Anxiety - Don't panic! You can stop it…
Anxiety is a natural response to a stressful situation. Sometimes though once we've experienced it, it's difficult to stop.
Back in the 1980s I took part in some research at the Warneford Hospital in Oxford. My brain and body activity were monitored whilst was asked to hyperventilate. I experienced my breathing become erratic, difficulty to take deep breaths, my heart beat increased, my vision blurred, my mouth went dry, I felt dizzy and everything went purple, then I saw a tunnel before passing out momentarily.
So I know if anyone has had a panic attack, these are the more serious side effects you can experience.
Anxiety - symptoms
anxiety symptoms can include:
- palpitations (racing heart),
- breathlessness,
- dizziness
- sweating.
This component produces anxiety symptoms which affect us on a purely psychological level and are mostly as a direct result of adrenalin release during the 'fight or fight' response.
Secondly, there is a psychological component, characterised by anxiety symptoms such as:
- irritability,
- obsessions
- lack of concentration
- deep feelings of fear.
These anxiety symptoms may be constant or may be more intense during an anxiety attack (panic attack). Like the physiological anxiety symptoms, these are harmless but they can make the sufferer feel helpless and desperate.
For phobias and post traumatic stress, the memory of a particular incident can be so vivid it's in the forefront of your mind the whole time. This is a clue to how to deal with it, as the emotional response from the amygdala keeps the memory of the incident in the forfront of the mind. I have found those with the highest phobic response to be highly imaginative. Some people play the incident over and over and that reinforces the anxiety. Understanding what's going on in the brain can help things enormously.
If you recognise any of these symptoms then give me a call for a FREE consultation. If you're having panic attacks, or have a phobia or just find it difficult to manage your anxiety I can help. Give me a call or email me for a free consultation.
Also see: Pathology of Anxiety