How Do We Stop Anxiety Attacks?

People who suffer from anxiety disorders experiences unreasonable fear.  They are haunted by this fear and some are even aware and conscious of this unfounded fear.  According to medical books there are four types of anxiety disorders which can affect a person.  These are:
•    Generalized Anxiety
•    Phobia
•    Panic Disorder
•    Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Generalized Anxiety – this disorder is characterized by prolonged sense of fear of something or even nothing in particular.  These are fears that are usually cannot be explained logically.  This can happen one time or it can happen successively and all at the same time.

People who suffer from generalized anxiety often feel irritable, difficult to get along with and are very impatient.  These symptoms almost always manifest in the physical body thru muscle tension, faster heartbeat, hot and cold flushes as well as nausea.  People who seek help for anxiety attacks often go to medical professionals and medical doctors.

Phobia – this disorder is characterized by extreme fear of something or an extreme fear of a situation.  Usually these fears are object oriented or is focused on a specific object which leads to a strong avoidance of that object or situation.

Most common phobias include: ophidiophobia (fear of snake), claustrophobia (fear of enclosed or small spaces, acrophobia (fear of heights), and arachnophobia (fear of spiders).  People who suffer from phobia feel a certain helplessness and loss of control when confronted with their fears.  The physical symptoms include: nausea, increased heartbeat, profuse sweat and cold extremities.

Panic Disorders – can cause a sudden feeling of fear and this is usually intense in nature.  People who suffer from this disorder also has difficulty breathing, their hearts palpitate, has chest pains, feels dizzy, trembling of the whole body as well as cold extremities.

Panic disorders can last for just minutes or it may eve last for several hours depending upon the gravity of the situation.  If it lasts for hours already it is best to seek medication for anxiety attack.  The attacks may also occur once or it may continually recur for the rest of the patient’s life.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – this disorder can make a person constantly perform a certain ritual over and over again.  Or it can make the sufferer constantly worry or obsessed with a certain negative idea.
Common cases include constantly worrying that the person might catch or be contaminated with germs thus the necessity of often washing the hands repeatedly.  Other worse cases include the obsession and thoughts of committing violent acts.

People who suffer from obsessive compulsions also realize the unreasonableness of their actions to the point that it is silly.  But they need to this to release some stress and tension that is building up inside of them.  In worst cases the person cannot do something about the compulsion but to go along with it and in the process it destroys their normal social life.

Now what are several ways to stop anxiety attacks?  Help usually comes from a psychiatrist, medical doctors who specialize in these disorders or a clinical psychologist.  Patients are advised to stay in the hospital for further observation so that the proper medication can be prescribed.  While some other patients who suffer from these disorders are treated on an out patient basis.

Some conditions respond positively to medications or drugs.  In these cases this is called a drug-therapy.  The most common drugs include barbiturates, benzodiazepines, propanediols or azaspirodecanedione.  These drugs induce sedation to the patients.

Other drugs include which are anti-depressants are monoamine oxidase inhibitors or the serotonin reuptake inhibitors.  These type of drugs should be taken over a number of weeks for it to be effective.

Another form of treatment for anxiety attacks is the so-called psychotherapy.  This is developed by Sigmund Freud who is considered the father of psychotherapy.  This is a method where the patient lies on a couch and freely discusses his problems to the psychoanalyst.

The treatment is usually based on the individual as well as the patients tolerance for a given drug or medication.  The important thing in the proper treatment of anxiety attack disorders are the consultations held with properly trained and licensed medical practitioners.