Treating Anxiety Attacks Needn’t Be Painful

Have you ever seen those films where all the mental patients are strapped to their beds and hidden behind big metal bars? Those barbaric scenes may have been enhanced for the movies but believe it or not, it was based on truth. They used to use shock therapy to “cure” people of their mental illnesses and some people were committed for simply going against a police officer! Luckily those days have gone and now you can tackle your anxiety in the comfort and safety of your own home. You don’t need to see a shrink, you don’t need to take endless pills and you certainly don’t need to feel any pain! Read on to find out how treating anxiety attacks isn’t as scary as you may think.

OK so the first thing that we need to do is to describe an anxiety attack. Some of you may not have had one before, may not know what one looks like or may just be unaware that you’ve had one because you didn’t know the signs. An anxiety attack usually comes about when there are high levels of anxiety or you are faced with your phobia. When this happens you start to feel panicky. Your chest becomes really tight and you find it difficult to breath. This only increases the panicky feeling and can make things so much worse. You start to feel dizzy, sick and your eyes go blurry. All the while you are unable to do anything about it because your body has taken over and is putting all of this upon you. This can last for as little as 3 minutes or as much as 30 minutes and you can have as many in a day as there is space for them.

Because the most common cause of anxiety attacks are phobias, its best to deal with these rather than deal with the attack itself. There are pills that your doctor can prescribe for the attacks but they simply remedy the problem rather than deal with the root cause. In order to deal with this cause you need to see a counselor. A counselor is trained to help you talk through your problems and see between the lines. They will help you to understand why you have these phobias and why they have come about. Because the mind us a very complex thing, phobias can be created from a stressful situation. A counselor will help you to talk about this and fully understand why it Happened. Once you have all this information, you can start to overcome your phobia and start treating panic attacks properly so you won’t have to suffer from them anymore.

Your fears and phobias wont go away on their own so you have to understand that counselors and doctors really do have your best interests at heart. We hope that you overcome your fears soon and that you can deal with the emotions that you’ll feel when your life is back to normal and you are happy once again.

Beating Drivers Anxiety

Suffering from a fear of getting behind the wheel? There are quite a few factors to consider when preparing to confront anxiety while driving. At the forefront of your decision is understanding why you are afraid.

For many people a traumatic event or stress associated with a particular situation on the road is the trigger of the anxiety. It is up to you (and possibly your therapist) to figure out what specifically triggers your feelings of uneasiness.

Fortunately there are some steps you can take right away to overcome fear of driving.

Step One, take your time.

Driving right after the work day ends is a recipe for headaches. Not only do you still have the stress of work on your mind but you have to contend with co workers and likely rush hour traffic. Instead take some time to relax for 15-30 min, in your office before you hit the road. Give yourself ample time to get to any obligations so that you don’t find yourself speeding or swerving to avoid missed turns, slow and steady wins the race.

Step Two, improve your skills.

Brush up with a local driving school; be prepared with a list of driving scenarios that you feel you need to work on. Some schools even offer safe driving courses that can lower your insurance rate, save money and build confidence it’s a win/win situation.

Step Three, master your mind.

Taking control of your mind may sound like a tall order but it really isn’t too hard. Start with breathing exercises, if possible give a yoga or palliates class a try. The structured movement exercises in either fitness regimen, will actually make driving easier by improving dexterity and mental focus.

With patience these three steps will help most people beat the driving jitters, but if you find yourself unable to cope there is no shame whatsoever in contacting a therapist. Good luck and drive safe.