Stop Anxiety Disorder

Posts Tagged ‘Anxiety Causes’

It has been a known truth for many years that anxious parents can pass anxiety disorders on to their children.  Although this truth is well known, no one is prepared to say yes to this question "is anxiety inherited”.

But now, a fresh study by the scientists at Johns Hopkins Children’s Centre, came up with the conclusion that a family-based program where parents and children are being treated together, can reduce the symptoms and risks of anxiety amid these children.

Every person can get nervous from time to time, but when the difficulty starts taking over one’s life, the state is then called anxiety disorder. It can be exceptionally stressful and prevent people from living their lives fully. Some individuals with anxiety disorder may also have phobias and develop panic attacks.

For the study purposes, the Hopkins investigators looked at 40 children from the ages between 7 and 12 years. The children were not diagnosed with anxiety disorder themselves but all of them had at least one parent who was diagnosed with the condition.  What other proof do we really need to answer the question "is anxiety inherited".

Researchers randomly split the participants into two groups, with 20 of the children and their families taking part in an 8-week cognitive behavioural therapy program, while the other 20 were put on a waiting list and did not receive any treatment during the period of the study, but were offered therapy one year later.

The CBT program, which consisted of one-hour-long weekly sessions, was focusing on an improvement of problem-solving skills, instruction about anxiety disorder, as well as helped parents recognize and change behaviours thought to contribute to anxiety in the children.

The chief researcher of the study, Dr. Golda Ginsburg, PH.D., a child psychologist at Hopkins Children’s Centre and an associate professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, said that according to the records gathered by the experts, the children of parents with an anxiety disorder are up to seven times more likely to develop the disorder themselves, and up to 65 per cent of kids who live with an anxious parent meet the criteria for anxiety disorder.

The results of the experiment revealed that within a period of 12 months, 30 per cent of the children who did not participate in the program, had developed an anxiety disorder, compared to none of the children who were enrolled in the family based therapy. A 40 per cent decrease in anxiety symptoms in the year after the therapy program were independently reported by parents along with investigators who analyzed the behaviour of the kids and their parents. There was no decline of anxiety symptoms observed among children on the waiting list.

The parental behaviours modified with therapy program included overprotection, excessive criticism and excessive expression of fear and anxiety in front of the kids. The program targeted childhood risk factors such as avoiding anxiety-provoking situations and anxious thoughts.

According to a recent editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine, it is deterrence and not treatment, of childhood anxiety, that is of a major importance, because anxiety disorders affect one in every 5 children in the United States, but very often are left unrecognized. If not addressed in time, the dilemma can lead to depression, substance abuse and poor academic performance throughout childhood years and way into adulthood.

Results of the study will be published in the June issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. The study was funded by the US government’s National Institute of Mental Health.  So "is anxiety inherited", yes.  Can we change the pattern of behaviour yes!

Tags: About Anxiety, about panic disorder, Anxiety Causes, Anxiety Causes, anxiety disorder, Anxiety Help, Is anxiety inherited, over coming panic attacks, Panic attack help

With all the useful medical treatment offered, it will be of huge value to you to achieve ways in coping with panic and anxiety.

The basis i suggest that you obtain ways for coping with panic and anxiety attacks is because, you will be adept to cut off impending attacks. That’s why, it is a advantage to learn and know these practical methods.

One useful way in handling panic and anxiety attacks is relaxation techniques that can be used to aid you in muscle relaxation, meditation, relaxed breathing and visualization, also known as guided imagery. The plan is to obtain inner realization of calmness. This is true relaxation.

Both the body and the mind have to be in a calm stress-free state when using relaxation techniques to handle these attacks. And learning real relaxation techniques can aid in managing warning signs such as teeth clenching, headaches, and hyperventilation. To initiate your body into relaxed manner, start off by focusing on the body and suppressing the outside world. Place yourself in a relaxing position and rest your eyes. Just keep the eyelids at ease and heavy without closing them firmly, and allow your jaw to relax and fall gently open. Set in motion the relaxation method by focusing on scanning your body mentally.

Begin|Start|Initiate} scanning from the lower parts of your body, starting from the toes, working your way up to the legs, groins, torso, then the hands, fingers, then finally, the neck and head. Picture your tension dissolving away as you focus on each body parts. When all the muscles in your body are stress-free, tighten the muscles in every part, moving from one section to another and count to five or more in each section, then relax your muscles. As you are doing this, allow your way of thinking to run all the way through your mind, without focusing on them. It is difficult at times to do this. Say to yourself that you are entirely calm and at ease. Dream of yourself in your own favourite place and initiate breathing slowly.

Put into practice this method daily for five to ten minutes. It will aid in coping with panic and anxiety. Other different ways to deal with panic and anxiety attacks is not to assume what could happen. Continue telling yourself over and over, that it is your thoughts that have created this panic and anxiety attack. Your thoughts have shaped these bodily reaction, so it stands to reason that you can alter those thoughts.

Finally the best way for coping with panic and anxiety is not to fight it. The more you fight, the more powerful the attack. From my own individual experience i can tell you that it does work. The more you fight your thoughts of panic, the more powerful you are making them. Just let the panic and anxiety attacks wash over you.

Tags: About Anxiety, About Anxiety, anxiety and panic attacks, Anxiety Causes, Anxiety Help, coping with panic and anxiety, Dealing with Anxiety, Panic attack help, Panic attacks

If you would like some help with anxiety? Then, please read.

  1. Breathe Correctly.

Researchers at The University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre have pinpointed one of the reasons why breathing is so crucial when we are suffering from  anxiety. They establish that we often hyperventilate when we are in an anxious state. This is correct, as you and I know. We are conscious of short and rapid breathing  which in turn creates tiny brainwaves, all contributing to our distressed state.

If we require help with anxiety, we will need to learn to breathe using the abdomen muscles. By doing this we produce much longer breaths which generate slower  brainwaves. That is the sort of relaxed breathing we do when we are peaceful and serene. Whilst we are conscious of this, we can study this technique and it really  does calm us down, if done right.

  2. Meditation
Most people are put off by the idea of meditation and even yoga because they just feel it is too complicated to learn and that they will never have the time  to do it.  All you have to do is to find the quietest place at home.

You can decide to sit down or even lie down. The essential thing is to feel comfortable. Contemplate on your breathing and practice letting air fill your  lungs and then when exhaling, feel the abdominal muscles tightening. The secret here is that you are able to shut out all the clutter, noise from  around you, while you concentrate solely on your breathing. You will be shocked at how much calmer you will feel and you may not need help with anxiety.

  3. Diet
Certainly getting the right nutrients, minerals and vitamins can really help in creating optimal conditions so that our brain functions just as well as our  body. Any foods that can boost the levels of serotonin can enhance our mood. That can always lower anxiety levels. The best foods, are the complex carbohydrates which are the whole grains, fruit, vegetables and nuts. Did you know that the element called tryptophan helps in calming  and is contained in some dairy products and also turkey meat?

  4. Herbal remedy for anxiety?
Lots of herbs are now known to help keep anxiety at bay. The better known ones are valerian, camomile, passion flower and winter cherry. These actually work  and there are no nasty side effects either, unlike the anti anxiety medications prescribed in massive doses across the populace.

Tags: About Anxiety, about anxiety and panic attacks, About Phobias, Anxiety Causes, Anxiety Help, Anxiety Help, Anxiety Symptoms, anxiety treatments, Panic attacks

This video is really informative about how a Anxiety Disorder affects the body.  The video talks about the 5 main Anxiety Disorders and how they may affect you.  If you think you may have a Anxiety Disorder watch this video, it could help you.

Tags: About Anxiety, About Anxiety, about anxiety symptoms, Anxiety Causes, Anxiety Causes, anxiety cures, anxiety disorder, Anxiety Symptoms, Dealing with Anxiety, fear, fight or flight, Health, Treat anxiety