Is there Relief for Anxiety and Panic Disorder?

Life can be stressful, especially during tough economic times. Making it all worse for some people, chronic anxiety is a nearly constant companion, taking its form in a number of confusing and distracting ways. Millions suffer from anxiety disorder without beign aware of it, and may even have panic attacks at the most unhelpful moments.

Recognizing the most common forms of anxiety and panic disorder is important, and can then steer the sufferer towards anxiety therapy resources. Believe it or not, there are ways to find substantial, long-lasting relief at a low cost or even for free in some cases.

The most common ailment in this family of troublemakers is Social Anxiety Disorder. This person has the relentless fear of being criticized or judged by those with whom they interact. They may feel they are on display to the world, being constantly critiqued. They also tend to be very sensitive to their own discomfort and how that fear is noticed by others.

In other words, they fear that other people will sense their discomfort, making it all the worse. Making small talk can be very traumatic. People with this burden often do not think that their distress is related to a medical condition.

Contrast this with another common ailment, panic disorder may enjoy being around others, and conversation is often very easy. But out of the blue, they start to have shortness of breath, dizziness, faintness, trembling, increased heart rate and hot or cold flashes. The sufferer may think they are going do die, but we are told that nobody has ever died directly from such an attack. This is important: panic attacks are not physically hurtful in virtually all cases (unless there is a history of heart problems for example). Once a person has had some unexpected panic attacks, they can develop a fear of having future attacks. That is known as agoraphobia.

There are a variety of sources for anxiety therapy to be found. If the problem is fairly mild, there are exercises and activities that can ease the burden. Practicing the repetition of helpful thoughts can be useful (although checking in with a professional is always in order if there is concern about a possible form of Anxiety).

The objective of anxiety therapy is to replace detrimental, irrational thoughts with helpful, rational thoughts. First, be firm with yourself and consciously say "Stop! This is not helpful, and I won't be a slave to that negative reaction."

For example, some relief may be gained by getting in the habit of repeating phrases like:

-"Anxiety (or panic) is not dangerous - it’s just uncomfortable. I am fine. I’ll continue with what I was doing and stay busy."

-"Right now I have feelings that I don’t like. They will be over soon and I’ll be fine. I am going to focus on doing something else around me."

-"I’ve done this before so I know I can do it again."

-"I can be anxious and still focus on the task at hand. As I focus on the task, my anxiety will go down."

Even preparing a short mental list of questions for small talk can help. Remember that the key to being good at small talk is in asking interesting questions of the other person. If you know you can carry on a conversation for a few minutes, that could relieve some of the anxiety.

There is a pattern in the therapy of distracting the sufferer to think about something else; over time some people gradually find the symptoms decreasing. Of course this is just a cursory view of the kinds of approaches that are taken in panic and anxiety therapy methods. This complex condition may require medication, and should be handled under the care of a competent professional in some cases.

J. Michael Key has written on the area of panic and anxiety disorder. Permanent relief is available. Find natural anxiety therapy at www.anxiety--therapy.net.