Anxiety, Panic Attacks and Stress all derive from a phobia, or type of fear.
Anxiety is a physiological state that’s caused by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS).
Anxiety doesn’t necessarily stem from fear or defensive actions, but is quite often based on irrational or illogical fears. It can come from a need to escape situations which make us anxious and may at some level bring relief. This encourages us to escape the situation instead of working through the anxiety.
SNS is always active at the base level (called sympathetic tone) and becomes more active in stressful situations. The ”flight or fight” response occurs from here.
The physical symptoms of anxiety include those of stress (sweaty palms, racing heart, churning stomach), with the addition of: difficulty breathing, panicky feelings, chest pain or discomfort, flushed skin, sweating, trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating, trembling or shaking, and headaches.
Recovering from an anxiety disorder is attainable, but there is no “quick fix,” “miracle cure,” or “secret remedy” for it. Recovering from Anxiety disorder requires accessing the correct information, help, and support, and then applying the right tools to bring about lasting success.
Said the robin to the sparrow,
“I would really like to know,
whey these anxious hum ban beings
Rush around and worry so.”
Said the sparrow to the robin,
“I think that it must be
that they have no Heavenly Father
such as cares for you and me.”
——Unknown
What is a Panic Attack?
Panic has been related to the “fight or flight” mechanism. Panic attacks are sudden feelings of terror that strike without warning. A Panic Attack can be seen as a sudden fear that is able to dominate or replace our thing, and is a reaction that is brought about by some outside stimulus. It is said to be a product of the sympathetic nervous system.
A panic disorder is characterized by recurrent, spontaneous panic attacks. A panic attack is an acute episode of terror and discomfort. A barrage of terrifying symptoms take over the body, usually lasting only a couple of minutes, but sometimes continuing for up to ten minutes.
A Panic Attack will often occur when a situation happens which is perceived to be life or health threatening. In other words, panic is an anxiety state we happen to be thinking about.
Stress is a psychosocial reaction. It’s influenced by the way a person filters nonthreatening external events. The filtering is based on the person’s assumptions, ideas and expectations. These assumptions, ideas and expectations can be referred to as social constructionism.
Stress can be a reaction to something out of your control, such as being stuck in traffic. This is considered short lived stress. Or it can last a long time if you’re dealing with relationship problems, a spouse’s death or other serious situations. Stress becomes dangerous when it interferes with your ability to live a normal life over an extended period. You may feel tired, unable to concentrate or irritable. Stress can also damage your physical health.
Both Panic Attacks and Stress play very important roles in the natural survival instinct. The preparations for fight or flight are the body’s defense mechanisms. Preparing for the necessary course of action to be applied to preserve one’s, health or life, whichever one is in danger at the time.
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To Your Success,
Angela Valadez
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