subject: Anxiety Attacks, is It an Anxiety Disorder? [print this page] Anxiety Attacks, is It an Anxiety Disorder?
It's natural for a human to worry and feel fear in some dangerous situations or under pressure in a stressful situation. Anxiety is the body's natural reaction to danger, real or supposed. The problem is that the line between normal anxiety and anxiety disorders is a fine line! Today about 40% of people suffer from anxiety attacks from time to time, because of different reasons and their number is increasing day by day.
Anxiety attacks or panic attacks are episodes of psych-out even panic. Anxiety attacks usually arise suddenly and without warning. Anxiety attacks may last from ten minutes to half an hour. After an anxiety attack is over, people usually feel fear about having another one, especially in public place so this leads to the fear of leaving home. So anxiety attack may also be accompanied by agoraphobia. It is always situated on the fear of being in places where escape or help would be difficult in the event of a panic attack. People with agoraphobia, try to avoid shopping malls, concert halls, airplanes, tumultuous crowd, etc.
You should think about the psychologist's consultation if you notice you constantly tense or worried, have irrational fears, believe that something bad will happen without some daily rituals, avoid some everyday situations or activities, just once experience sudden, unexpected anxiety attacks, have anxiety dreams or have habitual negative anticipations.
Anxiety can not be called just a feeling. As a psychosomatic reaction it has physical symptoms. Because of the numerous physical symptoms, anxiety attacks are often erroneously mixed up with physical disease. People usually experience stomach upset or vertiginousness, unexpected urination or diarrhea, shortness of breath, headaches and so on. If the symptoms of the indisposition are strange and regular at the same situation they may be symptoms of anxiety attack. Sometimes the physical symptoms are so frightening that many people believe they're having a heart attack.
What about mental symptoms, they usually are: feeling detached or unreal, feeling like you're going to pass out, feeling of losing control or going crazy, hyperventilation.
Keep in mind! If your anxiety causes your headache, it is important to seek professional help. Anxiety attacks usually caused with psychological disorders!
If you have psychosomatic symptoms, start by with a medical checkup. You need to make sure that your anxiety isn't caused by any health condition. Then try to look for a good specialist for treating anxiety disorder.
