If you never experienced one, you won't know what hit you. But you'll know when the anxiety panic attack symptoms takes a hold of you. Following is a typical scenario.

You'll be on the floor shaking, sweating, trying to breathe while your pulse is racing and heart pounding. Your vision blurs and feel dizzy, everything seems to be spinning out of control followed by nausea.

Everything feels unreal and you forget who you are. Strong sense of fear sets in and refuses to let you go. You sense something bad is going to happen; you are loosing control and on the edge of going insane or worse yet, you feel that you are moments from death.

These attacks normally are over in minutes but what a long horrible nightmare it is. You may find it a relief in fact that you are still alive after experiencing your first anxiety panic attack symptoms. But some will be scarred emotionally to find it more terrifying to the thought of repeating this experience.

You may experience some or all of these anxiety panic attack symptoms if and when it hit you. These panic attacks have already been experienced by countless others. You may have been lucky not to go through other symptoms such as chills and hot flashes.

You now know the symptoms to identify panic attacks, but are you ready for the next one? What are you going to do when you don't even know how you survived the first one?

While you were under attack, whatever thoughts and sensations you had of going crazy, of facing death are traumatic. These sensations shock and scare you but will not physically harm you. Just remember that you didn't survive the attack by chance.

Certain situations or things you are exposed to can trigger your panic alarm at anytime. Anxiety attack panic treatments are available to take control of these situations. You can learn to ride out the panic attack without showing much of the symptoms.

One:

Control your breathing is the most important tip for panic attacks since hyperventilation is panic attack's most common symptoms. Inhale deeply and exhale through your mouth, trying to slow down your breathing.

Two:

Should you have difficulty controlling your breath, try

tensing your muscles, hold tension for a few seconds and release slowly. Repeat this as many times as it takes. This relaxes your body, makes you feel like you are taking control back each time you release tension.

Three:

Imagine yourself in what you consider to be a safe place. It could be a nice sandy beach, warm comfy bed or whatever place you think is safe. Or think of something funny.

This visualization exercise is an effective anxiety attack panic treatment.

The best tip for panic attacks is to remember that as horrifying as the anxiety panic attack symptoms may be, you are not going insane, you are not going to die from it and with natural techniques, it will soon be over.

By: Ryan Ogawa
Learn how to deal with panic attacks the natural way. Click here to discover the best ways to deal with panic attacks.

Stress is actually killing us from the inside out and it happens every single day . . . all day long! Why is it we PANIC when we hear the words . . .

Cancer - AIDS - Tuberculosis - Leukemia . . . and think immediately of treatment and medication.

And yet, when we hear the word . . . Stress . . . no problem! We hear it so much that we really DON'T hear it.

Everyone has stress. No big deal. We'll slow down one of these days when we can. Stress is the greatest medical problem of this century and yet, the most misunderstood. Studies by the American Medical Association have shown stress to be a factor in over 75% of all illnesses today. Research linking stress to a variety of diseases and illnesses has been the subject of more than 20,000 scientific studies.

Now is the time to really listen and understand and educate yourself about Stress.


STRESS is freeway traffic at a standstill
Getting up early to go to a job we hate that pays us a measly salary that never covers the bills
STRESS is possibly a marriage gone sour
Stress is worrying about the children or worrying about a million other things going on in your life.

These are stressful situations that may cause anger, depression, anxiety, frustration and we know these feelings are not good for our blood pressure or hearts or the way we respond to other individuals.

Do you realize, without us knowing or even feeling anything, our bodies are CHEMICALLY reacting in every single one of these instances and in many many more. It is during these moments that harmful chemicals are being released throughout our bodies. But, do you realize our bodies release these same harmful chemicals in our bodies when these things happen?


Loud music
loud noises
television sounds and pictures
video game noises
noises that are a constant from living in a big city, overcrowding.

Daily, almost hourly, emotions like frustration, irritation, resentment, hurt, anxiety, threats, even arguing with someone.

Yes, stress is killing us everyday!

In your brain are ten billion neurons (brain cells). Between each and every one of these are neurotransmitters. Chemical messengers that TRANSMIT thought from one cell to the next, allowing brain cells to "talk to each other."

Some transmitters transmit thought in a positive, happy or euphoric feeling; some transmit thought in a relaxed, calm and quiet mood; some transmit thought in a highly motivated, intense and focused "state of mind," and so on.

The types of transmitters change regularly between cells in your brain to meet the needs of your current circumstance.

During times of stress it must raise levels of another transmitter that helps you to remain calm and in control.

IT IS critical that all of the major neurotransmitters be present daily and in sufficient amounts in order for the brain to be chemically balanced. When there are insufficient amounts of one or more of these it upsets the ratio and symptoms are experienced. Certain transmitters, when depleted, may cause you to be easily agitated or angered, experience mild to severe anxiety and have sleep problems. You may feel more psychological and physical pain. These can all be symptoms of neurotransmitter insufficiency.

STRESS: Stress depletes neurotransmitters! Any type of stress . . . In handling daily stress the brain uses feel good transmitters called endorphins (opiods). When large amounts are needed to handle stress, the ratio of many of the other transmitters, one to another, becomes upset creating a chemical imbalance.

We begin to FEEL stress more acutely -- a sense of urgency and anxiety creates more stress. Harmful chemicals are released in our bodies that do damage, causing more stress.

This vicious cycle is called the "stress cycle." Emotional fatigue can result, and be experienced and felt as depression.

The body responds to EMOTIONAL STRESS exactly as it responds to PHYSICAL DANGER. Without our being aware of it, usually not feeling it at all, our bodies are continuously reacting to emotions such as frustration, irritation, resentment, hurt, grief and anxiety -- responding to these MENTAL and EMOTIONAL STRUGGLES with a primitive physiological "fight or flight" response designed to prepare our bodies to face immediate danger.

In modern day life we don't fight, we don't flee. Instead, the high-energy chemicals produced in many everyday situations boil inside of us, potentially taking years off our lives. Your body responds to stress with a series of physiological changes that include increased secretion of adrenaline, elevation of blood pressure, acceleration of the heartbeat, and greater tension in the muscles.

Digestion slows or stops. Within 24 to 48 hours after a stress-anxiety-anger reaction, major physical symptoms can and do occur.

Increased adrenaline production causes the body to step up its metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates to quickly produce energy for the body to use.

The pituitary gland increases its production of andrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which in turn stimulates the release of the hormones cortisone and cortisol.

These have the effect of inhibiting the functioning of disease fighting white blood cells and suppressing the immune system response.

This complex of physical changes known as the "fight or flight" response is also the reason that stress can lead to nutritional deficiencies.

Researchers estimate that stress contributes to as many as 80% of all major illnesses that include cardiovascular disease, cancer, endocrine and metabolic disease, skin disorders and infectious ailments of all kinds.

Neurotransmitter deficiencies can be expressed as both psychological (behavioral pattern) and physiological (physical craving) problems.

In stressful situations, here is what happens:

The alarm is signaled in your brain. Adrenaline races through your body, commanding a series of physical changes.The heart immediately beats harder and faster so your blood pressure abruptly rises.

Automatically, blood is shunted away from the stomach and skin, where it is not needed, to the muscles, where the body feels it is needed.

High energy fats are rushed into the blood stream for energy. Chemicals are released to make the blood clot more quickly in case of injury.

In these situations, the statements we want to remember are "Adrenaline is released" and "chemicals are released".

In other words, eventually, our brain runs out of these chemicals or Neurotransmitters.

When this happens , the Stress Cycle is started. Its like dominos. One Neurotransmitter depletion affects the other and that depletion affects the other, and so on.

By: Linn Carlton
Linn Carlton, diagnosed with ADHD as a teenager, has spent the last 6 years studying neurotransmitters and their effect on our bodies and our lives. You may learn more about these important chemicals by visiting his web site Neuro5plus. A shortage and/or an imbalance of neurotransmitters can cause Anxiety, Stress, Alcoholism, Depression, (ADD/ADHD), Drugs, Outbursts of Anger, Lack of Concentration, Overweight, PTSD, or Sleeping Problems. Normally we are not born with a need for drugs. If we just stop and think logically, we know that well before there were medical drugs . . . humans survived. Learn more by visitiing Neuro5plus.

Depression is one part of bipolar disorder. Depression has been the subject of much writing, as the country has sought to reevaluate an era that dumped financial as well as emotional catastrophe on its people. Depression is so common that over 1 in 5 Americans can expect to get some form of depression in their lifetime.

Depression

Depression is a serious medical illness that involves the brain. Depression is one of the most common and most serious mental health problems facing people today. Depression can interfere with a person's ability to function effectively throughout the day or even to have the motivation to get out of bed in the morning. Depression is a real illness; it is treatable; and men can have it. Depression is not a normal part of aging. Depression without sadness: alternative presentations of depression in late life. Depression is a serious health problem that impacts a youngster's feelings, thoughts and actions, and can appear as a physical illness or behavior problem.

Depression can also be expressed as apathy, or an inability to feel anything. Depression gets in the way of dieting, exercising, and even taking the medicines that can control diabetes. Depression is a chronic disorder and it has long term affects on a person life feelings associated with depression are not just over a specific event but are persistent and the person suffering from depression cannot just take over their feelings as they wish or like and get better.

Depression is not something you can just "snap out of. Depression, like other medical conditions, has a chemical and biological basis. Depression is not simply a passing sadness or blue mood that lifts in a few hours or days, but is persistent. Most people with a depressive illness do not seek treatment, although the great majority even those whose depression is extremely severe can be helped.

By: Matt Bush
Matt Bush recommends the etherapy center for those seeking online therapy.

Listing the causes of stress is tricky to say the least. A stress condition can be real or perceived, and it is solely dependant on the individual. Some of the basic common reasons are:

Life's Situations
Attitude
Could by your genes
Smoking
Work
Commuting
Finances
Low self esteem

Regardless of the cause, stress starts certain changes in the body that are designed to give it a quick burst of energy, the body goes through the following changes when faced with a stressful situation:

-The adrenal glands release adrenaline and stress hormones that trigger certain organs to go into action.
-Your breathing becomes faster and more shallow which creates the body to take in more oxygen.
-The liver releases more blood sugar to provide more energy.
-The heart beats faster and blood pressure rises to increase the oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.
-Blood flow to the brain and muscles is increased and reduced to the digestive organs.

So each time there is a stress situation this is what our bodies go thru, then if there is chronic stress the body stays in high alert and that is when we get high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, damaged blood vessels, decreased mental skills, weakened immune system, heart disease, inflammation in the body, drinking, over eating, depression and headaches.

What we need to do is identify our individual cause of stress, and be specific, make a list; don't just say it is my job or it is my relationship or it is my kids. Get really specific because the next step is to list ways of reducing that stress, so the more specific you can be on your identifying list the easier it will be to list ways of reducing it.

The list for reduction of stress could go a little like this:

Meditate daily
Take a walk on lunch hour
Take a walk in the evenings
Do deep breathing exercises during the day
Go to bed earlier and make it your sanctuary
Take at least 30 minutes a day just for you
Listen to motivation tapes or music on your commute
Eat healthy organic foods
Go on an anti-inflammatory diet
Yoga
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Guided imagery
Laughing
Making love
Long relaxing bath with candles and music

I am sure you can make your own list, it is fun to think of the ways you can make your self happy and joyful and lead you into a less stressful life…go play and find your own ways….

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: "Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone." -Lin Yutang-

By: Darlene Siddons
My life is a work in progress; my current passion is health and wellness in the arena of organic food, holistic health, natural wellness and sharing information with the physically challenged. I reside in my own personal wellness center retreat and sanctuary in California and this affords me to bring to you my wisdom, knowledge and spiritual self in my writings. On this journey I have met many wonderful teachers and one of them is Joe Vitale, one of the teachers in The Secret, his ebook The Greatest Money Making Secret is offered for free on my website. Please stop by and receive your copy today. Darlene Siddons Spirited Boutique.