Panic and Anxiety - How to Live Without Fear

If you are having an anxiety attack, you may be so desperate for a quick fix that you are willing to do anything to get rid of the anxious feeling.  Some of the most harmful habits that will only aid on depression and anxiety are as follows:

Cigarette Smoking

Many people say that they smoke because it “calms their nerves.”  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Cigarette smoking will not calm your nerves.  In fact, it will make your nerves worse than they were before you started smoking in the first place.  Cigarette smoking constricts the blood vessels and makes your heart even beat faster.  It does not calm the nerves, but merely exacerbates the anxiety attack.

Quitting cigarette smoking is very difficult to do.  In fact, it is said that cigarette smoking is akin to heroin addiction.  Some say that quitting heroin is easier than cigarette smoking.  Many people try to quit smoking to no avail.  They try patches and other types of  gimmicks so that they can be smoke free.  The truth of the matter is that you have to make up your mind to quit smoking and stick with it.  Once you go for three days without a cigarette, the nicotine has left your body and the physical addiction is past.  You can then move forward to quitting the psychological addiction.

Alcohol

Many people, when they have a problem with anxiety, will start drinking alcohol.  Alcohol numbs the mind and makes things seem a bit brighter.  But it is a false cure.  It may make you feel better temporarily, but in the long run it will end up making you feel worse.  And alcohol is a depressant.  If you are not depressed by the time you start drinking, you will be after you are finished.  And alcohol is a drug.  Just like any other drug, it builds up a tolerance in your system.  The more you drink, the less it affects you.   Pretty soon, you are drinking more an more to get the same effect and to drown your sorrows.

Do not drown your sorrows in booze.  Look for another way out.  While some people contend that alcoholism is a disease unto itself, others disagree and see it as merely a symptom of a disease.  A disease that stems from depression and anxiety.  This is why Alcoholics Anonymous encourages people to control what they can control and recognize the fact that they cannot control everything.  As anxiety and depression all stem from control (or lack of control), one of the reasons that AA works is that it gives this valuable insight to members who feel that most of life is out of their control.

Street Drugs

Street drugs like marijuana are often used to stop anxiety and make a person feel better.  It has the opposite effect.  While marijuana may not be as addictive and harmful as alcohol, it is still illegal.  And inhaling hot smoke into your lungs is not going to do you any good.  There is also evidence that marijuana kills off brain cells.  Street drugs are not the answer for depression.  While some may say that this drug has medicinal purposes, one of them is not to alleviate depression or anxiety – it merely masks them and doesn’t allow the person taking it to face their own demons.

If you have a problem with depression or anxiety, do not try to self medicate.   Look for healthier ways to try to get your body and brain chemicals in balance rather than resorting to nicotine, alcohol and street drugs.

Anybody who has ever endured insomnia knows it can be agonizing to deal with. All of that awakening in the middle of the night then not being able to return to sleep can cause emotional, mental and even physical stress because you just feel so exhausted and drained in the morning. Fortunately, there are natural cures for insomnia. This is great news because so many people don't want to be under the influence of medication while they are sleeping. There are so a lot of reports out there where people are getting addicted to their sleeping pills, it only make sense to try to cure it on one's own.

Among the best natural cures for insomnia is to get plenty of exercise daily. Even just a half-hour of exercise will work for many folks. The reason that this is beneficial for your insomnia is because physical exertion actually has been proven to help people rest better. If you are not the physical exercise type, you will prefer to start slow with just a 30-minute walk every day. Once you get used to the exercise, you should try to step-up the time or even the pace at which you are walking. If you're physically able-bodied, you should try to integrate running and other aerobic exercise.

Another one of the great natural remedies for insomnia is to make your own before bed routine. During the week, this can include going to bed at the same time. Many people find it helps to listen to calming music right before they hit the sack. You would like to get your body used to the same thing each night because it really will start winding down by itself. Including a routine is great since it sort of exercises and trains your brain to do what you want.

If the cause for your insomnia is anxiety or stress related, you ought to try to meditate before bed. This will help settle down your emotions and facilitate you not worry about what will come the following day. Alternatively, you will be able to center on sleeping, which is what you want in the first place. Another one of the common natural cures for insomnia is actually hypnotherapy. A lot of people with insomnia have been healed thanks to a hypnotist. Since all of these are things that can be done in conjunction with the rest, you could try all of them.

One secret to minimizing an anxiety attack is to work your way through the anxiety attack. Anyone who has ever experienced the panic and suffering that comes with an anxiety attack is familiar with the feeling of fear that is pretty much indescribable to anyone who has not experienced this sensation. Try by following these tips to help work yourself through the anxiety attack:

Realize the onset of an anxiety attack

Once you realize that you may be experiencing an anxiety attack, you usually can alleviate your symptoms and calm yourself down and rationally know that this too shall pass. Anxiety sufferers understand that these sensation come and go. When you are in the throes of an anxiety attack, realize that this is real, it is a panic attack, but it will go away. Understanding that your attack is happening, is the first step towards working your way through it.

Do something physical to help yourself through the attack

Do anything that will get your mind off of the attack. Exercise, clean, cook or even clean the bathroom. Any of these activities will help get your mind off of the attack and help you to work through it. Physical activity releases hormones and endorphins which help to elevate your mood. The physical activity can also help you work through your stress, which is usually the underlying cause of an anxiety attack. There is no need to feel helpless empower yourself by doing something physical, the more productive the better.

Reach out to your support network

Reach out to family and friends who can understand what you are going through. This is not an attempt to look for pity, but a chance for your friends and family to help you when you need it the most. Give them the chance to help you. You would do the same for them,

Many people feel ashamed that they are suffering from these attacks and keep this secret from friends and family. This will only makes things worse. Having no one to talk to in your times of need is stressful in and of itself. When you finally release your secret, you won't believe how many others actually suffer from the same types of anxious feelings! You are not alone when it comes to panic and anxiety attacks. As a matter of fact, there are a great many out there who have experienced some sort of anxiety or panic attack at least once in their lives.

Anxiety disorders are often created from stress. From GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) to panic disorder, you can reduce the anxiety in your life purely by reducing stress. Stress is a part of daily life for each of us, but if you let your stress take control of your life, serious issues will arise. Luckily, ongoing stress can be overcome, but it is important to know the steps to doing so.

Stress is an internal reaction triggered by external forces, like pressure. One of the best ways to overcome the reactions to pressure is plenty of exercise. Daily exercise can help you be trained to physically deal with stress by erasing your tolerance to stress during exercise. During a panic attack, most people feel symptoms similar to a heart attack. Heart palpitations and shortness of breath are just two of these. A vigorous workout gives you these same feelings, but in a much healthier way. As you exercise more, you push your body to accept these conditions and become more comfortable with them without panicking.

Good sleep is also very important to eliminating stress. Stress can physically wear you out, and without proper sleep, you will feel the effects of stress much easier. This can lead to anxiety disorders in addition to the attacks. Schedule at least 8 hours for sleeping to get enough and make sure that you. Don’t eat or drink lots of sugar or caffeine rich foods before bedtime and try to do relaxing actions in the hours before you go to bed. If this is a big issue, see your doctor for help with sleeping problems.

Another way to reduce stress is to schedule time for non-work, enjoyable activities. Take vacations or at least a couple of days off in order to have fun. Your job is a major cause of stress, and along with that stress comes worrying about money, health, and many other things. By purposefully setting aside time to enjoy your life with loved ones or on your own, you can physically and mentally put stress aside at least for at least a few hours. Give yourself at least 60 minutes daily and an entire long weekend on occasion to purely enjoy the fun you can get out of life.

Don't forget, work to diminish stress by thinking a bit differently about life. Perfectionists are some of the most stressed-out people. Sometimes, this can be a good trait, it can also go too far. Realize when to stop and let something go. Always think positively about life. When you worry that you aren’t good enough or are upset about little things, they really add up to hurt you. Managing your thought process is just part of the battle, but if you work at reducing stress, you can avoid developing anxiety problems.