Exploring Agoraphobia

Posted on 07 October 2009 by simon

Concerts and parties are situations that most of us attend to in order to de-stress. We dance, sing and laugh to be away from the pressure in our everyday lives. However, a number of people can’t stand this kind of crowded place. These are people who suffer from the pains of Agoraphobia.

Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder that is triggered by a crowded or small space. People who have this condition experiences panic when they thing of the idea that they don’t have an escape. Most of the time, the panic starts with a difficulty of breathing then it escalates to trembling, nausea, dizziness or palpitations. The effect can sometimes be too intense that the victim has to be sent to the hospital to receive medication.

Similar to other anxiety disorder, Agoraphobia can be battled by proper diet and exercise. In the aspect of diet, it’s best to avoid food and drinks that are rich with caffeine and sugar. These ingredients tend to heighten one’s energy. Instead of having a rich brew, a person who suffers with Agoraphobia should have decaffeinated beverage instead. Moreover, instead of having sweets, fruits can be a perfect alternative.

Smoking should also be avoided. Nicotine also provides unnecessary energy that can make the body very vulnerable to panic attacks. On the other hand, exercise should be regularly observed, moving around and sweating makes use of your excess energy. This practice can also improve your breathing.

For a quick relief, the old tactic of breath-in breath-out is very effective. It’s best to use a small brown paper bag to control the air that you are inhaling. Simply breathe through this until you feel that the difficulty of breathing has subsided. If there is no paper bag in sight, you may use your cupped hands to block excess air, which will only make breathing more difficult.

There is no overnight solution for Agoraphobia. It’s a long battle but there is a huge chance of success.

How to Evaluate Anti-Depressants

Posted on 05 October 2009 by simon

I can’t take anti-depressants seriously, they are a serious drug, but they’re just a tool.  Nothing to get too hung up about.  This cartoon made me chuckle.  Especially the first square!

How to Evaluate a New Medication

Prozac Flushes: I’m Sweating Buckets

Posted on 20 September 2009 by simon

I’ve always had the ability to get rather warm. Exercise, summer, excitement they all can make me break out in a sweat.

But the Prozac is something else! I’m sweating buckets at the merest exertion now. I break out in a sweat just opening the fridge door.

The summery days and a bit of activity and I’m soaked, dripping in sweat, towelling myself off like a fat bloke.

I’m not sure if it’s going to improve, or what I can do to help it. The only things I’ve thought of is to wear light loose clothing, and carry a towel and a spare shirt in the car, so I can change if I know I’m going to be active.

Added to that I also make sure I take time out to just sit in the shade and chill out, to catch my breath and cool down.

And of course, drink lots and lots of fluids: water, juices etc.

Any tips for getting all hot and bothered whilst on Prozac? Get in touch!

Prozac Dreams

Posted on 20 September 2009 by simon

One of the big side effects of anti-depressants for me is increased dream activity. The 40mg of Prozac I’m currently taking certainly makes me experience a feature film nearly every night.

Prozac dreams are a very commonly reported side-effect. It makes sense, to reduce depression these types of SSRI drugs increase brain activity.

Sometimes the dreams I have can be disturbing: ranging from slightly unsettling to full-on horror-film nightmares. But thankfully, they’re not all like that, some are just happily bizarre. One last night featured a girl I’ve not seen since school as a religious fanatic wearing a broccoli-covered suit. Weird!

I’m not too worried about it, the side-effects of Prozac dreams usually dies down in a few weeks or months. And there are some things you can do to try and help the situation.

1) Be tired! A silly-sounding suggestion perhaps, but if you are properly tired when you go to bed you should sleep deeper.

2) Don’t overstimulate before bed. So don’t stay up late watching fast-paced thrillers or, even worse, horror films. Better to turn the TV off and read a good book!

3) Try herbal sleep remedies. Passion flower, valerian, lavender, hops etc. are all herbs well known for promoting sleep. I find hops are particularly effective. For me they deepen the sleep and put the dreams ‘further away’, so if they are disturbing they bother me less.

4) Have a sleep routine. This is something I’ve always struggled with. I’d go to bed at all sorts of times, and get up at all sorts of times. I’ve followed the advice of others and now get up regularly at 7am-ish every day, including the weekend. I sleep a lot better for it, and now look forward to going to bed early!

If you are on anti-depressants and are effected with excess night-time activity don’t worry, try these simple tips, and be patient, hopefully over the months they will reduce.

Reality Behind Anxiety

Posted on 18 September 2009 by simon

Anxiety has different roots. It can surface because of nervousness or with mere excitement. Your upcoming birthday bash can be a trigger of anxiety. It is also true with the maybe bigger anticipation of a public speech. It can be characterized as a jittery feeling accompanied by a heightened heart rate, and sometimes profuse sweating.

This anxiety is a normal episode that our body goes through due to our intense feelings. However, the simple flutter of the butterflies inside our stomach can actually transform to a disorder. Anxiety becomes an anxiety disorder when the episodes are recurrent and it’s far more intense. The usual symptoms are: difficulty of breathing, palpitations, sweating, dizziness and nausea. These signs tend to get more intense as the attack reaches climax. Hence, the experience usually makes the person more panicky.

The anxiety attack can be dealt with easily. It takes a clear mind and acceptance for the treatment to take effect. One of the most popular tactics is to focus with your breathing. The jittery feeling and palpitations will eventually subside once you have normalized your breathing. Do this by covering your nose and mouth with your cupped hands. This technique saves you from breathing too much air, which can only make your breathing more challenging.

For a long-term treatment, you have to put your lifestyle as the focus of change. Give yourself a minimum of 30 minutes to exercise daily. Also, get rid of the unhealthy nicotine. Smoking is an upper and it tends to increase your energy, allowing your body to be vulnerable with anxiety attack. This is also true with caffeine. Try to minimize your caffeine intake by accommodating decaffeinated coffee in your diet.  Another cause of unnecessary energy is sugar. Observe a diet that is low in this content.

Order During Panic Disorder

Posted on 18 September 2009 by simon

Nervousness is a normal feeling. It’s a nature for us humans to feel nervous when there is danger or an upcoming disaster is coming. We can say that we are wired with a detector that can foresee a danger to our safety. However, frequent feelings of nervousness can be unhealthy. As the old saying says, “Too much of something is bad”. Constant episodes of this, can actually called a panic disorder.

You might be wondering, when shall we say that the panic attack is already a disorder? According to Diagnostic Statistical Manual for Mental Disorder or DSM, recurring episodes of sever panic attack or anxiety attack is classified as Panic Disorder. Here some symptoms that characterize panic attack: palpitation, difficulty of breathing, dizziness, nausea and trembling. Some people experience the one at a time while others suffer in combination.

A panic attack is very stimulating and painful. Hence, victims of Panic Disorder often experience an episode by merely anticipating for the attack. Actually, there are different triggers for the attacks. Some say that speaking in public elicits their panic to surface, while others would blame it from their fear of arachnids or reptiles.

Its cause might be varied but the way to battle Panic Attack and Panic Disorder is similar to all people. Here are a few tips to help you get through your episode. Initially, check and deal with your breathing. If you experience shortness of breath, try to breathe through a brown paper bag or your cupped hands. This method can help you control the amount of air you breathe.

Another important tip to do during panic attack is allowing your symptoms to get through. Rushing in order to rid of your attacks would only elevate your energy. Try to avoid rush since it will only elevate your adrenaline. We don’t want your episode’s intensity to increase.

When Butterflies In Your Stomach Get Serious…

Posted on 18 September 2009 by simon

At times, it can start with a mere butterfly inside the stomach. As you watch the clock strike each second, the butterfly seems to flutter faster, more intense, making you feel uncomfortable. Then, you begin to feel difficulty in breathing, palpitations, and profuse sweating. This is the usual combination an individual experiences during a panic attack. This episode is triggered by different events, most of which are situations that make a person feel nervous. Say, a job interview, speech in front of a crowd or merely anticipating for the next panic attack. There is no specific event that pushes this episode to surface. The only thing science knows is its connection to nerve-wracking incidents which can vary from one person to another.

Panic attack symptoms are not limited to those that are mentioned above. According to the Diagnostic Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders of DSM IV, feeling of choking, nausea, chills, hot flushes, numbing, derealisation, and depersonalization are considerable signs of Panic Attack. If the episode has happened for a number of times, the case can be considered as serious which demands for a professional’s attention. There are different suggested treatments for panic attacks; some can be as simple as breathing exercise while other cases require medications.

Situations can get serious due to panic attack symptoms that can affect an individual’s everyday activity. There are some cases where a person has to let go of a job due to a severe case of panic attack. Also, this panicky feeling can elevate to phobia which has more serious intensity. This usually transforms to phobia when panic attacks are left untreated. This case shouldn’t be ignored for it can be debilitating. Socially, a person with a serious panic syndrome might have a problem in a crowd since its syndrome can be embarrassing.

Episode can surface as early as young adulthood. Teens are going through a lot and they are mostly vulnerable to feelings of nervousness. A change in their environment or activities that affect their confidence can sometimes elicit a feeling of nervousness. It’s always important to talk with your kids and learn if they usually feel a butterfly inside their stomach.

As parents, teachers or employers, it’s very important to be observant. People with this case might not be aware of their problem. It would be very helpful to take notice of the Panic Attacks symptoms in order to address the case and treat it.

Panic Causes Stress Or Vice Versa?

Posted on 18 September 2009 by simon

We have always heard of anxiety attack’s syndrome such as palpitation, difficulty breathing and trembling. However, we can’t seem to point out what really causes this attack. It’s a common notion that giving a speech in front of a huge audience has always been a strong contender amongst all the panic causes, but is it true for everybody? Some people simply feel nervous for quite a while but they don’t experience the overwhelming symptoms of anxiety attacks. So, this leaves us with the old age question: What’s the cause of panic attacks?

Even the experts can’t seem to give a definite answer to this question since different people have different causes for their attack. According to studies, attacks can be rooted from the genetic make-up of an individual, an imbalance in one’s biochemical nature, and the person’s environment.

Say, your father had experienced panic attacks, most likely you are one of your siblings is vulnerable to have this same episode. This kind of situation shows the effect of genes on panic attacks. You might want to check your family’s history to be informed of your current health.  You might be surprised to find out that your great grandparents must have been a victim of anxiety attacks too.

In the realm of biochemical nature, panic can is caused by the elevated activity in the hippocampus and locus coerules. These are the portions of our brain that’s in charge of internal and external stimuli.  Also, there is a study that points to the direction of our amygdala’s involvement in anxiety attack. The amygdala is the part of the brain that controls our emotion.  To appeal to this case psychiatrist give medications in order to bring back balance in our body’s chemistry.

The most popular amongst the causes, would be the environment. Most of us can actually attest to this. It can be our work, family, school or relationship. Any source of stress can actually be a candidate for panic attack’s cause.

These are just few amongst the studies and theories that are believed to cause panic attack. I hope in my little way I was able to help you learn more about you and your anxiety attacks.

Are Your Panic Attacks Driving You Crazy?

Posted on 18 September 2009 by simon

Road trip is one of the most enjoyable activities that you can have by yourself, with your friends or with your family. A long drive can give you a time to reflect about the future while you listen to your favourite playlist. Too bad, panic attacks would sometimes surface at the worst time… while you are driving. This kind of situation evokes much panic since a car is an enclosed place. Making you feel stuck, pushing your agoraphobia to take place. The perfect time where you can actually say that your panic attacks are driving you crazy.

People who experience panic attacks dread this kind of situation. However, we can’t avoid riding a car or even driving a car on our own. Life still goes on despite panic attacks. Here’s a help for you to avoid your panic attacks from getting in control of your life. At first, set the mood. The best way is to prepare a playlist that includes your favourite songs. The songs can reduce the stress you experience during driving. Also, we tend to sing to our favourite songs allowing a good outlet to release adrenaline and burn energy. Grab something to nibble on while you are driving. The best things to have with you during the drive are berries or sliced fruits.

Yes, it is enticing to smoke while you are driving but the nicotine will only increase the possibility of your panic attack. So, a huge no for smoking! Another tip, forget about the action that’s involved while driving the car. Enjoy the scenery. Breathe the good air. Don’t you ever start a silly race with a fellow driver for this will just entice adrenaline rush. Also, racing can be very dangerous. Lastly, take your mobile phone with you, this will provide you a sense of security. Cell phone allows you not to worry about help when you experience an panic attack.

How To Cope With The Dreaded Night Panic Attacks

Posted on 18 September 2009 by simon

Nocturnal people tend to have high energy once it’s dark but for some people, night time is a dreaded time. This is mostly true for people who commonly experience anxiety attacks. There is nothing worse than not getting enough sleep and lying awake on top your bed worrying about your office tasks and other responsibilities. It’s just annoying that night time has ceased to be your holy hour, where you can relax and snag a peaceful rest.

I have arranged a few tactics that I myself have used in order to lessen my night panic attacks during a stressful week. These are just very simple yet significant moves that you can practice in order to help yourself in the middle of an attack. Initially, I recognize the panic. It’s best that you are still in control during an episode. Allowing your attack to be in control of you will only make things worse. Once I realize that I am having a panic attack it makes it easier for me to determine my next move. The next one would be to observe your body reactions. Take note of your breathing, pulse and check if your hands or other parts of your body are trembling.

Now, it’s time to take in control of the physical signals of your anxiety attack. The best way for all the symptoms to subside is breathing evenly. Normalizing your breathing pattern can also improve your circulation. Thus, the trembling will eventually coordinate with your breathing’s pace, making it go away. Remember that the old breath-in breath-out routine is usually the best first aid for you anxiety attack. Once your breathing has stabilized, it’s time for you to notice what actually caused your body to react that way. This is the time that you have to remind yourself that your fear is unreal. Most of the time, we tend to think of exaggerated negative outcome or F.E.A.R. – - False Evidence Appearing Real. You can also alter your focus by grabbing a funny magazine to read or by watching your favourite late night show.

It is always best to not worry too much. Remember, prolonged negative thoughts can escalate the formation of wrinkles!