While doctors, psychiatrists, and various experts and professionals refer to the effects of anxiety attacks as “symptoms”, it is not a physical illness and cannot be cured by tablets, syrups or ingestible fluids. At best, these medications only mask the superficial effects of an anxiety disorder, but the problem or its root cause still remains buried inside the person, threatening to rise to the surface at the slightest provocation.
Anxiety disorder is an abnormal behavioral condition usually resulting from overreaction to perceived fear. Its common symptoms are noticeable at the physical level. Extreme cases of anxiety usually exhibit themselves through profuse sweating, palpitations or a sudden pounding of the heart, massive discomfort around the chest area, shortness of breath, intense fear and overall numbness. These physical symptoms are caused by sudden biological changes that occur as a result of stress and anxiety.
Always remember that in spite of strong feelings that the heart may stop or give up due to anxiety attacks, it will not happen since the body is very resilient and has natural defense mechanisms designed to adapt to stress. Worrying about a heart attack or nervous breakdown is unnecessary and may actually contribute to the overall risk of it happening. The worst kind of harm that could come to your body due to anxiety attacks is just to tax it so much that you end up feeling shaky, tired, and sleepy. In which case, a simple sleeping or resting will fix everything.
As with most kinds of disorders and illnesses, its prevention will be better, easier and longer lasting than the cure. When it comes to anxiety disorder, it is best to acknowledge the fact that it happens because you are overreacting to an intense fear, and as such, must find out exactly what you’re scared of, and do something to allay said fear. The prevention for anxiety disorder resembles the cure for most types of phobia, which is to find out the thing, situation, or person you are scared of, followed by an assessment of said fear if it’s valid or unnecessary.
If your fear is valid, try to find out ways in which to avoid said fear and think of plans that will help get rid of the problem. Being ready for it will allow you to be relaxed and levelheaded the next time it comes your way. If the fear is unnecessary, it is best to expose yourself to it to make yourself realize that there is nothing to be scared of. If you manage to conquer your fear, then you have effectively eliminated the cause of your anxieties, and can therefore consider yourself “cured”.
You should also practice various ways of relaxing, which could be different for everyone. The symptoms of anxiety disorder can usually be taken care of or at least held at bay by meditating, exercising or simply relaxing with a book and a hammock. For long term results, try to seek psychiatric help or behavioral therapy so that you can practice how to deal with fears an uncertainties in the future.
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