Anxiety and Panic Disorder Symptoms

Anxiety and panic disorder symptoms are extremely troublesome to the individual that suffers from severe forms of anxiety disorder. To some degree, most teenagers and adults have experienced some form of anxiety at least once in their life. The nervousness experienced on the first day or school or starting a new job, the pounding of the heart prior to stepping in front of a crowd to conduct some type of presentation, the shallow breathing and immense tension felt when taking a driving test, the fear experienced when you see a patrol car zooming in on you with their lights on - all of these symptoms are common to the anxiety and panic disorder symptoms that sufferers experience.

It is normal to feel some form of anxiety and panic throughout your life. However, if you experience panic and anxiety that is so severe that it affects your general quality of life, you may be suffering from the physiological effects of a condition that is referred to as "anxiety disorder" or "panic disorder". When the body perceives a situation, event, or person in life as a threat, it responds in a natural manner. This response is called "anxiety". While there are many positive aspects to this occurrence, there are situations in which anxiety is simply excessive and overwhelming to the point that it is recognized by medical professionals as a unique medical condition that affects both the physical and mental health of the individual suffering from it.

It is important to understand that anxiety and panic disorder symptoms differ greatly from one person to another. This evidence is based on the fact that when it comes to anxiety disorder and panic disorder, there are groups of individual conditions. For example, one patient that experiences anxiety may only do so when they are subjected to crowds and another may have a fear of public places due to the fear that germs will invade their body and result in sickness. Symptoms are directly related to the exact anxiety and panic disorder that an individual suffers from. However, they can be broke down into two separate categories. These categories include physical based symptoms and symptoms that are related to the emotional side of an individual.

Anxiety and panic disorder symptoms that are physical based result from the response to a threat that the body experiences. This is typically referred to as the "fight-or-flight response". Symptoms may include tension that occurs within the muscles throughout the body, contractions or tremors associated with the muscles, quick developing mild to severe headaches, and even complications in breathing such as fast, rapid breaths or the feeling that there is not enough air coming into the body. This may or may not be accompanied by feeling the heart pounding, sweating immensely, and feeling dizzy to the point in which it feels as if fainting will occur. In addition to this, gastrointestinal complications such as vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea may occur. Typically, an individual that suffers from anxiety and panic disorder will often experience high levels of fatigue and potential sleep complications such as insomnia.

The emotional based anxiety and panic disorder symptoms results from the threat that the body perceives in a situation or event. As a result of the threat that the body perceives, the brain begins to feel the effect of the threat. An individual may, in turn, begin to experience symptoms such as fear and basic worry. Many patients have described the initial feeling of dread when anxiety and panic disorder symptoms begin. Severe fluctuations that are associated with the mood may begin to occur and could result in irritability, depression, and feeling restless. Many individuals will experience mental challenges such as the inability to focus as appropriate, loss of concentration, periods in which they "draw a blank", and being easily startled. It is common for an individual to feel as if they are in immediate danger and they will actually come to anticipate that something "bad" is going to happen.

There are many medications that can be prescribed to treat anxiety and panic disorder symptoms. These include antidepressants, Tricyclics, and others that are similar in nature. In addition to medications, there are therapy options for the anxiety disorder sufferer. One can participate in specialized therapy such as "cognitive-behavior therapy" and "exposure therapy". Unfortunately, when it comes to prescription medications, there are many negative side effects that may occur - such as more severe symptoms. Therapy, while deemed positive in most instances, can prove to be negative due to the fact that one is subjected to treatment that a particular therapist knows or practices and it may not be the right treatment for the patient as an individual. You may be pleased to know, however, that there are many natural anxiety and panic disorder treatments available that can assist in soothing the symptoms that are troublesome.

Natural breathing techniques are considered to be one of the most popular treatments for anxiety and panic disorder symptoms. When implementing the use of breathing exercises, one does not have to worry over negative side effects. The mind becomes calm and the nervous system experiences a natural "toning". The physiological responses that pose a danger to your immediate health, such as increased blood pressure, rapid heart beats, and respiratory challenges quickly diminish when using breathing techniques. Learning to control and manipulate breathing can be extremely beneficial to reducing the negative effects of anxiety and panic disorder symptoms. If you suffer from anxiety, avoiding synthetic drugs and often intrusive therapy techniques can be a productive move. Choosing natural treatments will prove to be the treatment that is most productive.