What Causes Anxiety Attacks?

Those who deal with anxiety attacks often worry about getting another one at the wrong time or place and this can severely limit their ability to have a normal life. There are several commonly-thought reasons why

 anxiety attacks happen. One is the "fight or flight" response that all humans have in-grained into their psyche. Basically, when a perceived threat exists, the brain sends off huge levels of chemicals called endorphins which cause all the muscles, voluntary and involuntary, to react. The brain and body goes on "high alert" while the muscles decide to start moving out of there quickly. While this was probably the reason why so many of our ancestors survived and we are here today, it's not always the best way for modern humans to react to their world. Panic attacks occur when the brain starts producing too many of these endorphins when there is no threat and the body and mind goes into a state of panic- for no good reason.

Another reason why panic attacks occur can be hereditary. Yes, that's right... if your parents or grandparents were "nervous" people, then there's a good chance that you also suffer from continual symptoms of anxiety following by panic attacks. Thinking back, you may remember someone in your family who got overly nervous about things and didn't set a very good example of how to cope. You yourself now may have a hard time coping with little stresses in life. There's no real explanation for this, it's just the way studies have shown it to be.

A third reason why anxiety attacks occur can be dietary. If someone lacks the proper nutrients or vitamins for proper brain function, they can be prone to anxiety attacks. Some vitamins like calcium, vitamin A and

 magnesium have been shown to lessen the experience of effects of anxiety and consequently attacks. Likewise, diet and lifestyle can include anxiety producing chemicals like caffeine, nicotine or sugar. Reducing or eliminating these from your diet can produce a positive effect on your anxiety levels. You can always substitute these chemicals with natural herbal products like green tea, for example to take the edge off your cravings.

Lastly, anxiety attacks can be psychological in that they may be occurring as a result of a traumatic incident such as a car accident, warfare, or physical or mental crisis. This is called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and someone who is going through this may often experience anxiety attacks as one of the major symptoms. It's important to get proper psychological help if this is the reason for the anxiety attacks. One can also take advantage of natural products such as lavender oil or chamomile tea to cope with the feelings and calm the nerves. Counseling combined with use of these natural products will often lessen the bouts of anxiety and create a feeling of peace.

There is hope for those who suffer with anxiety attacks in the form of many traditional and natural treatments that can help you with the symptoms that come before, during and after an attack. If you are struggling with anxiety attacks, be sure to seek the help that's right for you and find the support you need in friends and family. Soon you will be on your way to feeling better and experiencing less episodes of anxiety so that you may return to a normal way of life.

NIHSeniorHealth.gov offers info on anxiety disorders in older adults

Anxiety caused by stressful events like moving or losing a job is a normal part of life. Anxiety disorders, on the other hand, are characterized by persistent, excessive and disabling fear and worry and get progressively worse if left untreated. It is estimated that anxiety disorders affect between 3 and 14 percent of older adults in a given year. To provide an older audience with additional information, NIHSeniorHealth, the health and wellness website for older adults from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has added a topic about anxiety disorders at their website.
Visitors to the website can learn about the risk factors, symptoms and treatments for generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and specific phobias such as fear of flying or fear of public speaking. Anxiety disorders can severely affect a person’s life, and they are often overlooked in older adults.
"Conditions that commonly occur with age, such as depression, heart disease and diabetes, may have symptoms that mimic or mask anxiety symptoms, making diagnosis in older adults difficult," says Thomas R. Insel, M.D., director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), which developed the anxiety disorders topic for NIHSeniorHealth. "Often, these health conditions will need to be addressed before a person will respond to treatment for an anxiety disorder."
It can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between common anxiety caused by adapting to difficult life changes — such as fear of falling after a hip replacement—and an actual anxiety disorder. The new topic on NIHSeniorHealth is a good way for older adults to learn more about the way these disorders can affect them.
Information about anxiety disorders is the latest addition to the roster of health topics offered on NIHSeniorHealth. A joint effort of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the website features research-based, easily accessible information on a range of health issues of interest to older people. To improve access for older adults, NIHSeniorHealth includes short, easy-to-read segments of information in a number of formats, including various large-print type sizes, open-captioned videos and an audio version.
Current NIHSeniorHealth topics include ways to exercise properly; safe use of medicines; and management of diseases such as stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease. Future topics will focus on hip replacement, long-term care and non-medical drug use.
The NLM is the world's largest library of the health sciences and collects, organizes and makes available biomedical science information to scientists, health professionals and the public.
The mission of the NIMH is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery and cure.
The NIA leads the federal government effort conducting and supporing research on aging and the health and well-being of older people. The Institute's broad scientific program seeks to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases.
.

The Role of Choice in Treatments for Anxiety

Research shows that offering depression sufferers choices in their approach to treatment allows them to take ownership over their treatment and leads to greater success.  Now anxiety specialists have sought to determine whether a similar method might help people with anxiety, as well. Indeed, a recent study showed that patients with anxiety experience greater improvement in symptoms when they have a choice between cognitive behavior therapy, medication, or both, along with computer-assisted treatment support.
According to the National Institute for Mental Health, approximately 26% of Americans who are 18 and older have an anxiety disorder. Now, a new approach to treatment named Coordinated Anxiety Learning and Management (CALM), has been found to be effective for patients with the four most common anxiety disorders, which are:

• Panic disorder
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Social anxiety disorder
• Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

According to researchers, when patients are given a choice of their preferred treatment, the effectiveness of care is enhanced. This more flexible approach also works better to improve health-related quality of life.
Researchers conducted a randomized trial of CALM therapy in 17 primary care clinics in four U.S. cities to compare it to the usual care. Over 1,000 patients, between 18 and 75 years old, with anxiety disorders participated, receiving treatment for 3 to 12 months. Follow up occurred at 6, 12, and 18 months after the trial began, with anxiety symptoms measured via survey results.
At every follow up period, anxiety symptoms were significantly reduced for patients in the CALM group. This result was true for patients both with and without accompanying depression. Additionally, because the study made a point to include an ethnically diverse group of subjects of varied socioeconomic backgrounds, it indicates that CALM treatment could be appropriate for a wide range of patients, health professionals, and clinical settings.
Conquering anxiety doesn’t happen overnight, but it is possible to free yourself from its grip. Choosing care that suits your wants and needs may help you to regain a sense of control over your anxiety. Numerous treatments exist that could put you on the path to better emotional health, so take advantages of the choices presented to you by taking ownership of your treatment.

Canadian researchers find link between anxiety and depression brain

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The role of the selection in the treatment of anxiety

Research shows that offering depression sufferers choices in their approach to treatment allows them to take ownership over their treatment and leads to greater success.  Now anxiety specialists have sought to determine whether a similar method might help people with anxiety, as well. Indeed, a recent study showed that patients with anxiety experience greater improvement in symptoms when they have a choice between cognitive behavior therapy, medication, or both, along with computer-assisted treatment support.
According to the National Institute for Mental Health, approximately 26% of Americans who are 18 and older have an anxiety disorder. Now, a new approach to treatment named Coordinated Anxiety Learning and Management (CALM), has been found to be effective for patients with the four most common anxiety disorders, which are:

• Panic disorder
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Social anxiety disorder
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

According to researchers, when patients are given a choice of their preferred treatment, the effectiveness of care is enhanced. This more flexible approach also works better to improve health-related quality of life.
Researchers conducted a randomized trial of CALM therapy in 17 primary care clinics in four U.S. cities to compare it to the usual care. Over 1,000 patients, between 18 and 75 years old, with anxiety disorders participated, receiving treatment for 3 to 12 months. Follow up occurred at 6, 12, and 18 months after the trial began, with anxiety symptoms measured via survey results.
At every follow up period, anxiety symptoms were significantly reduced for patients in the CALM group. This result was true for patients both with and without accompanying depression. Additionally, because the study made a point to include an ethnically diverse group of subjects of varied socioeconomic backgrounds, it indicates that CALM treatment could be appropriate for a wide range of patients, health professionals, and clinical settings.
Conquering anxiety doesn’t happen overnight, but it is possible to free yourself from its grip. Choosing care that suits your wants and needs may help you to regain a sense of control over your anxiety. Numerous treatments exist that could put you on the path to better emotional health, so take advantages of the choices presented to you by taking ownership of your treatment.

Change the trajectory of anxiety in children at risk youth [articles]

Objective: Increasing evidence for the importance of several risk factors for anxiety disorders is beginning to point to the possibility of prevention. Early interventions targeting known risk for anxiety have rarely been evaluated. The authors evaluated the medium-term (3-year) effects of a parent-focused intervention for anxiety in inhibited preschool-age children.


Method: The study was a randomized controlled trial of a brief intervention program provided to parents compared with a monitoring-only condition. Participants were 146 inhibited preschool-age children and their parents; data from two or more assessment points were available at 3 years for 121 children. Study inclusion was based on parent-reported screening plus laboratory-observed inhibition. The six-session group-based intervention included parenting skills, cognitive restructuring, and in vivo exposure. The main outcome measures were number and severity of anxiety disorders, anxiety symptoms, and extent of inhibition.


Results: Children whose parents received the intervention showed lower frequency and severity of in anxiety disorders and lower levels of anxiety symptoms accordg to maternal, paternal, and child report. Levels of inhibition did not differ significantly based on either parent report or laboratory observation.


Conclusions: This brief, inexpensive intervention shows promise in potentially altering the trajectory of anxiety and related disorders in young inhibited children.

Anxiety in Northville program

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Physical signs of anxiety attack

Anxiety is a feeling of fear, apprehension and discomfort over a situation. This is actually a good and healthy feeling since the body is able to recognize something that it needs to address. This “flight or fight” response enables the body to get that much needed boost of energy to react to the specific situation. In this case, anxiety is helpful. However, if it gets intense, recurring and exaggerated, it may already be considered as an anxiety attack.
The exact cause of an anxiety attack is not fully understood, but research suggests that genetics, life experiences and brain chemistry contribute to the onset of the attack. What is known is that during the attack, a person shows signs and changes in the body.
The immediate sign of anxiety attack is increased heartbeat or palpitation. This is the most distressing among anxiety symptoms. But this is generally a good thing since the heart works harder to pump more blood to your body, especially to your legs and your arms, enabling you to have a surge of energy to respond quicker than normal to any emergency. The chest feels tight as if it refuses to expand to accommodate air the body needs. Sometimes, the feeling is like someone is pushing a pillow into your face.
The additional oxygen requirement of the body must be compensated by breathing. Thus, during an anxiety attack, you breathe faster. As your arms and legs receive more oxygen and energy, your muscles tend to get tensed, which is important when abrupt movement is needed.
As your arms and legs receive more supply of oxygen through the blood, other parts of the body receive less than normal supply of oxygen (the stomach and the brain can survive with less oxygen during emergency situations). In other words, the oxygen that is supposed to go to the stomach is redirected to the arms and legs. This explains why a person who is undergoing an anxiety attack experiences churning feeling in the stomach. Because the brain receives less amount of oxygen for a short period of time, the person experiences light-headedness and dizziness. (Take note, however, that the reduced supply of oxygen in the brain is just enough to produce these symptoms and doesn’t cause any permanent brain damage.)
Because your heart pumps more blood to your muscles, your body temperature increases. So to keep a relatively normal temperature, you begin to sweat.

Aside from these signs, you can also experience weakness or fatigue, tingling sensation, and dry mouth. Also, side-effects of these signs may include diarrhea and constant urination.
These body responses are automatic. Meaning, there is no “switch” to turn it on. Thus, there is also no way you can turn it off by simply thinking that you should not feel any of these symptoms. What you should do, especially if the attack is chronic, recurring and it already affects your life, is to seek medical help. This way, your doctor will be able to identify and rule out any other possible causes of these signs which are unrelated to anxiety.
Allow your doctor to conduct a physical exam. He may prescribe you a drug or may refer you to a psychologist or a therapist. Following your doctor is important so do not ignore any advice and believe that you are totally okay.

What causes anxiety attacks?

Those who deal with anxiety attacks often worry about getting another one at the wrong time or place and this can severely limit their ability to have a normal life. There are several commonly-thought reasons why

 anxiety attacks happen. One is the "fight or flight" response that all humans have in-grained into their psyche. Basically, when a perceived threat exists, the brain sends off huge levels of chemicals called endorphins which cause all the muscles, voluntary and involuntary, to react. The brain and body goes on "high alert" while the muscles decide to start moving out of there quickly. While this was probably the reason why so many of our ancestors survived and we are here today, it's not always the best way for modern humans to react to their world. Panic attacks occur when the brain starts producing too many of these endorphins when there is no threat and the body and mind goes into a state of panic- for no good reason.

Another reason why panic attacks occur can be hereditary. Yes, that's right... if your parents or grandparents were "nervous" people, then there's a good chance that you also suffer from continual symptoms of anxiety following by panic attacks. Thinking back, you may remember someone in your family who got overly nervous about things and didn't set a very good example of how to cope. You yourself now may have a hard time coping with little stressors in life. There's no real explanation for this, it's just the way studies have shown it to be.

A third reason why anxiety attacks occur can be dietary. If someone lacks the proper nutrients or vitamins for proper brain function, they can be prone to anxiety attacks. Some vitamins like calcium, vitamin A and

 magnesium have been shown to lessen the experience of effects of anxiety and consequently attacks. Likewise, diet and lifestyle can include anxiety producing chemicals like caffeine, nicotine or sugar. Reducing or eliminating these from your diet can produce a positive effect on your anxiety levels. You can always substitute these chemicals with natural herbal products like green tea, for example to take the edge off your cravings.

Lastly, anxiety attacks can be psychological in that they may be occurring as a result of a traumatic incident such as a car accident, warfare, or physical or mental crisis. This is called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and someone who is going through this may often experience anxiety attacks as one of the major symptoms. It's important to get proper psychological help if this is the reason for the anxiety attacks. One can also take advantage of natural products such as lavender oil or chamomile tea to cope with the feelings and calm the nerves. Counseling combined with use of these natural products will often lessen the bouts of anxiety and create a feeling of peace.

There is hope for those who suffer with anxiety attacks in the form of many traditional and natural treatments that can help you with the symptoms that come before, during and after an attack. If you are struggling with anxiety attacks, be sure to seek the help that's right for you and find the support you need in friends and family. Soon you will be on your way to feeling better and experiencing less episodes of anxiety so that you may return to a normal way of life.

5 self-defeating methods of adaptation for sufferers of anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders are very serious and can affect a person’s life negatively in many aspects. The symptoms of anxiety disorders are powerful and sufferers will try many different things to get relief from these symptoms, often not being aware that their coping methods may do more harm than good. These are the top 5 of self-defeating coping methods of people with anxiety disorders:
5. Withdrawal from family and friends
Some sufferers of anxiety disorders are ashamed of their fears and they will try to hide their problem from family and friends. Withdrawing from others out of shame or fear of being criticized or stigmatized may help keeping the disorder hidden, but it also causes loneliness and depression. A good social support network helps a lot when trying to address and conquer fears.
4. Setting unreasonable goals
When deciding to face one’s fears, people often think the best approach is to throw themselves into the feared situation and that the simple fact that they “survived” will make them overcome their anxiety. Unfortunately, this is very unlikely to work. Even though exposure helps reduce anxiety, it should be approached slowly and reasonably. Having unrealistic expectations of oneself leads to defeat, which leads to frustration and depression and can actually also worsen the anxiety.
3. Creating safety behaviors
Safety behaviors can range from always having another person with one when having to go to a feared place or always carrying medicine in case of a panic attack, to creating rituals that seemingly stop bad things from happening. While safety behaviors may give anxiety sufferers some relief, they also make them dependent on a person or object and can hinder them from normal functioning when that person or object isn’t around.
2. Avoidance
Often people with anxiety disorders try to ease their anxiety by simply not exposing themselves to the feared object or situation. Even though it may help control their anxiety, this kind of behavior can lead to extreme restrictions in somebody’s professional, family or social life.
1.Self-medication
Many anxiety sufferers resort to alcohol or drugs when having to deal with stressful situations that could trigger their anxiety. Because this sort of self-medication doesn’t treat the cause of the anxiety but only eases the symptoms temporarily, this is especially dangerous because it can lead to addiction, trouble with the law, and can have serious health risks.
The best way to deal with and overcome anxiety disorders is to talk to a mental health specialist that can help find healthy ways to ease the symptoms of anxiety and come up with a specialized plan that treats the cause of the anxiety rather than just the symptoms. Various forms of cognitive-behavioral therapy have been proven to be very successful in the treatment of anxiety disorders and often, medication is not even necessary.

Altering the Trajectory of Anxiety in At-Risk Young Children [Articles]

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5 self-defeating coping methods of people with anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders are very serious and can affect a person’s life negatively in many aspects. The symptoms of anxiety disorders are powerful and sufferers will try many different things to get relief from these symptoms, often not being aware that their coping methods may do more harm than good. These are the top 5 of self-defeating coping methods of people with anxiety disorders:

1. Withdrawal from family and friends
Some sufferers of anxiety disorders are ashamed of their fears and they will try to hide their problem from family and friends. Withdrawing from others out of shame or fear of being criticized or stigmatized may help keeping the disorder hidden, but it also causes loneliness and depression. A good social support network helps a lot when trying to address and conquer fears.

2. Setting unreasonable goals
When deciding to face one’s fears, people often think the best approach is to throw themselves into the feared situation and that the simple fact that they “survived” will make them overcome their anxiety. Unfortunately, this is very unlikely to work. Even though exposure helps reduce anxiety, it should be approached slowly and reasonably. Having unrealistic expectations of oneself leads to defeat, which leads to frustration and depression and can actually also worsen the anxiety.

3. Creating safety behaviors
Safety behaviors can range from always having another person with one when having to go to a feared place or always carrying medicine in case of a panic attack, to creating rituals that seemingly stop bad things from happening. While safety behaviors may give anxiety sufferers some relief, they also make them dependent on a person or object and can hinder them from normal functioning when that person or object isn’t around.

4. Avoidance
Often people with anxiety disorders try to ease their anxiety by simply not exposing themselves to the feared object or situation. Even though it may help control their anxiety, this kind of behavior can lead to extreme restrictions in somebody’s professional, family or social life.

5.Self-medication
Many anxiety sufferers resort to alcohol or drugs when having to deal with stressful situations that could trigger their anxiety. Because this sort of self-medication doesn’t treat the cause of the anxiety but only eases the symptoms temporarily, this is especially dangerous because it can lead to addiction, trouble with the law, and can have serious health risks.
The best way to deal with and overcome anxiety disorders is to talk to a mental health specialist that can help find healthy ways to ease the symptoms of anxiety and come up with a specialized plan that treats the cause of the anxiety rather than just the symptoms. Various forms of cognitive-behavioral therapy have been proven to be very successful in the treatment of anxiety disorders and often, medication is not even necessary.

The Role of Choice in Treatments for Anxiety

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Physical Signs of Anxiety Attack

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Canadian researchers find brain link between anxiety and depression

Scientists have always known that anxiety and depression were linked. They just couldn't prove it in the brain -- until now.A discovery about the cellular link between anxiety and depression by Canadian university researchers may provide a better way to treat depression, a condition that affects as much as 20 per cent of this country's population.
"We hadn't known the mechanism by which these two things were physically related," said Stephen Ferguson, a researcher at Robarts Research Institute at the University of Western Ontario.
"Basically, what we're finding is that there's talk between these two receptor systems in the brain, and that if you activate the one receptor system the other becomes sensitized."
The findings, published in a study released Sunday in the journal Nature Neuroscience, also reveal a way to block this link in the brain and potentially reduce anxiety and improve the way depression is treated.
It all has to do with the receptor systems -- made up of proteins on brain cells, which react to neurotransmitters and are the target of depression medication because they are involved in perception and mood -- and the way they activate multiple brain functions.
By finding a link that can now be isolated and blocked by a small molecular inhibitor developed by Ferguson, doctors may be able to develop more successful medication for depression by treating anxiety.
"Most drugs that are used for the treatment of depression block everything the receptor does and what we're doing is blocking one single function, which may allow for the development of drugs with less side effects in the future," said Ferguson.
"If we can block this anxiety-related increase in depression by targeting just one cellular process that these receptors are activating, maybe we can leave other ones intact, reducing the intolerable side effects of these drugs," he said.
The research was conducted on mice and took about five years to complete. It also involved Ferguson's colleagues from the University of Western Ontario, where he teaches pharmacy and physiology, and others, including Carleton University neuroscience professor Hymie Anisman.
Anisman said anxiety is often a precursor to depression, or can make it worse. He said depression medication typically only works for about 60 per cent of patients.
"Now that we know where things are happening in the brain, now we can target these sites to develop treatments to ameliorate anxiety or depression in a way that's better than the ones that currently exist," said Anisman.
The study was funded in part by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

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