A panic attack is a discrete period of intense fear or discomfort that is accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms.
Symptoms may include:
palpitations
sweating
trembling or shaking
shortness of breath or smothering
feelings of choking
chest pain or discomfort
nausea or abdominal distress
dizziness or light–headedness
pins and needles
diarrhea
dry mouth
headache
derealization or depersonalization
and chills or hot flushes
Panic Attack Symptoms
There are two types of panic attack:
1) Spontaneous (Uncued) Panic Attacks These are not associated with a situational trigger and appears to come ‘out of the blue’. These panic attacks can occur during periods of relaxation or when sleeping.
2) Situational (Cued) Panic Attacks Occur either in anticipation of a situation or in a situation where an attack has previously been experienced. Usually the symptoms become apparent as one enters the situation.
I will outline some of the typical fears people have resulting from the panic attack symptoms. The most common fears created by the panic symptoms are:
Losing Control Will I Pass Out in Public? Am I Having A Heart Attack? Feeling Out of Touch or a Sense of Unreality
“Am I going crazy?”
It is understandable for anyone to fear they may be going crazy when they suffer from the panic attack symptoms. There is so little real public awareness of mental disease‚ so people often jump to extreme conclusions. These conclusions are usually based on misinformation and an overactive imagination.
The most commonly known mental health issue is schizophrenia — even the word itself strikes terror within the average person. Schizophrenia is a major disorder characterized by such severe symptoms as disjointed thoughts and speech‚ babbling‚ having delusions or strange beliefs (for example‚ sufferers often claim they are receiving messages from an inner voice)‚ and hallucinations. Furthermore‚ schizophrenia appears to be largely a genetic disorder and run strongly in families.
Schizophrenia generally begins very gradually‚ and not suddenly (such as during a panic attack). Additionally‚ because it runs in families‚ only a certain proportion of people can become schizophrenic‚ and in other people‚ no amount of stress will cause the disorder. A third important point is that people who become schizophrenic will usually show some mild symptoms for most of their lives (such as unusual thoughts‚ flowery speech‚ etc.). Thus‚ if this has not been noticed in you yet‚ then chances are you will not become schizophrenic. This is especially true if you are over 25‚ since schizophrenia generally first appears in the late teens to early 20’s.
More panic attack symptoms‚
Losing Control
During a panic attack‚ because of the symptoms the people are feeling‚ they are prone to believe they are going to “lose control”. This loss of control can be bodily‚ i.e.‚ that all your vital organs will completely lose the run of themselves and descend into chaos‚ or that the individual will mentally lose a grip on reality. Often‚ it is those who hate being socially embarrassed suffer from this fear the most.
Losing control could range from steering your car into an innocent passerby‚ or picking up a knife and killing the nearest and dearest person to you (not that we all don’t think of this from time to time!).
Put your mind at rest! As scary as those thoughts may be‚ you are not going to commit any of these acts. Relax. The reason you are experiencing them is because your body feels out of control with the panic attack symptoms. Your mind feels that if your body is out of control‚ it is next on the list.
You are not going to lose it. In fact‚ I am sure that with all the panic attacks you may have experienced in public places‚ nobody even noticed you looked uncomfortable. We are‚ by nature‚ social animals and dread to be seen in some kind of an embarrassing situation. Jumping up from your chair in a business meeting and screaming for an ambulance may go through your mind‚ but it is unlikely to happen. In the end‚ even if we do embarrass ourselves socially‚ does it really matter? We have to learn to be kind to ourselves. So what if we were to cause a scene and great embarrassment? Life is too short to keep up with appearances all the time. In fact‚ the more honest you are with your fears‚ the less pressure you are subjecting yourself under‚ and the more your panic attack symptoms will dissipate.
Panic Attack Symptoms
Passing Out in Public
Panic attack symptoms often include light–headiness‚ which induces fears of passing out or fainting in public. The core fear of passing out in public is that we suddenly become so vulnerable‚ especially if we are alone. Who will look after us as we lie strewn across the sidewalk? We also dread the thought of passing out for fear that we may never wake but fall into a coma. Passing out is caused by a lack of blood to the brain. When we faint‚ the body falls to the ground and allows blood to be easily supplied to the brain — which is‚ again‚ another of the clever safety mechanisms of the body. Quite simply‚ fainting during a panic attack is highly uncommon due to the amount of blood that is being circulated. Your heart is usually beating fast and there is little worry that the brain would be short of fresh supply. The symptoms of dizziness often felt during a panic attack is caused by increased respiration‚ and while it may be confusing for the individual‚ it is harmless and does not lead to fainting.
Heart Attacks
This fear really is a minefield and almost anyone who has suffered from panic attack symptoms at some point will fear for the health of their heart. Let us look at the facts of heart disease and see how this differs from panic attacks.
The major symptoms of heart disease are breathlessness and chest pain‚ as well as occasional palpitations and fainting. Such symptoms are generally related to the amount of physical effort exerted. That is‚ the harder you exercise‚ the worse the symptoms‚ and the less you exercise‚ the better.
The symptoms will usually go away quickly if the individual rests. This is very different to panic attack symptoms. Certainly‚ panic symptoms can occur during exercise‚ but they are different to the symptoms of a heart attack as they occur frequently at rest. Of most importance‚ heart disease will almost always produce major electrical changes in the heart‚ which are picked up very obviously by an EKG. In panic attacks‚ the only change that shows up on the EKG is a slight increase in heartbeat rate.
Sometimes‚ individuals go through a similar worry about their heart as they do with their breathing. People convince themselves that if they worry enough about their heart‚ or concentrate too much upon its actions‚ that it may somehow get confused and forget how to beat correctly. It is quite common for people who suffer from panic attacks to regularly check in on their heart at intervals‚ to make sure it is still beating away.
It is true that‚ mentally‚ we can all affect the pattern of our heartbeats. When you concentrate hard you may notice an irregular beat or two. This is nothing to get upset about. Remember that our bodies have an incredible internal intelligence and simply telling your heart out of panic that it might stop does not mean that it takes any heed of our fears. Learn to become more comfortable with your heart‚ let it do its job. Listen to it when relaxed and also when exercising. The more comfortable you are with the diversity and range of your heartbeats‚ the more confidence you will have in it when it is exerting itself.
If you are worried about heart problems‚ treat yourself to an EKG‚ and put your mind to rest. If you have had an EKG and the doctor has cleared you‚ you can safely assume you do not have heart problems. Also‚ if your symptoms occur at any time and not solely upon exertion‚ this is additional evidence against a heart disorder.
Unreality/Disconnectedness
Of all the panic attack symptoms‚ this is perhaps the least mentioned one in the literature (induced by excessive anxiety). It is the sensation of unreality. Many people become distressed by this sensation and feel they may be losing their mind.
People who experience panic attack symptoms report feeling disconnected from their world‚ or having a sensation of unreality. The sensation is described as if the world has become nothing more than a projection of a film. This sensation is quite distressing as it often leads to the individual believing that some permanent damage has been done to their brain‚ causing these sensations. A typical manifestation of this is when the individual may be having a conversation with someone and suddenly feels alarmingly isolated and removed from the situation. Once the sensation arises it can make such an impact that it takes days to leave the eerie feeling behind and stop thinking about it.
I mention this because the condition is not often spoken about‚ and to reassure those of you who may have experienced this sensation‚ that it is only a side–effect of excessive anxiety and will pass as soon as the body learns to relax. Once the body returns to normal and has the opportunity to dispel some excess chemicals produced by the adrenal glands‚ then this unusual sensation will dissipate. Give it time‚ and these feelings will subside as you move from a life of anxiety to a more tranquil one.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Diet to help Eliminate Anxiety
By Joe Barry
Anxiety Cures -A proper diet to help eliminate anxiety…
Water
There is no quicker way to reduce general anxiety than having good eating and drinking habits. One of the most easily implemented and effective additions to your diet is fresh water. Water is a great quencher of thirst — but more importantly here — It is a helpful tool as an anxiety cure.
Nearly every function of the body is monitored and pegged to the efficient flow of water through our system. Water transports hormones‚ chemical messengers‚ and nutrients to vital organs of the body. When we don’t keep our bodies well–hydrated‚ they may react with a variety of signals such as anxiety‚ which we would never think are related to our poor drinking habits.
Diet to Help Eliminate Anxiety : Water
Here are some interesting information about water:
Seventy–five percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
In 37% of Americans‚ the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%.
One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
Regular fresh drinking water is a vital ingredient to your diet when looking at anxiety cures. When we are dehydrated‚ our cells can feel this at a molecular level and communicate this to the subconscious as an underlying subtle anxiety. The key to rebalancing a deficit of fluids is to drink eight glasses of fresh water daily.
Have you noticed the effects of dehydration on your emotions before? If you have ever suffered from a serious hangover from a night out on the tiles‚ you will understand the feeling of dehydration all too well. Hangovers result from dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. I am sure many of you are familiar with the tendency to have what has become known as “the hangover fear”. This is a heightened sense of anxiety and jumpiness that results from the dehydration caused by a hangover. The surest way for someone who suffers from anxiety to experience a panic attack is to drink excessive amounts of alcohol and wait for the hangover to set in the following day. Water is a great cure for anxiety in this particular situation.
It is important to be aware that dehydration is a factor that contributes to anxiety and that a diet to help eliminate anxiety should contain ample amounts of fresh water. Personally‚ I have found that not only does regular intake of water ward off subtle feelings of anxiety thus greatly helping as a cure for anxiety‚ but it is also incredibly effective for building stamina and avoiding fatigue.
Diet to Help Eliminate Anxiety
Diet (Food)
On average‚ most people have a very acidic diet‚ which results in not just a lower resistance to stress but to a variety of serious health problems. Your diet is something you can immediately control and help you build your resources of anxiety cures. As you master your diet‚ not only are you improving your overall well–being but are also building up a positive mental attitude‚ which says‚ “I am in control of my body.”
If our internal environment is too acidic‚ this can exaggerate any anxiety we may be experiencing. The body is in a greater state of health when it is balanced internally. What is needed is to bring the body’s internal pH balance into acceptable parameters. The elimination of high anxiety is not easy unless you maintain an alkaline balance in the food you eat. If your food is too acidic or you indulge in excessive amounts of foods‚ your body cannot function at its best. It will have difficulty eliminating toxins from your body‚ and will have less of a buffer zone to stress‚ leaving you feeling vulnerable and shaken when anxiety strikes.
Food such as salt‚ sugar‚ and refined or processed products lower your body’s resistance‚ whereas food such as fruit and vegetables raise it. As you control your body’s needs‚ you empower yourself and gradually build a body that does not feel threatened by an onslaught of high anxiety.
Proteins‚ nuts‚ grains‚ and dairy products (except yoghurt) along with alcohol‚ sugar‚ and salt are acidic foods.
Fruit‚ vegetables‚ and juices‚ are alkaline.
Diet to help eliminate anxiety
For optimum balance you need an 80% alkaline diet. This means concentrating on fruits and raw vegetables using proteins in small quantities for when you need energy. A person with a good diet needs only 50 g of protein a day. This should consist of 7 ounces of animal protein (or a vegetarian equivalent) or 36 ounces of good yoghurt. The rest of your diet to help eliminate anxiety should be alkaline (should you have a very strenuous or physical occupation you may need more than 50 g of protein a day). Below is a more comprehensive list of alkaline foods that will help bring greater balance to your diet and help you cure your anxiety more easily.
Diet to Help Eliminate Anxiety
A diet to help eliminate anxiety should contain….
Parsnips
Rutabagas
Cauliflower
Mushrooms
Green Beans
Green Peas
White Potatoes
Tomatoes
Muskmelon
Cantaloupe
Limes
Tangerines
Strawberries
Pineapple
Oranges
Grapes
Apricots
Blackberries
Peaches
Raspberries
Pears
Apples
Beans‚ Dried
Dried Figs
Dried Dates
Bananas
Raisins
Avocados
Prunes
Sweet Potatoes
Watermelons
Honeydew Melon
Almonds
Millet
Molasse
Beet Greens
Celery
Chard Leaves
Watercress
Sauerkraut
Lettuce
Green Limas
Cucumbers
Radishes
Cabbage
Broccoli
Beets
Brussel Sprouts
Carrots
Green Soybeans
Raw Spinach
Minerals to help cure anxiety
Mineral stores in your body have a buffering action on acid and tend to alkalize the acidity in the internal environment. Low or deficient mineral stores can lead to acidic bodily pH. The buffering action of mineral stores keeps the pH toward the healthier and slightly alkaline side of the pH scale. This buffering system is delicately balanced and can get disrupted under mineral–deficient conditions. Both the acid and mineral residues are discarded through the urinary tract. Over time‚ this depletes the mineral stores if they are not replaced. This is the reason we should ensure to get adequate mineral levels in a proper diet to help eliminate anxiety. If we don’t get adequate levels through the fruits and vegetables we eat‚ then we need to use good quality supplement minerals to help aid our efforts to cure anxiety.
Nutrients that are paramount in helping the body cope with stress include B complex‚ raw adrenal concentrate‚ desiccated liver‚ flax seed oil‚ and colloidal minerals. A balanced B–complex vitamin supplement is essential in normal pituitary and adrenal function. Without B complex‚ these glands will not produce adequate hormone levels.
Minerals are absolutely essential in normal bodily functions including autonomic nervous system function. A good example of their importance is demonstrated by the role a mineral‚ such as magnesium‚ plays in bodily functioning. Magnesium is instrumental in over 270 biochemical reactions in the body. It also helps regulate the pH (acid–base balance) of the human physiology. The human body functions within a very narrow pH range. Sodium and potassium are essential in nervous system functioning. Without either one of them‚ our nervous system would be inoperable and we would die. These minerals are usually found naturally in the vegetable that we eat. However‚ the mineral content in vegetables has diminished over the years from the depletion of the soil. Therefore‚ it may be necessary to take mineral supplements as part of a diet to help eliminate anxiety.
The truth is that it can be very difficult to maintain composure and confidence in your ability to handle all that life throws your way if your body is malnourished or deficient in vital foodstuffs. Look after your body’s needs‚ and you will be strengthening your body’s ability to cure anxiety and panic attacks.
I am convinced over the next five to ten years‚ a definitive link will be made between diet and helping cure anxiety. There are some very interesting research currently being conducted in 2004 into the connection between improving schizophrenia dramatically using a gluten–free diet. Although schizophrenia has nothing to do with anxiety or panic attacks‚ it is an example of how science is now looking to foodstuffs and their connection to our mental health.
Anxiety Cures -A proper diet to help eliminate anxiety…
Water
There is no quicker way to reduce general anxiety than having good eating and drinking habits. One of the most easily implemented and effective additions to your diet is fresh water. Water is a great quencher of thirst — but more importantly here — It is a helpful tool as an anxiety cure.
Nearly every function of the body is monitored and pegged to the efficient flow of water through our system. Water transports hormones‚ chemical messengers‚ and nutrients to vital organs of the body. When we don’t keep our bodies well–hydrated‚ they may react with a variety of signals such as anxiety‚ which we would never think are related to our poor drinking habits.
Diet to Help Eliminate Anxiety : Water
Here are some interesting information about water:
Seventy–five percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
In 37% of Americans‚ the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%.
One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
Regular fresh drinking water is a vital ingredient to your diet when looking at anxiety cures. When we are dehydrated‚ our cells can feel this at a molecular level and communicate this to the subconscious as an underlying subtle anxiety. The key to rebalancing a deficit of fluids is to drink eight glasses of fresh water daily.
Have you noticed the effects of dehydration on your emotions before? If you have ever suffered from a serious hangover from a night out on the tiles‚ you will understand the feeling of dehydration all too well. Hangovers result from dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. I am sure many of you are familiar with the tendency to have what has become known as “the hangover fear”. This is a heightened sense of anxiety and jumpiness that results from the dehydration caused by a hangover. The surest way for someone who suffers from anxiety to experience a panic attack is to drink excessive amounts of alcohol and wait for the hangover to set in the following day. Water is a great cure for anxiety in this particular situation.
It is important to be aware that dehydration is a factor that contributes to anxiety and that a diet to help eliminate anxiety should contain ample amounts of fresh water. Personally‚ I have found that not only does regular intake of water ward off subtle feelings of anxiety thus greatly helping as a cure for anxiety‚ but it is also incredibly effective for building stamina and avoiding fatigue.
Diet to Help Eliminate Anxiety
Diet (Food)
On average‚ most people have a very acidic diet‚ which results in not just a lower resistance to stress but to a variety of serious health problems. Your diet is something you can immediately control and help you build your resources of anxiety cures. As you master your diet‚ not only are you improving your overall well–being but are also building up a positive mental attitude‚ which says‚ “I am in control of my body.”
If our internal environment is too acidic‚ this can exaggerate any anxiety we may be experiencing. The body is in a greater state of health when it is balanced internally. What is needed is to bring the body’s internal pH balance into acceptable parameters. The elimination of high anxiety is not easy unless you maintain an alkaline balance in the food you eat. If your food is too acidic or you indulge in excessive amounts of foods‚ your body cannot function at its best. It will have difficulty eliminating toxins from your body‚ and will have less of a buffer zone to stress‚ leaving you feeling vulnerable and shaken when anxiety strikes.
Food such as salt‚ sugar‚ and refined or processed products lower your body’s resistance‚ whereas food such as fruit and vegetables raise it. As you control your body’s needs‚ you empower yourself and gradually build a body that does not feel threatened by an onslaught of high anxiety.
Proteins‚ nuts‚ grains‚ and dairy products (except yoghurt) along with alcohol‚ sugar‚ and salt are acidic foods.
Fruit‚ vegetables‚ and juices‚ are alkaline.
Diet to help eliminate anxiety
For optimum balance you need an 80% alkaline diet. This means concentrating on fruits and raw vegetables using proteins in small quantities for when you need energy. A person with a good diet needs only 50 g of protein a day. This should consist of 7 ounces of animal protein (or a vegetarian equivalent) or 36 ounces of good yoghurt. The rest of your diet to help eliminate anxiety should be alkaline (should you have a very strenuous or physical occupation you may need more than 50 g of protein a day). Below is a more comprehensive list of alkaline foods that will help bring greater balance to your diet and help you cure your anxiety more easily.
Diet to Help Eliminate Anxiety
A diet to help eliminate anxiety should contain….
Parsnips
Rutabagas
Cauliflower
Mushrooms
Green Beans
Green Peas
White Potatoes
Tomatoes
Muskmelon
Cantaloupe
Limes
Tangerines
Strawberries
Pineapple
Oranges
Grapes
Apricots
Blackberries
Peaches
Raspberries
Pears
Apples
Beans‚ Dried
Dried Figs
Dried Dates
Bananas
Raisins
Avocados
Prunes
Sweet Potatoes
Watermelons
Honeydew Melon
Almonds
Millet
Molasse
Beet Greens
Celery
Chard Leaves
Watercress
Sauerkraut
Lettuce
Green Limas
Cucumbers
Radishes
Cabbage
Broccoli
Beets
Brussel Sprouts
Carrots
Green Soybeans
Raw Spinach
Minerals to help cure anxiety
Mineral stores in your body have a buffering action on acid and tend to alkalize the acidity in the internal environment. Low or deficient mineral stores can lead to acidic bodily pH. The buffering action of mineral stores keeps the pH toward the healthier and slightly alkaline side of the pH scale. This buffering system is delicately balanced and can get disrupted under mineral–deficient conditions. Both the acid and mineral residues are discarded through the urinary tract. Over time‚ this depletes the mineral stores if they are not replaced. This is the reason we should ensure to get adequate mineral levels in a proper diet to help eliminate anxiety. If we don’t get adequate levels through the fruits and vegetables we eat‚ then we need to use good quality supplement minerals to help aid our efforts to cure anxiety.
Nutrients that are paramount in helping the body cope with stress include B complex‚ raw adrenal concentrate‚ desiccated liver‚ flax seed oil‚ and colloidal minerals. A balanced B–complex vitamin supplement is essential in normal pituitary and adrenal function. Without B complex‚ these glands will not produce adequate hormone levels.
Minerals are absolutely essential in normal bodily functions including autonomic nervous system function. A good example of their importance is demonstrated by the role a mineral‚ such as magnesium‚ plays in bodily functioning. Magnesium is instrumental in over 270 biochemical reactions in the body. It also helps regulate the pH (acid–base balance) of the human physiology. The human body functions within a very narrow pH range. Sodium and potassium are essential in nervous system functioning. Without either one of them‚ our nervous system would be inoperable and we would die. These minerals are usually found naturally in the vegetable that we eat. However‚ the mineral content in vegetables has diminished over the years from the depletion of the soil. Therefore‚ it may be necessary to take mineral supplements as part of a diet to help eliminate anxiety.
The truth is that it can be very difficult to maintain composure and confidence in your ability to handle all that life throws your way if your body is malnourished or deficient in vital foodstuffs. Look after your body’s needs‚ and you will be strengthening your body’s ability to cure anxiety and panic attacks.
I am convinced over the next five to ten years‚ a definitive link will be made between diet and helping cure anxiety. There are some very interesting research currently being conducted in 2004 into the connection between improving schizophrenia dramatically using a gluten–free diet. Although schizophrenia has nothing to do with anxiety or panic attacks‚ it is an example of how science is now looking to foodstuffs and their connection to our mental health.
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