Spotting Anxiety Attack Symptoms
Dave Pipitone
Experiencing sudden and extreme fear is a one of typical anxiety attack symptoms. There are a variety of ways that anxiety attacks can appear. For example, one person may experience nausea, shortness of breath, and inexplicable feelings of terror.
Other people report getting so troubled and excited that they need to run away from something. It is normal to experience this level of fear from time to time. Many people may experience fear at some point in their lives. However, if there are many repeat occurrences that a person cannot control, that usually shows some kind of anxiety disorder. Let's review what a typical anxiety attack symptom looks like.
Anxiety Attack Symptoms-A Short Description
Sudden and unexpected. People who suffer from an anxiety attack cannot tell you when it might occur. It is like a sneak attack - it occurs without warning and is almost instantaneous. People with existing anxiety disorders like social anxiety or a fear of being in open or crowded places often experience recurring anxiety attacks. Anxiety attack symptoms are pretty common, since as many as one in sixty people can experience an anxiety attack at one point of their lives. A person can develop anxiety attacks from traumatic experiences, depression or from drugs.
What is the length of an anxiety attack?
A typical anxiety attack usually lasts up to ten minutes. However, some people experience much longer episodes. The attack is "triggered" by something in the immediate environment. For example, if you were involved in a car accident that left someone seriously injured, you might experience anxiety when you approach the same intersection or place where the traumatic event occurred. The physiological response is triggered by the sudden release of adrenaline. Other physical signs include a rapid heart-rate, sweating, dilated pupils, and an intense sensation of numbness or lightheadedness. It is also possible for people to feel as though they were suffocating - like they could not breathe.
Anxiety Attack Symptoms – Available Treatments
Anxiety attacks that often recur are symptoms of some type of mental imbalance or illness. Depression is a frequent cause. Many phobias can attract anxiety attacks. One of the most effective treatments for anxiety attacks is cognitive behavioral therapy. This form of therapy focuses on the modifying the thinking patterns of patients. Many psychologists have observed that during anxiety attacks people over-exaggerate their fears and have irrational thoughts.
Techniques done to modify these behaviors include forcing patients to modify thinking patterns. They are instructed to force themselves to think about other things when an attack happens. Doing this repeatedly can discipline the mind of the patient - this breaks the unhealthy habit.
Another method that psychologists use to help treat patients is to train them to do breathing exercises. This involves making them take deep breaths at the onset of anxiety attacks. This improves oxygen intake, relaxes, and calms down the individual. Psychologists also use other stress relief and calming techniques, but these will depend on the patient. Typically, getting a prescription of medication to treat anxiety attack symptoms is the last resort.
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