, while others feel the symptoms when they see spiders. This presents the connection between fears or phobia with anxiety attack.

On “How to cure panic attacks”, there are different treatments and approach to relieve the episode. There are those who found comfort with therapy, this is usually done with a counsellor or a psychologist. Hypnosis is another option that is available in the market. Although, it’s effect has been a controversy. Lastly, medication, it is another popular option to cure panic attacks.

As I’ve mentioned awhile ago, I will be helping you out on how to cure panic attacks with quick techniques. Symptoms usually start out with difficulty of breathing. This should be the first thing you have to attend to since it affects other signs. To normalize your breathing, use a paper bag to control the amount of air you are inhaling. An alternative to this method is your cupped hands. Simply breathe and breathe out until you no longer feel the difficulty.

For a long-term solution or for stopping future attacks to take place, you must cease from consuming caffeine and sweets. These products give you unnecessary energy which only makes you vulnerable to panic.

Understanding Depression

Loneliness is a part of our life. We have experienced pain one way or another but after a few days, it subsides. We move on and find happiness again. This kind of cycle is not applicable for people who experience depression. For them, hope is non-existent. They just bask in their sadness and cease to move on.

Depression or Major Depressive Episode according to Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) is characterized by a feeling of emptiness, sadness, and irritation. People who experience this episode appear tearful or easily move to tears. It usually last for 2 weeks or more. Depression can easily recur if it’s not attended properly.

The effect of this disorder intensifies to a point that a person has trouble sleeping. Insomnia seeps in making it very difficult for a depressed person to recharge and relax. Hence, the symptoms’ effect intensifies. A significant weight loss or weight gain can also be observed. For some people, loneliness drives them to eat more, as a deviation for their feeling of emptiness. On the other hand, some lost their appetite due to their sadness.

The worst outcome of depression is suicide. This is the part where a person feels worthless that they would rather cease living. For the prior signs I’ve mentioned, its best to consult the experts for treatment. Most of all, for the state of suicide attempt. In this period, it really is the experts, such as psychologist and counsellors who should take the lead.

For parents, teachers or guardians, being keen is a huge factor. One of the signs can be an indication of depression. To ensure the safety of children and the people you love, the mere attention can already alleviate the pain from depression. Sometimes, it’s the common question of “How are you?” that can save lives.