Anxiety Attack

An anxiety attack happens suddenly, in which a person starts feeling a lot of fear and anxiety. Anxiety attacks sometimes occur without any reason, but they can also be linked to specific triggers. Anxiety attack is not a clinical term. It is used colloquially to describe the anxious response people have.

This term is used to describe a variety of sensations, such as being worried about an event that is about to happen, which can lead to a panic attack. To understand anxiety attacks, it is also important to understand the context in which those symptoms occur.

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The symptoms of anxiety attacks are different for everyone. Some people experience mild symptoms of anxiety attacks, while some feel more severe symptoms. Below are the symptoms of an anxiety attack -

• Apprehension
• Diarrhea
• Insomnia
• Dry mouth
• Irritability
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Muscle strain
• Vomiting or nausea
• Rapid heartbeat
• Vibrations
• Profuse sweating
• The feeling of tightness in the chest and throat
• Trouble concentrating
• Worry

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Nothing can be said about the exact causes of anxiety attacks, but many factors certainly play a role in anxiety attacks. An anxiety attack can be triggered by an anxiety disorder, a perceived threat, or other conditions. Come, let us know in detail about the causes of anxiety attacks -

Anxiety disorder

Some anxiety disorders can lead to anxiety attacks. All these have a different set of symptoms. These conditions can have different causes or they can be triggered by certain circumstances. These are mentioned below -

• Generalized anxiety disorder - Generalized anxiety disorder condition can be caused by unrealistic and excessive worrying without any specific reason.
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - This condition involves intrusive obsessions and compulsions, which are difficult to control and cause distress.
• Panic Disorder - This condition is caused by panic attacks that come without any warning.

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Social anxiety disorder

Excessive self-consciousness and fear of social situations cause this disorder.

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Specific phobia

This type of phobia arises from an extreme fear of a particular thing or situation.

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Unknown fear

Anxiety can also be due to some unknown fear, like - feeling awkward while walking alone on the road. This type of anxiety attack is related to the apprehension that there may be danger ahead.

This anxiety is not the result of any known or specific fear but is the apprehension of danger generated by the mind, which is the result of that particular situation. These symptoms are normal and sometimes beneficial too. The person starts being more careful, which is also correct.

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Special conditions

Sometimes anxiety attacks are a normal reaction, which is caused by life experiences and makes people anxious. These experiences include becoming a parent, changing jobs, getting sick, financial worries, death of a loved one, divorce, getting married, parenting, speaking in public, relationship breakup, taking school exams, and work-related stress.

In such situations, normal anxiety can range from beneficial to anxiety attacks. This anxiety may be temporary but may interfere with a person's ability to act in certain situations.

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There are treatments available for anxiety attacks. With the help of these treatments, along with anxiety disorder, it also helps in curing anxiety attacks. Psychotherapy, medicines, and lifestyle changes are needed to treat anxiety attacks. Come, let us know in detail about the treatment of anxiety attacks -

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy focuses on changing the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with anxiety. Although there are many types of psychotherapy, two types are used more, which are as follows -

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on identifying automatic negative thoughts that are associated with feelings of anxiety. Once these are identified, people learn to challenge and change these ideas.
• Exposure Therapy - Exposure therapy is effective in treating certain types of anxiety, especially some types of phobias. People are exposed to a fearful thing or situation while practicing relaxation techniques. Eventually, their fear gradually subsides.

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Medicines

With the help of medicines like Benzodiazepine, Special Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor, and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor also helps in reducing the symptoms of anxiety attack.

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Lifestyle changes

Lifestyle changes can also prove helpful in getting rid of anxiety attacks. These include the following methods -

• Adequate sleep - It is necessary to take an adequate amount of deep sleep to maintain mental health. Due to lack of sleep, many times anxiety attacks can also come.
• Deep breathing - In the event of an anxiety attack, not breathing properly can increase the heart rate and make it difficult to stay calm. Therefore, deep breathing is beneficial to keep the heart rate under control and ward off anxiety attacks.
• Meditation - Meditation is a great way to focus on the breath and stay in the moment. Meditation techniques are useful in reducing the symptoms of anxiety. It can be started with 10 minutes of practice daily. If a person wants, he can also take the help of an app or coach for meditation.
• Regular Exercise - Exercising not only strengthens a person physically but also strengthens his mental health. Research also suggests that exercise can prove to be an effective option in reducing the symptoms of anxiety.
• Social support - Social support plays an important role in maintaining mental health. Anxiety attacks are usually triggered by the experience of being apart, in which case the support of friends and family can be helpful. Joining an anxiety support group can also help to avoid anxiety attacks.

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Any person can feel an anxiety attack anytime. An anxiety attack happens suddenly, due to which the person starts feeling very scared. Muscle tension, nausea, and rapid heartbeat are some of the many symptoms of an anxiety attack. Unknown fear and certain situations are some of the causes of anxiety attacks. An anxiety attack can be treated by lifestyle changes such as psychotherapy, medicines, adequate sleep, and exercise. It would be better than the advice of a psychiatrist must be taken before any kind of treatment.

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