Dealing with an anxiety attack

For those who suffer from the occasional anxiety attack or live thru the daily fear that accompanies phobias and anxiety disorders, the world is a very frightening place.  By better understanding what an anxiety attack is, we can better control how we handle the situation and lessen the occurrence of these frightening experiences.

Many times the person suffering from the occurrence of an anxiety attack, commonly called a panic attack, will have been perfectly fine moments before.  In just a split instant, their world is transformed into a hellish nightmare.  There is a sudden surge of irrational fear.  The chest muscles tighten.  The heart begins to pound.  Breathing can become difficult.  The sensation of a great weight being pushed down on the chest is often times reported by victims of the anxiety attack.  Many times the anxiety attack sufferer has been quoted to say, "I thought I was going to die!", and, unfortunately, they are not exaggerating when they make this statement.  In the time that an anxiety attack is occurring the individual knows a true form of fear for ones life.  What makes the situation even worse is that, often times, there is no warning or logical stimulus for this intense attack of fear.

The anxiety attack may continue to recur for years if left untreated so it is imperative to seek the advice of a mental health professional.  The anxiety attack, while not physically harmful, can leave terrible emotional scars that affect the deepest parts of your life.  If left untreated, the anxiety attack sufferer often spends years in fear of the next attack or avoiding situations which created the attack to begin with, thus doing great damage to their lifestyle and personal relationships.  Some victims of anxiety attacks go on to develop Agoraphobia, or fear of leaving their own homes, making them a virtual prisoner of their own devices and affecting their ability to lead productive lives or function in a working environment.  Additionally, when the root causes of the anxiety attack are left untreated, many individuals become dependent on drugs or alcohol to curb the mental anguish or begin to contemplate thought of suicide, thus furthering their anxiety by these means.

Can the anxiety attack be controlled?

It should be understood that you are not alone with this problem.  Since approximately 2.4 million Americans will suffer an anxiety attack within the next year, it is the most common anxiety related disorder.  That being said are there any steps that can be taken to control this dreadful menace?

Fortunately for the many people suffering from anxiety attacks, there is help.  A variety of therapies have came into being over the past few years that offer great comfort to those suffering from the pain of an anxiety attack.  By means of counseling, changes in dietary habits, special therapy or medications, many of these individuals will never have to suffer another anxiety attack again.

These methods often involve controlled exposure to ones fears as a way of developing coping strategies.  Additionally, education about precisely pinpointing where the fear and resultant anxiety attack originate from can help the individual to locate and weed out the unhealthy situations in their life which are creating the disturbance.