How Female Hormonal Changes Can Contribute to Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Author: Deanne Repich

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Some women are more sensitive to hormonal fluctuations than others. For many women, anxiety issues appear for the first time during periods of hormonal change. For other women, hormonal changes intensify previously existing anxiety symptoms.

Anxiety is one of the most common symptoms of Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS), post-childbirth, and perimenopause (the period of time before the onset of menopause). It may take the form of panic attacks, nervousness, sweating, intense fear, anxiety combined with depression, or other overwhelming symptoms.

Here are several periods of hormonal change that can intensify or trigger anxiety in women.

Puberty -- Developing girls experience hormonal changes as they prepare to begin their reproductive years.

Monthly menstrual cycle -- Often girls and women experience PMS the week before their period.

Following childbirth -- The severe drop in certain hormones following childbirth can cause dramatic physical symptoms and a temporary feeling of depression or anxiety; in some women, it is prolonged.

Perimenopause -- Perimenopause is the period of time when the body is approaching menopause. It may last from two to ten years. During this time the menstrual cycle becomes irregular as the hormone levels keep fluctuating, causing some women to experience PMS-like symptoms.

Although many of us may use the term "going through menopause" to describe this period of time, it is actually called perimenopause. Many women experience panic attacks for the first time during perimenopause. Other symptoms such as insomnia, hot flashes, rapid heartbeat, and sweating are also common.

With surgical menopause (hysterectomy), you'll likely experience perimenopausal symptoms after the surgery, even if you did not experience symptoms prior to surgery. Symptoms can be prolonged and are due to the dramatic and sudden decrease of certain hormones as a result of the hysterectomy. 

In non-surgical circumstances, menopause occurs after a woman has no periods for twelve consecutive months. It lasts only one day. Many women report feeling better than ever mentally and physically after menopause, due to the fact that hormone levels stabilize.

Hormonal Change Triggers the Fight Or Flight Response

Due to the fact that hormonal change causes physical and psychological stress, it triggers our "fight or flight" response. The fight or flight response is the body's inborn, self-protective response to perceived danger.

When we perceive that we are under stress, our bodies send out a rush of cortisol, adrenaline, and other brain chemicals to prepare us to "fight" or "flee" the danger.

The fight or flight response triggers the physiological changes that we associate with anxiety, such as rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure, sweating, muscle tension, narrowed mental focus, heightened emotion, and many other symptoms.

These are the same physical sensations that many women experience when their hormone levels fluctuate. In other words, most of the symptoms women experience during times of hormonal change are really fight or flight reactions. While these physical sensations are not dangerous, they can be very intense and overwhelming.

Our fight or flight response mechanism can become "hypersensitive" with the various hormonal changes in our bodies that take place from puberty to menopause. Many of us are in a constant state of stress due to our lifestyle and thought patterns, which also causes hypersensitivity.

In other words, our bodies may be stuck in the "on" switch of fight or flight. What normally wouldn't trigger symptoms, now initiates symptoms and perpetuates an ongoing cycle.

Fight or flight reactions in and of themselves are harmless. However, when our thoughts convince our rational minds that these symptoms are scary and dangerous, we create an anxiety cycle.

Anxiety consists of more than fight or flight reactions acting by themselves. Unproductive thoughts play a critical role in creating and perpetuating the anxiety we experience.
 
Our thoughts convert fight or flight reactions into anxiety, and a self-perpetuating cycle begins. Soon we find ourselves limiting our behaviors because of anxiety as well, which further entrenches the vicious cycle.

When a person is under stress, unresolved emotions and issues commonly come to the forefront. Because hormonal change is a major stressor, it can bring up internal conflicts and self-doubt in many areas of our lives. All of a sudden, we may find that the negative self-talk that we successfully pushed to the background of our lives during less stressful times is now playing center stage.

During periods of hormonal change, we may also feel uncertain about our changing roles (e.g. maturing from girl to woman, becoming a mother, becoming a mature woman past childbearing years), which can add to our internal conflict.

When we fail to successfully resolve internal conflicts and the unhelpful thought patterns that contribute to them, we create a breeding ground for anxiety. Combined with fight or flight symptoms, it's no wonder that these unproductive thoughts create and perpetuate the anxiety cycle!

What can you do if hormone-related anxiety affects you?

Here's some great news! The same tools that you can use to overcome anxiety due to other reasons can help you to conquer anxiety related to hormonal changes too.

Research shows that cognitive-behavioral techniques that help you change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, lifestyle changes, relaxation techniques, and nutritional strategies (all found in our Conquer Anxiety Success Program) can help women dealing with hormonal changes.

These types of strategies not only help women regain a sense of control over their lives, but actually achieve improved physical and emotional well being! Here are a few tips to get you started:

-- Focus on reducing preventable stress in your life that triggers the fight or flight response -- stop the yo-yo dieting; increase sleep to eight or nine hours a night; exercise regularly; don't skip meals; cut back on your frantic schedule; and decrease stimulants, such as caffeine.

The body isn't designed for constant stress. When we are bombarded with stress, our ability to cope can become overwhelmed because the elevation in stress hormones makes the fight or flight switch remain "on."

-- Learn how to train your body to respond differently to stress so that you can automatically turn the false alarm "off" when the fight or flight response is triggered. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, yoga, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation can help you achieve this goal. 

-- Most importantly, learn how to change how you think. Our thoughts are what convert the harmless fight or flight response into a vicious cycle of anxiety. Remember, just as our thoughts hold the key to creating anxiety, they also hold the key to eliminating it!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/stress-management-articles/how-female-hormonal-changes-can-contribute-to-anxiety-and-panic-attacks-80950.html

About the Author

Deanne Repich, founder and director of the National Institute of Anxiety and Stress, Inc., is an internationally known anxiety educator, teacher, author, and former sufferer. Tens of thousands of anxiety sufferers have sought her expertise to help them reclaim their lives from anxiety, stress, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, anxiety attacks and social anxiety. She is the creator of the Conquer Anxiety Success Program, author of more than seventy-five articles, and publishes the Anxiety-Free Living printed Newsletter for anxiety sufferers. To learn more about anxietyand to immediately download her free e-book Anxiety Tips: Seven Keys to Overcoming Anxiety, visit http://www.ConquerAnxiety.com.
   

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How Your Anxiety Affects Your Mind And Your Physical Body

By Andrew Tudor Jones 

Photo: 4.bp.blogspot.com

Our response to anxiety is the normal reaction to anything that happens that we recognize to be a threat to us or those close to us. Some of the stimulating effects of this response can be good for us but if our anxious awakening is excessive and unrealistic pertaining to the situation we are faced with, then our heightened levels of anxious arousal will take its toll on our health. In fact over time giving our minds constant fight or flight messages can and will do life-threatening damage to our physical bodies.
Here is a list of some of the things that happen to our physical bodies during increased anxiety or a panic attack, remember these things happen every time our anxiety exceeds normal healthy levels.

• Skin: Our sweat glands immediately start working to lower our core temperature in case we need to run or stand and fight.
• Breathing: Our lungs start working harder and faster, forcing the oxygen in which will be needed by the muscles to perform well.
• Heart: Our heart starts to beat faster and harder, raising our blood pressure and pulse beyond normal levels.
• Immune System: With all our major organs on high alert, fighting germs takes a back seat and our immune cell system slows right down leaving us open to attack.
• Cognition: Our brain anticipates the worst possible outcome, going into override and we start to feel impending doom.
• Digestion: Our digestive system becomes very low on the bodies priority scale and slows right down leading to stomach problems like bloating, indigestion, diarrhoea, vomiting etc.
• Metabolism: Hormonal changes affect both our appetites and the way we burn calories, upset metabolisms lead to other problems such as obesity.
• Nerves: Our nerve system becomes oversensitive and this leads to increased awareness of pain.

As you can see we are putting our bodies under tremendous stress every time we have an anxiety or panic attack, with a severe attack doing untold damage over the long term.
Imagine you have particularly nasty infection which you need your immune system to get to work on immediately to fight off the foreign invaders which have entered your body but because you are in a constant anxious state then your immune system is almost closed down and will definitely lose the battle and leave you with a possibly life threatening infection needing immediate medical intervention.
Perhaps like me you would like your heart to continue working well into old age, are we helping it achieve that outcome by continually stressing it unnaturally?
So now we have a strong case for overcoming our anxiety or panic disorder, not only will we feel much better mentally but we will also be giving our physical bodies the best possible chance of operating at optimal rate for a long time to come.
© Andrew Tudor Jones.

Andrew Tudor Jones is the owner of http://www.anxietydepressionselfhelp.com, a websit dedicated to anyone who suffers from anxiety and depression.The website offers valuable information on these conditions as well as 2 e-books which can be downloaded for free and a Blog,updated on a regular basis with relevant information. You can connect with Andrew on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/selfhelpforanxietyanddepression.

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Control Stress or It Will Control Your Business

 By: Dale Collie

When we think about stress in the workplace, we usually refer to ulcers or heart conditions, but stress has a much broader impact. It is known that stress is linked to cancer, lung ailments, cirrhosis of the liver, immunity to common illnesses, back problems, and many other medical problems.
It is estimated that stress is the underlying factor in 75 - 90% of all physician visits.
We see the effects of stress in workplace absenteeism, accidents, health care costs, workers comp, quality problems, productivity, litigation, grievances, violence, customer service complaints, resistance to change, personnel turnover, and profits.
Workplace stress is costing your business thousands of dollars per year. Is stress a line item on your budget? Knowing how much you are spending on stress is a good place to start, but you must take responsibility for stress control and its impact on the bottom line.
To receive a free article about the signs and symptoms of workplace stress, send a blank email to highstresswarningsigns@couragebuilders.com. It's automatic.
If stress is such a problem, you might be asking questions such as:
++How much is stress costing our company each year?
++How can we find out the costs?
++How can we control stress to put this money back on the bottom line?
Controlling stress is beneficial on the bottom line and for employees who work hard to make the company successful.
About The Author
Dale Collie speaker, author, coach, and former US Army Ranger, corporate president, and teacher at West Point. Selected by "Fast Company" as one of America's Fast 50 innovative leaders. Author of "Frontline Leadership: From War Room to Boardroom," and "Winning Under Fire: Turn Stress into Success the US Army Way," (McGraw Hill).
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collie@couragebuilders.com

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Managing Your Every Day Stresses And Anxieties As A Parent

By: Stanley Popovich

Having to complete a dissertation of more than 10 000 words can be very stressful especially if you have less research and support. It can also be daunting even to the intelligent student.

A dissertation should be well structured. It requires great planning stage, an outline developed, a literature review, and a first draft then proceed in developing the final draft. All these stages are a process to a well structured dissertation. If these stages are followed precisely you are sure to complete your dissertation with great ease.

In order for you to complete your dissertation with great ease you would have to follow some of these steps below.

- You would have to acquire the necessary requirements for the dissertation and the documents that provide these requirements.

- You should get to understand the type of dissertation that you are working on. You should also be able to make use of the guidance and advice from your tutors. You should also get to know if the dissertation is based on subject matter that has already been discussed or you should be able to research about it.

- Get to know the total word limit of your dissertation.

- Get to know if you will need to make use of a specific preference such as the sub heading, line spacing, etc.

- The time limit of your dissertation is very important. Get to know when the dissertation needs to be submitted.

- The access of assistance that you are entitled to is very essential. Get to know if you have so much freedom on your title before you commence work.

If these guidelines are followed precisely you will certainly be able to write a good dissertation. Above all please keep your dissertation as simple as possible.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Stan Popovich is the author of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear an easy to read book that presents a overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com

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Stress And Anxiety The Killer Among Us

By: Daniel Richard

Lets face it since September 11th, our lives have changed forever. Weve seen war in Iraq and Afghanistan, with no end in sight. Weve seen Wall Street collapse, and peoples life savings go down the drain. The economy hit the tank and people are in fear of losing their jobs, their homes, and everything precious to them. So its no wonder people are stressed, and have anxiety.

Stress and anxiety is a very real problem if its not treated properly. Lots of people dont even realize they have stress until it starts to effect their lives or their health. Stress and anxiety can cause all kinds of health problems such as high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, ect. But it can also cause lots of problems in your relationships, your family and so on. Money problems is the worst kind of stress there is, it can literally drive you crazy, but there is help out there you just have to let yourself get the help that is right for you.

I myself, have experienced stress and anxiety. About ten years ago I had really bad neck pain that would not go away. I went to the doctors several times, I even had a MRI done and it kept showing nothing wrong. I also at the same time could not be in a small room or enclosed area, because I would start to sweat, and feel like I was going to faint. My doctor then suggested It may be stress, so he showed me some techniques that I could do at home, and after about two weeks of trying his techniques, my neck pain went away and it never bothered me again, or the anxiety of being in enclosed areas, it was great. So in this article I will show you a little of what he taught me.

The first thing my doctor showed me was to look at things as positive as you can, in other words if something bad happens think of something about it thats positive. I know that might sound corny, but it works. If you have a bad day at work, leave it at work! Tell yourself that tomorrow will be better day, and so on, do this for every negative thing, make it positive even if its just a good fantasy thought.

The second thing he showed me was, music therapy that I could use at home. Its music with whats called Binaural Beats to help your mind relax. I downloaded it to my Mp3 player, and it really makes you relax, it has soft music with sounds of birds chirping and waterfalls, very calming. He told me for the best results find a quiet place with no distractions, use headphones and listen to it for about 30 minutes. It took a few times but it really help me out.

In conclusion, if you think that stress is starting to take over your life try some of the techniques in the article and if it does not help and you need more information please see link bellow.

Read more: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Stress-And-Anxiety-The-Killer-Among-Us/834017#ixzz13zv2K3MG
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

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If you would like more information on how to relieve stress and anxiety or how to download binaural beats to your computer or Mp3 player please visit:click here!

Thank you, Daniel Richard

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Beating Anxiety & Stress With Golden Root

First and foremost, anyone who feels they show any type of symptoms of anxiety or depression must always check with a healthcare professional before treatment.

An herbal remedy that was first recorded for its medicinal applications is called Rhodiola Rosea. This herbal remedy has been used extensively in Russian medicine since 1969.

Rhodiola Rosea is a natural remedy and the latest to join the ever-growing arsenal of natural stress and anxiety reducers.

Rhodiola Rosea is a native plant of Arctic Siberia and commonly known as Golden Root. Eastern European and Asian cultures have used this herb for centuries for work productivity and longevity, physical endurance, resistance to high altitude sickness, to treat fatigue, anemia, depression, impotence, infections, nervous system disorders and gastrointestinal ailments.

Considered an adaptogen, which means it has an overall stabilizing effect on one's body without disrupting any other functions. Because of its ability to normalize the hormones, it may well be an effective treatment for people that suffer from anxiety and depression.

Westerners have only begun to become aware of the health benefits of Rhodiola Rosea in spite of its long history. Because of studies, which tested its effect on combating stress and anxiety, natural health care practitioners, have started paying more attention to this herbal remedy.

Studies have been conducted to identify its effects on chemical, biological and physical stress. Adaptogen's have been shown to improve the body's overall ability to handle stress.

Studies have been performed to test the effects of Rhodiola Rosea when stress is caused by some sort of intense mental work such as a final exam. These tests resulted in an increase in mental clarity and a reduction in the affects of fatigue, which in turn produced much improved quality of work.

In a report by the American botanical Council Rhodiola Rosea was tested on both anxiety and stress from a physical and emotional standpoint. The report showed most of the users found that their mood had improved, as well as their mental clarity and their energy level. Another study has shown the possibility thatRhodiola Rosea could increase one's stress tolerance at the same time protecting the heart and brain from physical effects of stress.

Consumers need to be aware that Rhodiola can also be sold using a species that do not share the common properties of Rhodiola Rosea or could possibly be ineffective for treatment. The properties should be a minimum 0.8% salidroside and 3% rosavin.

Always remember to fully investigate any herbal remedy and check with your health care professional to be sure it is the right remedy for you.

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About the Author:

Carlie Edwards publishes articles & useful information on Today's Issues & Topics. For more information on Anxiety Panic Attack visit: http://anxiety-and-panic-attack.com. To find a variety of topics & issues visit: http://health-and-beauty-worx.com

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Zanaprin Stress And Anxiety Relief For Everyday Life

By: Katy Did

Types of Personal Strain Affecting Our Population

Everyone has fears and anxieties they reach throughout the day. However, individuals who suffer from anxiety disorders feel helpless to their frantic fears and anxieties. Even if they believe that their anxiety and suffering is unwarranted they still feel trapped and insubstantial over their anxiety. Anxiety signs and symptoms are individual from person to person and can both be physical and emotional. Physical characteristics of anxiety and stress present with severe headaches, stomach pain and uneasiness, and can even be felt as persistent and horrible pains in the lower back and other areas of the body.
There are various types of anxiety, generalized, social, and panic to name a few, that people suffer from on a daily basis. Anxiety disorder numbers show that Social Anxiety Disorder is the most typical example of anxiety disorder and the least understood. Anxiety disorder statistics show that Social Anxiety disorder affects eight percent of society. Social anxiety disorder, however, can be distinguished from other common anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder, by the situations and thoughts that trigger anxiety symptoms. People with generalized anxiety are mad with worry exceedingly throughout the day about multiple occurances and situations, but the worry is not specific to social approval. Social anxiety is a problem characterized by the emotions of disgrace, disfavour and embarrassment.
Social anxiety is an discernment of fear, apprehension or concern regarding social situations and being evaluated by others. People vary in how repeatedly they experience anxiety in this way or in which kinds of situations. Social anxiety is far more intense than shyness, and can keep you from functioning in average life. People obscured with social anxiety want to interact with others, but are controlled with fear. Social anxiety disorders and social phobias take assorted shapes and forms. And the variety of social triggers for a honest social anxiety problem can be quite diverse.
Social anxiety is very common in people who also have severe mood swings. They can go through periods of time where they are very socially brave; and other periods where they feel extreme anxiety symptoms even thinking about meeting someone new. Social anxiety physical symptoms may interfere with success or completion of school, meeting new friends or relationships, and employment. Nonetheless, many individuals suffer with social phobia for many years without a diagnosis or plan. Social Anxiety involves intense, irrational fears of specific anxiety-provoking situations, and regular compulsive evasion of those situations.
Generalized anxiety usually does not control people to evade situations, and there isn't an causation of a "panic attack" involved in the prognosis, either. It's the postulation, thinking, thinking, dwelling, dwelling, ruminating, ruminating, and inability to shut the mind off that so incapacitates the existence. Generalized anxiety disorder is often accompanied by other problems, such as depression, substance abuse, and other anxiety disorders.
Generalized anxiety disorder affects persons of all ages, even children and teenagers. Anxiety disorder statistics show that girls are twice as likely as boys to experience generalized anxiety. Generalized anxiety disorder is a condition characterized by chronic anxiety, worry, and tension, even when there is little or nothing to provoke it. Generalized anxiety physical symptoms include trembling, headaches, and irritability. Generalized anxiety is constant and can create anxiety / panic attacks during the day and night. Night time anxiety and panic attacks are especially disturbing and can often wake the innocent from deep sleep feeling particularly frightened.
people find it hard to keep fears and worried thoughts from interfering with their regular lives. Individuals often contemplate and preoccupy themselves over routine circumstances around their jobs, finances, their health as well as the health of their families. Individuals with Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) also perceive other physical symptoms during worry, such as muscle tension, trouble sleeping (falling asleep or staying asleep), difficulty concentrating, irritability, and feeling easily fatigued. Anxiety disorder numbers indicate that approximately 6% of Americans will develop criteria for GAD over the lifetime.
GAD is associated with uncommon levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry signals across nerve endings. GAD is about chronic, allconsuming worry over events that are unlikely to occur. They may worry about finances just because a bill arrives in the mail, or health because they saw a news report on heart attacks. GAD usually affects the body as well as the mind. Its symptoms are characteristic of sharp, exaggerated worry, restlessness, and fatigue as well as irritability, trouble concentrating, and sleeplessness.
Panic Anxiety Disorder is typically characterized by sudden and severe episodes and it is a familiar medical disorder. Panic anxiety disorder is a senseless disease that can affect anybody and at any time. When you identify yourself in undesired situations, your body's natural response will be to panic. Panic anxiety disorder is characterized by repeatitive, unprovoked attacks of fright, accompanied by physical symptoms, including chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, weakness, and sweating. A panic attack can resemble a heart attack, and often the intense event of the duress is when you are rushed to the emergency room with chest trouble.
Panic attacks occur on in wave like formations. An event often leads into another, creating a vicious cycle of hindrance that may seem unlikely to letupout of. Panic is a sudden event of extreme anxiety. The most common anxiety physical symptoms are heart palpitations, sweating, shaking, shortness of breath and a feeling of suffocating. Panic, for example, does not respond to techniques and strategies aimed at reducing and dealing with everyday worry. Panic and phobias are ways in which anxiety can also affect people.
These types of anxiety are invalidating to many areas of life. Strikingly many of these disorders can't be treated with positive thinking or calm thoughts because they involve imbalance in the neurotransmitters in the mind. Finding aid can only begin when you decide it's time to stop letting problems and stress influence your life and regain charge and control of your mental health and wellbeing.

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Thank you for taking time to review this information on anxiety and stress. Please include a link to our site if using any portion of this work on your site including RSS feeds. This Original Article and any variations are owned by Executive Image International c.2009 No Prescription Needed to Stop Your Stress and Anxiety

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Anxiety - Top Twelve Effects of Anxiety on Your Physical and Mental Health

By Bethany Henshaw
Everyone knows what anxiety feels like. Anxiety is a normal body reaction to stressful situations or to a threat that the mind perceives. Although the word connotes ugly images of nervousness, trembling and intense sweating, anxiety by itself is not totally bad for the body. In fact, it is a necessary reaction which allows the brain to activate our "fight or flight" response so that the body can protect itself from danger. It is what allows us to flee from an attacking stranger, or to jump from a burning house to save ourselves from fire.
Yet, anxiety can take its toll on the body and the mind, if it becomes excessive. A regular bout of anxiety where symptoms become too evident that they distract a person from doing his tasks is a serious concern. If these symptoms happen several times a day, then an anxiety disorder is already taking place in the person's mind.
An anxiety disorder should not be taken lightly. If unaddressed soon or properly, the condition may worsen and can lead to depression, especially among young adults. The most immediate effect of anxiety in a person is it causes upheavals in his personal and professional life. The symptoms can be so debilitating sometimes that a person with this kind of disorder would sometimes prefer to just stay at home, especially if the disorder is also coupled with agoraphobia which is the constant fear that an anxiety attack will happen at a public place and escape is not possible.
Here are the top 12 most common effects of anxiety on the physical, mental and emotional health of a person:
1. Hyperventilation or breathing rapidly may result during an anxiety attack which can make you feel shaky, a little dizzy or light headed
2. Tension in the muscles may result to headaches and overall discomfort.
3. An elevated blood pressure can make you uneasy and dizzy, sometimes nauseous.
4. Your digestive system will be affected and may cause diarrhea or vomiting.
5. Your sleep patterns may be affected, causing you sleepless nights which results to chronic fatigue.
6. You may have feelings of inadequacy and dependence on others. You may experience "catastrophizing" which means you may develop thoughts of impending danger or calamity which you feel is beyond your control.
7. You may feel excessive, often irrational fear which grips you sometimes in the middle of the night. You become constantly irritable and unable to concentrate.
8. You may feel frustrated easily and may have a very poor image of yourself. Your confidence level is affected. Your social skills become almost nil, as worries about your "imperfections" or " inadequacies" may stop you from building relationships.
9. You may develop other unhealthy coping mechanisms such as excessive drinking, smoking or drug abuse.
10. You may intentionally avoid experiences that otherwise would have enriched your life. You may not be able to maintain meaningful and gratifying relationships. Instead you may be drawn towards people who have the same outlook as yours or help you avoid situations that may have helped you overcome your anxiety.
11. Your self esteem maybe affected and you may develop the fear of public places (agoraphobia) which can make you unable to go beyond your comfort zones.
12. You may develop depression and if the condition remains untreated for a long time, you may start having suicidal thoughts.
If you or a person you know suffer from an anxiety disorder, do not hesitate to go to an authorized medical care giver, either a medical doctor or a psychotherapist. Do not feel that you are alone and can not go to anyone about your problem. After all, you are just one of the 40 million Americans who have been diagnosed with this condition.
You need to help yourself first, before help can come to you. Pay attention to what your body is telling you and seek help as early as possible.

Bethany Henshaw is a life coach and the author of the eBook "Anxiety Success". She has been helping many people know how to overcome a panic disorder through natural means.

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Types of Anxiety Disorders in Children

By Chaim Packer

Like all human beings, children experience anxieties, many of which are perfectly normal developmental stages or responses to things they encounter in their everyday lives. Very young children often show intense anxiety at being separated from their parents or primary caretakers-a common sight (and sound) on the first day of daycare or the first time parents leave their child with a babysitter. And of course many children go through stages where they develop a temporary fear of strangers, or the dark, or dogs, or any number of external stimuli. But anxiety can also persist and develop beyond what is "normal" even in very young children.

Six distinct types of anxiety disorder have been identified: generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Every one can strike children and teenagers as well as adults. There are some significant differences between children and adults, however, in the particular symptoms they exhibit, in how the disorder can be recognized or diagnosed, and in the prevalence of certain sub-types of anxiety.

Diagnosing anxiety disorders in children (as in adults) is often a matter of degree. How often, how severe, how persistent are likely to be the determining factors. But children are often not analytical or articulate enough to communicate their feelings directly, which can make understanding their problems a challenge. Parents and teachers need to learn to recognize certain types of behaviors as warning signs that merit further attention. Some of the symptoms that can be warning signs in children are extreme clinginess, tantrums, unwillingness to go to school or to friends' houses, nightmares, wanting to sleep with parents, signs of panic when they are separated from their parents, inability or unwillingness to speak audibly, and a need for constant approval and reassurance.

Experts have given labels to some of the particular forms anxiety takes among children.

Separation anxiety is usually a brief phase for young children between the ages of 18 months and 3 years. When it continues after the age of 4, it may signal a more serious problem. It most often recurs between the ages of 6 and 9 and can take the form of extreme homesickness, excessive worry about a parent's safety or health, and resistance to attending school. A child who is reluctant to go to school or camp or social activities like sleepovers, who clings to his or her parents particularly at bedtime and who experiences nightmares when apart from parents may be suffering from separation anxiety.

Social phobia and social anxiety disorders often first appear in the teenage years, the prime period for learning and negotiating peer interaction. It's important to distinguish this problem from mere shyness, since it can have a major impact on a child's total social development and future ability to function. Children with this problem will have difficulty speaking or performing before a class or other group, and may avoid eye contact and speak very softly or indistinctly. They are likely to sit alone and be highly sensitive to embarrassment and criticism.

Social anxiety disorder can sometimes lead to an extreme symptom called selective mutism, where children refuse to speak in certain situations they find uncomfortable-like school-even though they may be quite talkative when at home.

School avoidance or school refusal is also sometimes treated as a distinct issue that is related to separation anxiety but also can arise from or lead to the development of social phobias and social anxiety. The stomachaches and headaches that children often complain about on school mornings are classic signs, as are tantrums.

It's extremely important to spot and address anxiety disorders in children, because they can seriously interfere with the child's school performance and the ability to form social and peer relationships-problems that have lifelong consequences.

Chaim Packer is passionate about helping others with this debilitating condition. For more great information on anxiety disorder children visit http://www.alleviatepanicattacks.com.

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Social Phobia Disorder and Blushing in Public

By Noel Thomas
Social phobia disorder is also known as social anxiety. This is a condition in which people have a fear of social interactions and being negatively judged by other people. Social anxiety usually starts in early childhood but may not be recognized until adolescence. It can cause a person to start avoiding social situations all together and put major limitations on the sufferer. Some people with social anxiousness also have problems with blushing in front of others or sweating excessively when nervous.
If you struggle with social phobia disorder and blushing you know how embarrassing these moments can be. You fear interacting with other people because you feel as though you may do something you perceive as stupid. Then when faced with the situation, you light up like a tomato for no apparent reason and your mind races as to how you are going to escape the embarrassing moment. The truth is, other people who witness you blush often think it's endearing. I know this is little help if you are the one blushing...
If you blush excessively and also have social phobia disorder, you should seek help sooner than later. If you let your anxiety persist and start limiting your actions, you may grow to fear human contact completely and never want to leave your home. Social anxiety disorder is very curable and there are numerous treatments to help.
A few treatments for blushing and social phobia disorder include: cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, group therapy, self esteem training, and natural methods to relieve anxiety. Yoga, meditation, progressive relaxation, exercise, and a proper diet all help to get you better in tune with your body so you can have better control over your anxiety and blushing. Social phobia disorder can be cured completely. You only need to find the solution which works best for you.

Blushing Treatment for People With Social Phobia - If you struggle with blushing in public and would like to learn how to stop, there is a great natural method which I highly recommend. Click here: STOP BLUSHING NOW
This method was designed by an ex-blusher and social phobic and has helped thousands of people overcome their blushing episodes. Visit http://Stop-Blushing.us to learn how to get started today.
I wish you great success!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Noel_Thomas

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How to Eliminate Your Acne and HAVE FUN at the Same Time!

by: Kenny Goh Jern Yue

Have you ever wondered why we have acne and even more on how we can get rid of acne? Like a lousy tenant, acne doesn’t pay you rent, nor contribute anything beneficial to your life. It does however do the opposite by destroying your skin and worst of all, your self esteem and social life!

Well, before embarking on this simple method to destroy your acne for good, we need to know thy enemy. There are two major causes of acne and the rest are just secondary. Before we can tackle them, we need to understand what they are and how they affect us.

Firstly, acne is caused by imbalanced hormone production. When you were a teenager, your body began to produce a hormone known as androgens, which activates and stimulates the oil glands in your skin, thus increasing oil and sebum production.

Logically, with the limited size of each pore and the constant influx of sebum, your pores get clogged and you may notice the presence of blackheads and pimples. As that spreads across the skin, it becomes known as acne vulgaris.

Stress in this case acts more like a catalyst rather than a cause. But do not underestimate the damages of stress. It can potentially worsen the acne a person has.

Our secret weapon in eliminating acne lies in the sea water. The sea water is formed with a balance of the salts in minerals such as sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium chloride and bromides. These forms of minerals are vital in their respective ways for acne treatment.

Magnesium reduces stress and water retention, hampering aging and soothes the nervous system. Calcium prevents water retention while increasing circulation.
Potassium balances skin moisture level and replenishes minerals lost in vigorous activities. Bromides ease muscle stiffness and tensions, thus eliminating stress, which is a major contributing factor to acne. Finally, sodium is a booster for immune system function. All these act as a natural defense for your body against any acne breakouts.

So how can we apply the power of sea water and exercise to your acne condition, the answer is simple. Just head down to the nearest beach and have a swim! The only thing you need to be careful of is sunburn. Therefore, only go on early mornings: 9am-11am or evenings at 5:30pm to 6:30pm.

You may begin to notice the effects of this treatment after your FIRST SWIM! And you will be amazed on how smooth your skin has become. The more vigorous your swim and the more you sweat, the more your skin will be cleansed. This is a double action cleansing as your sweat pushes the impurities off your skin, which by the way is no longer clogged after the sea water washes away the debris! Additionally, the minerals in the seawater penetrate the pores to do some deep skin cleansing, all while you’re having fun swimming!


About the author:
My name is Kenny and I am a web published of www.1st-natural-acne-treatment.comFighting acne has been my passion since it was a constant problem in my youth. This site is built to share acne treatment products I have personally used in my life and have worked for me. I can't give them for free but I can show you what they are and save you from all the trials and errors which are not just monetary. Some errors in acne treatments lead to scarring which is totally unnecessary if you know how to prevent them. Wish you luck and may you be well always.

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9 Tips to Stop Food Cravings and Help You With Your Diet

by: Emily Clark

Most of us are "regular" people. We don't eat the perfect diet
all the time and have our struggles with food, same as everyone
else. But having an awareness of this fact and knowing a little
bit about our health and food nutrition can help when it comes to
making wise decisions.

Many people struggle with food "cravings." Studies tell us that
it's fairly common for food cravings to happen at certain times,
quite often at around bedtime. Your guard may be down, you may
have had an unusually hard day, and off you go on your
not-so-merry way to find that tasty treat. Fatigue and stress
often combine to take their toll on the best of intentions.

When food cravings are unconstrained, what starts out as a
bedtime snack quickly turns into a full blown feeding
frenzy...not something most of us fully understand or appreciate.
We head to kitchen and every other place where food can hide,
clearing a path as we go.

Most food cravings are not about satisfying a nutritional need or
imbalance. They seem to be more emotionally related, or God
forbid, are caused by plain old gluttony. Exactly why we
over-indulge is not completely understood, however our knowledge
about this subject continues to grow.

Listed below are some thoughts and ideas about food cravings:

- If the food isn't available, you can't eat it! Empty the cookie
jar and keep it that way! Keep healthy food choices on-hand.

- Recognize the feelings and emotions that lead-up to a food
craving. Do you have food cravings when you’re bored, lonely, or
stressed? If you can identify a trigger, you can deal with the
emotion that’s making you desire a certain food. Try to deal with
the triggers in the best way you can.

- Sometimes, even recognizing that a craving is about to happen
doesn't seem to help. Don't beat yourself-up. There is always
tomorrow. Call a friend, make good use of your support network
and share your feelings with someone.

- Get enough sleep. When you’re tired, you’re more likely to
crave things.

- Never give-up. When you "slip", press-in, bear-down, get a
grip, do whatever is necessary to re-gain control. Try to
practice restraint most of the time, but don't get legalistic and
un-balanced in your weight loss approach. Think moderation and
not abstinence at all times!

- Understand that self-control and discipline by themselves,
won't cut it! If you depend totally on yourself for control, you
will fail. Forming caring and supportive relationships is
required. If you do not currently have a support network, start
building one TODAY.

- Exercise. It increases feel-good endorphins that cut down on
your cravings. Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical
activity every day.

- Use moderation. Instead of stuffing yourself with every kind of
food hoping that your craving will go away, eat 100 to 200
calories of your "craved" food.

- Substitute with low-fat foods and complex carbs. If you’re
hungry for chocolate, eat non-fat chocolate yogurt. Try fig bars
or raisins for a sweet craving.

- Never skip a meal. Eat every three to five hours. Try six
smaller meals or regular meals with nutritious snacks.

- Understand that hunger craving are oftentimes stress related.
Practice other ways to treat chronic stress – a walk in the park,
spiritual connections, a cozy fireplace, baths...all these
stimulate neurochemicals that activate regions of the brain that
stimulate pleasure. Relaxation techniques may work by reducing
the psychological drives on stress output, which can be the root
causes of stress. Bottom line, substitute pleasurable experiences
for comfort foods.

- Beware of certain medications. They can stimulate appetite.
Drugs used for the treatment of depression and bipolar disorder
can be appetite stimulants. Other drugs, both prescription and
over the counter, may influence appetite as well. If you are on a
medication, and troubled by food cravings, discuss this with your
doctor or pharmacist. You may be able to find an alternative that
doesn't send your cravings out of control.

- Distract Yourself. What's that old expression...idle hands are
the devils workshop? Get busy. Do anything other than cave-in to
your desire for food, and keep doing it until the cravings
subside.

- One final thought, take a look inside your refrigerator and
kitchen cabinets and do some general "house cleaning." Throw-out
all that unhealthy stuff that is waiting to sabotage your diet,
and start shopping more wisely. A little forethought and careful
planning will go a long way for improving your chances of
success.

Eat wisely, be happy, and live long!

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes
only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any
disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any
health care program.


About the author:
Emily Clark is editor at Lifestyle Health News and Medical Health News
where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on
many medical, health and lifestyle topics.

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Anxiety Attack Management

by: Kathy Jones

Do you experience unnecessary fears with raging heartbeat and/or difficult breathing? Are you daydreaming or imagining something catastrophic to happen, have scary thoughts like seizure, heart attack? Are you often worried about your own or loved one’ death or feel an impending sense of doom? Getting into panic whenever faced by new problems or new situations? Are you afraid and going crazy? Are you excessively nervous at times, have difficulty in concentrating; have stomach problems, dizziness or uncontrollable sweating? It is likely that you are suffering from anxiety disorders and getting “anxiety attacks”. Anxiety All people experience fear and anxiety. Fear is an emotional physiologic and behavioral response to a recognized external threat. Anxiety is an unpleasant emotional state that has a less clear source. As such, anxiety indicates the presence of psychological conflict. Every person has a personal threshold for what he or she can handle in a given situation. Some people have a lower threshold due to their genetic makeup or past experiences. If pushed past this threshold by events, these people feel stressed, even overwhelmed, and can easily have anxiety attacks. Indications It could be that you are one among so many others getting those “anxiety attacks”. There are many reasons why you get them. An anxiety attack is your response to stress, such as the breakup of an important relationship or exposure to a life-threatening disaster or even a kind of lifestyle one leads or is forced to lead. It can take some time for an anxiety disorder to develop. It presents none, or very few, symptoms until the disorder has developed fully. Management of anxiety Management of anxiety disorders or the short-term symptomatic relief of symptoms of excessive anxiety is now possible. Please note that anxiety or tension associated with the stress of everyday life usually does not require treatment with a medicine. With Alprazolam (Xanax) management of the anxiety and insomnia has now become easy. Alprazolam is often preferable to other Benzodiazepine for the treatment of anxiety disorders. Alprazolam is the recommended drug for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and is for the management of panic disorders with or without agoraphobia. Have questions about anxiety attacks and anxiety medication? Check out Dr. Johnson’s Resource for Anxiety Attacks. Dr. Johnson offers his experiences and suggestions to cure you and help you shed all myths and misconceptions you might have about anxiety attacks.

About the author:
Alprazolam.cc the site presents Dr. Johnson’s personal experiences of treating the anxiety disorders.

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Menopause and Gastrointestinal Distress

by: Cathy Taylor

Numerous women report that menopause comes along with gastrointestinal distress causing uncomfortable symptoms such as indigestion, flatulence and sudden bloating. Not only are these annoying and embarrassing, they can also be quite painful.
During menopause, gastrointestinal bloating is caused when air fills the abdomen, creating a full feeling. Even though your stomach remains the same size, your pants probably feel tighter and your waistline just seems to keep expanding. Excess intestinal gas is produced by bacteria in the intestines. Sugar located foods often contribute to the growth of this bacterium.
Poor digestion, a lack of lactose - an enzyme that breaks down food and liquids, can cause gastrointestinal distress as well. Gas distress can also be rampant during menopause due to lack of estrogen. Medical studies have suggested that a menopausal woman's diet can be to blame - particularly too many high sugar foods including fruit, and certain vegetables such as cauliflower, onion and broccoli that create even more bacteria in already inflamed intestines.
Of course your hormones might also be the trigger for bloating. For example, progesterone in the right doses has a calming effect, but in too high doses can cause bloating and breast tenderness. A form of estrogen called Estradiol, on the other hand, is sometimes prescribed as a relief for bloating.
People who eat too much protein at once can cause bloating because the stomach can't digest it all. Enzymes that help digestion such as Beano aid in the consumption of products such as soy that can have numerous positive effects for menopausal women.
Herbs can be used to restore balance in menopause. You need to be clear on what stage of menopause you are in. Different hormone levels vary significantly from peri-menopause to menopause and post-menopause, and of course your doctor needs to help you with these decisions.
For bloating as well as headaches and breast tenderness, an herbal tea that provides minerals in a dissolved form can help. Minerals help your body handle waste loads as well as provide a good source of calcium. You can use a combination of raspberry, dandelion, lemon balm, nettles, and green oat straw tea. Drink one cup of tea per day. Don quai can increase the effectiveness of estrogen released from fat tissue and help soothe menopausal discomfort as well.
The information in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice.


About the author:
Cathy writes frequently on mid-life issues for women and men particularly menopause, and a copy of her book can be found at http://www.howtoconquermenopause.com
To read a sample of this book go to http://www.everythingmenopause.com/currentissue.htm

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Stop Anxiety From Taking Over Your Life

By Cal Gladyng
Anxiety is just one of those things that everyone tends to experience at some point or another in life. Some people have to deal with it more than others. You would think that the more someone has to deal with it, the better they would be at overcoming anxiety. This is not always the case. Most of the time, anxiety causes a person's life to spin out of control. Some individuals lose their jobs, begin to become antisocial, and also become depressed once they become overwhelmed with anxiety.
Overcoming anxiety is the only way to get on with your life if it has become a problem. Some anxiety is normal. It is when it becomes excessive that it starts to become a problem. Luckily, there is an anxiety cure. However, there is no one certain anxiety cure. There are a variety of different things you can do to help you get over your anxiety and on with your life.
One of the things that will help you to ease your symptoms is to get some rest. All too often, people become anxious and depressed because they are not taking care of themselves properly. It is best to get at least eight hours of restful sleep every single night. If you must, set a time to go to bed and get up in the morning. Exercise is another way to get your body back into a normal rhythm. Exercising can also help those who seem to never be able to rest actually go to sleep. Working out on a daily basis helps the brain to produce chemicals that naturally help ease feelings of anxiety as well as provide a mental lift.
Another thing you can do when it comes to overcoming anxiety is to avoid most sources of caffeine. If you are a heavy coffee drinker, try switching to decaffeinated coffee instead. Stay away from diet pills that contain stimulants. You will also need to quit smoking if you are a smoker since cigarettes are considered to be a stimulant. Another good way to get rid of anxiety is to watch your diet. Eating too many greasy foods can lead to weight gain, which is another source of stress on your body. Anything that leads to more stress is just going to heighten your feelings of anxiety.
Overcoming anxiety can also be achieved by providing yourself with a little bit of daily relaxation time. Allow yourself at least 30 minutes everyday of quite time. Some people like to refer to it as "me time". Everyone needs this so they can keep going. Just like sleep, we all need a little bit of daily relaxation.
When you life a healthy life and take care of yourself, everything else will fall right into place. Eating the right amount of the right kinds of food, getting enough rest, exercising daily, and allowing yourself some daily relaxation time will greatly decrease the amount of anxiety you experience far more than you may think. It is important to know that there will always be some form of stress at hand, that is just life in general. But by overcoming anxiety associated with it, you will be able to live a much fuller and happier life.

You can Stop Panic Attacks without difficulty and with no wasting of your time and money on medicines. Natural techniques are the best way to overcome your Panic attacks and anxiety problems. In my blog I talk about overcoming anxiety and how you can two.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cal_Gladyng

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Managing your Persistent Fears and Anxieties

By: Stan Popovich

Everybody deals with fear and anxiety, however some people have a
hard time in managing it. As a result, here is a brief list of
techniques that a person can use to help manage their most
persistent fears and anxieties.

When facing a current or upcoming task that overwhelms you with a
lot of anxiety, the first thing you can do is to divide the task
into a series of smaller steps. Completing these smaller tasks
one at a time will make the stress more manageable and increases
your chances of success.

Sometimes we get stressed out when everything happens all at
once. When this happens, a person should take a deep breathe and
try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind
off of the problem. A person could get some fresh air, listen to
some music, or do an activity that will give them a fresh
perspective on things.

At times, a person might encounter a fearful thought that may be
difficult to manage. A person should visualize a red stop sign
which can serve as a reminder to stop thinking about that
thought. This technique is good in dealing with obsessive and
scary thoughts.

Sometimes we encounter a scary situation that gets us all upset.
When encountering these events, always remember to get all of the
facts of the given situation. Gathering the facts can prevent us
from relying on exaggerated and fearful assumptions. By focusing
on the facts, a person can rely on what is reality and what is
not.

Sometimes, it helps to be able to talk to someone about our
stressful situations. Talking to a trusted friend, counselor, or
clergyman can not only make us feel better, but they might be
able to give you additional advice and insights on how to deal
with your current problem.

Although I am a layman and not a professional I have interviewed
many psychologists and clergyman and I have over fifteen years of
experience in dealing with fear. Dealing with our persistent
fears is not easy, however there are many helpful resources
available to us if you look hard enough.


About the author:

Stan Popovich is the author of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods” - an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.trebleheartbooks.com/mvStanPopovich.html For free articles on managing fear please go to: http://www.managingfear.com/

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Caregivers helping with finances urged to switch to direct deposit

(ARA) - Half of American caregivers make health-related decisions for a loved one, and a new government survey finds an equal number are now helping to manage the finances of a parent, friend or other person needing their care -- adding to caregivers' levels of stress and anxiety.

Yet, surprisingly, only 52 percent of caregivers receiving Social Security payments on behalf of the person they care for say they use direct deposit, a decades-old time-saving tool that is safer and more reliable than paper checks.

According to the nationwide survey, sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Go Direct (R) campaign, one in four Americans define themselves as caregivers, with nearly eight in 10 caregivers providing two or more hours a week of voluntary help to a parent, friend or other loved one and four in 10 committing 10 or more hours a week of support.

Approximately 6.5 million caregivers are receiving Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits on behalf of the person they care for.

"We want caregivers to know that by taking the simple, but important step of switching to direct deposit -- and encouraging those they care for to do the same -- people can avoid problems associated with paper checks and count on getting their money on time each month," says David A. Lebryk, Acting Commissioner of the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Financial Management Service.

Importantly, direct deposit can also protect people from serious financial crimes like check theft and fraud. The last thing caregivers should have to worry about is a lost or stolen check, says Lebryk.

Treasury receives 1.4 million inquiries regarding problems with paper checks each year, and although paper checks make up just 20 percent of the total number of Social Security and SSI payments, they account for more than 90 percent of reported problems. Last year more than 480,000 Social Security checks were reported lost or stolen and had to be reissued.

Pushed to their limits

The impact of caregiving responsibilities is significant, the survey shows. Among caregivers:

* Sixty-five percent report increased levels of stress and anxiety as a result of their role.
* Forty-five percent are concerned about the financial costs of caring for their loved one.
* Sixty percent report having less time for themselves each day as a result of their role. In fact, the majority (63 percent) are looking to free up an extra hour or more each day.

Problems of paper checks

One in four caregivers say they have been unable to cash or deposit a check in a timely fashion because of issues like not being able to get to the bank during business hours, being too busy or being out of town. Nevertheless, one in five caregivers still make trips to the bank to cash or deposit a check on behalf of the person they care for.

How to switch

Americans can easily sign up for direct deposit of their Social Security or other federal benefits for free by calling Treasury's Go Direct campaign helpline at 1-800-333-1795, by visiting www.GoDirect.org, or talking to their local bank or credit union.

Federal benefit recipients without a bank account can choose to sign up for the Treasury-recommended Direct Express (R) Debit MasterCard (R) card by calling toll-free 1-877-212-9991, visiting www.USDirectExpress.com or talking to their local Social Security office.

The preceding information has been provided by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Management Service. The Go Direct (R) campaign is sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve Banks. The Direct Express (R) Debit MasterCard (R) card is issued by Comerica Bank, pursuant to a license by MasterCard International Incorporated. MasterCard (R) and the MasterCard (R) Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard International Incorporated. The Go Direct (R) logo, Direct Express (R) logo and Direct Express (R) are service marks of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Management Service.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Attacking Anxiety in 3 Steps

By Dee J Cooper
Anxiety is a real problem that many people are struggling with every day. There are ways that you can educate yourself to overcome this problem and to enjoy a calmer, happier life. Here are 3 steps to help you get started on your journey to regain control.
* Education of what anxiety is
* Daily relationships improved
* Control of your symptoms with techniques
Details of these steps follow below.
Step One: Education
Anxiety is a powerful symptom that makes you feel as if you have no control. Your heart will beat very fast, you are convinced something terrible is happening to you, you may feel dizzy and nauseous, you start to shake and you feel like you just need to run away from where ever you are. You will feel like you are the only one this has ever happened to. Anxiety affects males and females every day. All of these symptoms you feel is your body's response to stress and worry. It will begin to release adrenalin and your symptoms begin. This is not harmful to you but causes you to become very afraid. Now that you know what causes your symptoms you are less frightened by them and you can continue to the next step.
Step Two: Relieving Stress and Worry
Daily problems with relationships in your life can play an important part in causing stress. If you identify these problems and confront them with the attitude you need to not be worried and stressed out you can work at changing the problem. This does not mean you get rid of the relationships, you just need to decide what is bothering you and decide if its something you can change or do you just need not to worry about it.
When you are someone that has always been a worrier this will take a little time to retrain yourself on how to look at your problems in a different way. Almost all stress is caused by relationships. This can be at home with your spouse or children, in the workplace with your boss or co-workers, with parents and siblings,with neighbors and with the general public. You are able to do this if you learn techniques to help. Next step.
Step Three: Learning Techniques to Cease Symptoms
Relaxation is often an effective tool in stopping your attacks. If you learn to identify what you feel when an attack is just starting you can relax and be confident that you can overcome this by not letting your body become excited and therefor release adrenalin. Another method is to begin breathing exercises when you feel an attack coming on. You need to practice slow, steady breaths. This exercise accomplishes two outcomes. You concentrate on the breathing so you are less likely to get excited and the slow breathing will also calm your body's reaction to the impending attack.

Continue reading about anxiety and learn to become anxiety free at http://www.PanicAttacksNow.info and you can start to enjoy your life again.
Dee J Cooper is an Ezine Expert Author and the writer of numerous articles published worldwide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dee_J_Cooper

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4 Steps for You to Help Yourself During Chemotherapy

by: Dave Saunders

Chemotherapy is a word that causes dread in most who hear it. It is a time of stress as well as risk. If you, or someone you know, are facing chemotherapy, these four simple steps may help get through the process with better spirits and better results as well.

1. Tell your doctor if you get side effects from treatment

You can't expect the possibility of relief from side effects if you do not share them with your doctor. Be sure to communicate with your doctor. Some people keep a health journal during and after treatment to improve the information you have to present to your doctor if problems arise more gradually. Discuss what you might keep in a health journal that might improve the effectiveness of your treatment.

2. Ask your doctor before you take any other medicine

All drugs operate by manipulating some normal cell function. This includes the chemotherapy drugs as well. These manipulations may conflict with the intended effects of your chemotherapy treatment. Even herbals, or an over the counter pain reliever can lead to unintended consequences. Always inform your doctor before taking any other medications.

3. Take care of your health

There are many things you can do to support the natural ability of your body to restore, protect and defend itself from the effects of injury and disease. Seek to improve your diet, find ways to reduce other sources of stress in your life and be thankful for the hope and opportunity you have because of your treatment. These things can have a remarkable affect on your body and your feeling of good health.

4. Talk about your feelings

These are stressful times. Don't keep your feelings bottled up. People you know and love are probably feeling stress too. Help each other by being open about what you are going through. By being open with others, you can feel more in control of the stress and trepidation you're feeling, instead of those things being in control of you.

Self-help can never take the place of professional health care. Ask your doctor and nurse any questions you may have about chemotherapy. Also don't hesitate to tell them about any side effects you may have. They want and need to know.


About the author:
Dave Saunders is a professional lecturer, and certified nutritional educator. He enjoys creating interconnections through his writings and lectures to help others create context and see new discoveries and technologies in more a practical light. You can find out more about new discoveries in cancer research at www.cancerresearchnewsonline.com

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Eating Healthy in a Time-Starved World

by: Protica Research

Americans are literally running out of time. Achieving a work-life balance, which is still a luxury for tens of millions of working parents, has been overtaken by an even greater demand: a work-life-nutrition balance. Unfortunately, this increasing demand for nutrition has not been accompanied by a useful strategy that enables people to reclaim time from their harried lives.

The result of this dilemma has been an additional layer of stress applied on top of an already stressful life. This has further highlighted stress as America’s top health problem something that was first brought to public attention in the early 1980s, and has since more obvious in the 2 decades since then[i].

Once the link between time mismanagement and stress is made – and it is virtually axiomatic at this point that this link exists[ii] -- a range of adverse health and nutrition consequences often result. The vicious cycle that ensues is harrowing and known to most people through direct experience, or via painfully seeing it manifest in the life of a family member, friend, or colleague.

Stress can -- and often does -- lead to unhealthy eating[iii], which in turn, leads to even more stress because the body is not receiving the essential micronutrients and vitamins that it requires. While this is happening, since poor eating is often associated with undesirable weight gain, another level of psychological stress – this one associated with body image problems – is unleashed.

Although if the cycle ended here this would be enough to solidify this as a major problem, it continues beyond this point and becomes worse.

This psychological stress due to body image problems/weight gain often leads to “emotional eating”. It is estimated that 75% of all overeating is the result of emotional eating[iv]. This, in turn, leads to yet more nutritional deficiency, since the emotional eating is typically of unhealthy comfort foods that are rich in saturated fat. This – as can be inferred -- leads to yet more stress, and the cycle continues, unabated, often resulting in malnutrition, obesity, and in more cases than most average people realize, even suicide.

The almost clinical description of this negative cycle in the preceding paragraphs does not remotely capture the indescribable pain and suffering that tens of millions of Americans experience each day due to the collision of stress, lack of time, and poor eating habits. While no description could accurately capture the devastation that this negative loop causes, it is enough in the context of this article to firmly declare that it is a profoundly significant crisis.

No quick-fix solution to a problem of this magnitude is possible, and any attempt for an overnight solution should be met with the most aggressive skepticism. The key to addressing a situation of this immense complexity is to identify the root cause, and then provide remedies that mitigate or in some cases, avoid the negative loop from beginning in the first place.

One of the root causes of this problem has been noted already: a lack of time. If more Americans had more time, or felt that they had more time, the stress associated with not having enough time would not be able to pull them under and into a negative nutrition spiral. Therefore, a solution that works on this level – the level of time – is going to be help solve this problem to some extent.

It is within this awareness that time is of the essence that a number of nutritional supplements have been created. Unfortunately, while many of these supplements take mere seconds to ingest, an array of them are not providing the body’s requirement for micronutrients and vitamins.

Furthermore, and quite irresponsibly, many so-called “energy bars” are very high in calories and carbohydrates, and as such can lead to emotional eating and trigger weight gain. It is even more unfortunate than this to observe that the race to market many nutritional supplement products has been more about making money through clever advertising and slogans, than it has been about helping people save time, eat healthy, and avoid potentially life-altering negative stress cycles. This is evidenced by the number of so-called nutritional supplements that are little more than expensive and pretentious candy bars.

However, there are some products that have risen to this ethical challenge – products that have been truly inspired by actual nutritional scientists who see a dire need in society, and have engineered a useful product to help meet that need.

The easiest way to identify such products is to find those that deliver a complete, balanced source of nutrition for time-starved individuals, including: adults, kids, athletes, sedentary individuals, and all those in between. At the same time, these elite products should provide a range of essential nutrients so that, in effect, the nutrition source can be relied upon as a complete meal when time is severely limited.

Solving America’s time-starved dilemma is bigger than any one product, or series of products, to solve. However, though the perfect solution to this complex problem remains elusive, it is clear that part of that eventual solution will depend on resolving causes, and not chasing symptoms. Nutritional products that offer scientifically developed meal and supplement solutions will be a major ally in this resolution.


About Protica

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com

You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com


References

[i] Source: “America’s #1 Health Problem”. Stress.org. http://www.stress.org/problem.htm

[ii] Source: “Stress Management”. WebMD. http://my.webmd.com/hw/emotional_wellness/hw153409.asp?pagenumber=3

[iii] Source: “Nutrition”. SVCMC. http://svh.nymc.edu/quickcheck/mstress/nutri.asp

[iv] Source: “Are You an Emotional Eater?”. About.com. http://exercise.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/emotionaleating.htm

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About the author:
About Protica

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com

You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com

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