How Can I Tell If I’m Having An Anxiety Attack?
Your having a quiet dinner with your family, suddenly you feel strange, like the walls are closing in. What is my problem and how can I tell if I’m having an anxiety attack? Anxiety is normal, it gets us pumped up to face a potentially harmful situation but if you are having feelings of impending doom, questions about your sanity or the feeling of soon losing control you may well be showing the signs of some type of anxiety disorder.
While displaying one or two symptoms may just be the reaction to a stressful situation, repeatedly showing signs of panic for no apparent reason is a condition that needs to be looked into by a professional and the sooner the better.
Signs And Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of anxiety are many and they must be not be taken individually, but as the sum of the whole to truly find out why and how. Can I tell if I’m having an anxiety attack soon enough to head it off before it gets out of control?
The answer is “yes”. In fact, the sooner you assess the situation, the easier it will be to defuse it. The causes for anxiety disorders are largely still a mystery but it often starts in adolescence and appears to run in families. A combination of any 3 or 4 of the following may be indicative of an anxiety disorder.
* Exaggerated worry – feelings of tension and unease that come “out of the blue”
* Excessive sweating
* Feelings of losing control
* Excessive and a heightened sense of worry – this is accompanied by tensed and uneasy feelings that strike without warning
* Heart palpitations
*Disrupted sleeping patterns – The inability to sleep causes lethargy
* Depression
* Shortness of breath
*Grim feelings that you are in a life-threatening situation, often harbouring thoughts of a heart attack
* Feeling as if one going insane
Anxiety symptoms are often swift and they can spread quickly. Severe in nature, they can sometimes cripple a human being with an overwhelming sense of fear. This causes the sufferer to shake uncontrollably and become disorientated. Nausea, numbness and chest pains are some other common symptoms.
Individuals who live with social disorders are more conversant with the symptoms but even with this knowledge they often feel helpless during their episode. Many sufferers go through a traumatic experience: their bodies turn icy cold or they begin to feel hot flashes, followed by giddiness and fatigue.
Getting Well
Anxiety issues often emanate from our subconscious and are the result of our phobias. An effective treatment in curbing acute anxiety episodes before they become overly serious is relaxation and meditation. If left untreated, the anxiety episodes can push an individual into further depression, making them feel that they have lost complete control of their lives.
Answering the question “how can I tell if I’m having a panic attack?” needs to be followed closely by “what do I need to do now to regain my confidence?” While there is no cure for anxiety disorders, with treatment the outlook is good and a return to normal life is easily attainable with stress management techniques, exercise, and proper diet and lifestyle changes.
Trevor Mosley was once a chronic sufferer of anxiety and severe panic attacks. Click here in order to discover how you can overcome your anxiety for good and live without the constant fear. By taking action today you will be able to greatly improve your quality of life. http://conqueranxietytoday.com
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