Click play to hear Barry explain this anxiety sensation. It’s common for people with anxiety to mention fears about their breathing. Some feel that their breathing is very labored and shallow. These fears are almost always accompanied by a tight sensation in the chest or throat area. A frequent complaint is worry that they’re not getting enough oxygen or that they might stop breathing altogether and feel forced to take conscious control of their breathing. The chest or throat tightness that causes uncomfortable or shallow breathing is very common. It’s actually the chest and throat muscles that are tense, and
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Click play to hear Barry explain this anxiety sensation. Depression is a very large subject. I will mention only how it ties in with anxiety. When someone has been feeling anxious for quite some time, the experience can become very frustrating and lead to feeling depressed. If you never suffered from depression before, but did so after your anxiety disorder began, then it’s most likely the anxiety that’s causing you to feel so down. Depression, in this context, is driven by thoughts of a future full of anxiety and restriction. A once carefree person feels bound. In addition to having
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Click play to hear Barry explain this anxiety sensation. Anxiety almost always comes with a level of disturbing thoughts. You might be driving with your children and then get a flash thought of losing control and driving into an oncoming car. Another example is looking down from a bridge and suddenly getting terrified by the idea that you might lose all control of your senses and jump. If you experience such thoughts, I want to reassure you that, regardless of how extreme, don’t worry about them. They’re the result of an active imagination coupled with anxiety and, often, something or
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Click play to hear Barry explain this anxiety sensation. During a panic attack, some people are prone to believe they’re going to lose control. This feared loss of control can be physical (e.g., that all your vital organs will completely lose the run of themselves and descend into chaos) or emotional/mental (e.g., that you’ll lose your grip on reality). Those who hate social embarrassment tend to suffer from this fear the most. The feared loss of control could range from screaming in public to picking up a knife and killing the nearest and dearest person to you (not that we
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Click play to hear Barry explain this anxiety sensation. It’s understandable to fear you may be going crazy when you suffer from an anxiety disorder. There’s 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—the word itself strikes terror within the average person. Schizophrenia is a major disorder characterized by severe symptoms such as disjointed thoughts and speech, babbling, delusions or strange beliefs (for example, sufferers often claim they’re receiving messages from an inner
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Are you dealing with exhaustion, fatigue and feelings of malaise on a regular basis? High levels of anxiety and frequent panic attacks could be to blame. Many people who experience the unusual sensations associated with panic disorder soon learn that the physical effects of the adrenaline boost experienced during a heightened state of anxiety can take their toll on their energy levels. Anxiety is simply a response to a danger or threat, and we all experience varying levels of anxiety throughout our day based on what our brain and body is sensing is happening to us. We’re all equipped to
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For many people who experience panic attacks and anxiety on a regular basis, intrusive thoughts become a part of day-to-day life. What if I get a panic attack in the middle of the grocery store? Why am I worrying about such strange things? What if I lose control of mind? Intrusive thoughts can come and go all day long at the most random moments of the day and take their toll on your stress levels. You might have difficulty concentrating, and react with a jolt every time you think a worrying intrusive thought. Just remember that you are not losing
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Many people who suffer from panic and anxiety attacks on a regular basis find that the simple act of getting up in the morning starts the cycle. The reason for this is because your body is coming out of sleep and any feelings of anxiety are exaggerated. Most of us are not ‘morning’ people, so when you add anxiety to the equation you can see why mornings are usually the most anxious time of the day for people with an anxiety disorder. Desensitizing your body from being in an anxious state takes a lot of time and patience, and there
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You already know the health mantra, “you are what you eat” but eating healthy isn’t just for people that want to lose weight or increase energy. Your diet has an effect on your central nervous system. Certain types of foods and beverages can increase your heart rate, make you sweat and even make you feel lethargic. If you’re not getting the right types of nutrients, your body may not be able to cope with stress and certain bodily functions can even break down. The result? An increased risk for anxiety and stress and even panic attacks. Most people eat a
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Panic and anxiety tends to immobilize people, so much so, that some people have a fear of even leaving their home. Agoraphobia is the technical term used to describe people who are afraid of open spaces or being in crowded places like malls, outdoor markets and theme parks. If you’ve ever felt anxious about leaving home, or your “safe zone”, you’re experiencing some of the effects of agoraphobia. The truth is, those feelings are really just feelings of vulnerability. People who suffer from panic attacks feel like they are more vulnerable in certain situations, and so they have difficulty feeling
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I think everyone that has experienced regular panic attacks has had this thought at one stage or another. It is directly connected to fear of losing control and freaking out. People’s imaginations run riot with ideas of losing mental control and doing something totally out of character and then as a result get locked up in a padded cell because of their strange behavior. When you experience high anxiety and panic your mind is not able to think rationally. The idea of being committed seems ridiculous to the non anxious mind but when your mind is operating from a high
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Just a quick note to wish you a very Happy New Year. As we think back on the last year we can often tend to focus on what went wrong rather than what went right. There are some of you who might feel it was not as anxiety free as you wished it could have been. If that is the case with you I want you to take solace in the fact that the road to recovery almost always has setbacks along the way. Recovering from panic attacks or GAD is never linear like getting over a cold. You take
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