Anxiety - What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

Post-traumatic stress disorder also known as PTSD is a form of anxiety that can occur after the exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm happened or was threatened.

Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include:

- Survivors of devastating earthquakes
- People that witness traumatic events
- Survivors of several accidents on the sea or air
- Physical and sexual abuse or crimes
- Major changes in someone`s life
- Severe accidents car or plane accidents
- Violent personal assaults
- Natural disasters or human causes disasters (bombs)
- People taking part in terrorist rescues
- People affected by racism
- Military combat actions
- PTSD often occurs in soldiers attending wars
- Birth of a child can often cause PTSD (moms usually experience anxiety after birth and even during pregnancy).
- Any type of family violation
- Death of a loved one
- Being fired from work
- Divorce

Usually all the family members of the victim are disposed to develop post traumatic stress disorder. PTSD can occur in people of any age, and that includes children and adolescents.

Symptoms of PTSD

Many PTSD sufferers repeatedly experience flashbacks, memories, nightmares, or frightening thoughts, these symptoms are most likely to happen when they are exposed to objects or objects that remind them of their trauma.

Common Symptoms :

- General Anxiety Disorder
- Irritability or anger
- Intense guilt or fear for no apparent reason
- Emotional numbness and sleep problems
- Severe Depression
- Mood Swings

Lets have a closer look at the most common physical symptoms in (PTSD) :

- Weak Immune System
- Dizziness and numbness
- Chest pain
- Discomfort in other parts of the body, muscular tension
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Long term headaches

Sufferers often are treated for other causes than anxiety disorder. It happens often that sufferers think they have heart diseases, muscular problems or lack of minerals and vitamins.

Post-traumatic anxiety disorder can only be diagnosed if the symptoms last for more than one month. Symptoms do not occur immediately after the trauma, it usually varies, but they are most likely to occur within 3 months, it varies from one to another.

However some people recover in less than six months, others experience these symptoms a lot longer. Often PTSD may become chronic, and general anxiety disorder occurs. It can last for years if not treated in time.

There are lots of treatments available now, such as one to one coaching programs, which are completely natural and guaranteed, medication does help but they usually have bad side effects, they may reduce the level of anxiety, but in most of the cases it is not the cure.

General Statistics of PTSD

Studies have shown that 6.2 million adults in the US ages 18 to 58, approximately 4.6 percent of the people between these ages, have PTSD, the number is continuing to grow due to the high level of stress in urban areas. There are more women than men suffering from PTSD.

Treatment

One successful treatment that has worked for more than 40,000 people already is the Panic Away program which is a one-to-one coaching, complete natural anxiety program mainly based on relaxation techniques and ways to master your thoughts to overcome PTSD and anxiety.

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Are You Sensitive About Stress and Anxiety Disorders in Children? - Part 3

It is quite common for us adults to forget or even ignore the presence of children in the vicinity and consciously control what we say, how we act and generally speaking, how we carry ourselves. Children are excellent observers and the best imitators that can be. Whether you like it or not, children will pick up cues from how they see adults carry themselves and mould their own behavior accordingly. The foundation for our character today has roots to our childhood days. Character begins at home and that is something that we adults often tend to simply push to the side in the company of children.

Effect of Domestic Tension on Children

We all have trying moments in life that challenge our beliefs, test our patience and perseverance and holds our minds to ransom while taking life changing decisions for the family. A simple mismatch of opinions between parents in the presence of a child can subject them to stress. It may not be always possible to notice that the child is present before the argument begins, but it is important to take corrective action as soon as either parent notices that the child is present. The corrective action may be as simple as some sort of a warning signal to the other spouse about the child's presence. Such warnings must be listened to and the discussion should either stop or be postponed for a later time when the child is not around.

You see, children are inquisitive little angels and voracious learners. At the same time, like all human beings, they are usually resistant to change. If there is a change, they need an explanation. Without the explanation, their minds try to figure out what the change is all about and how it affects them. So if they are not used to watch quarreling parents in action, the fear of the unknown and uncharted waters grips their mind and that leads to stress. Stress in turn sends their delicate physiological and psychological health into an overdrive situation, which in turn can turn out to be the cause for childhood anxiety and childhood depression. Children growing up in families where parents and adults regularly engage in open and unrestricted heated (or even animated) conversations are known to develop stress related disorders in early childhood, which becomes a challenge to remedy later on in life. Children growing up in such environments are also known to develop an aggressive and self-centered attitude in life.

Domestic Violence

The perils of heated and animated conversation between parents and adults in the household score a new high when they turn into domestic violence in the presence or even the absence of children. It is evident that domestic violence inflicted on an adult in the presence of a child will impose severe stress on her mind. It is also evident how domestic violence on the child himself or herself could simply traumatize the young mind. But how does such turmoil in the absence of the child affect her mind?

Well, domestic violence most often than not will leave behind physical signs of distress that may be difficult to hide. A bruised lip, a black eye, broken bones that "just happened to develop out of the blue" is not an easy thing to lie about even for a rational adult. This is primarily because the victim of domestic violence is going through a stressful situation already. It takes more than Hollywood style acting skills to cover all of that grief-laden emotion up and concoct an explanation for a child when the obvious question is posed at a later time.

Children are also very good lie detectors - you may be lucky a few times to squeeze past the reasoning of the child's brain, but repetitive occurrence of domestic violence presents a pattern to the child. The mind will try to connect the events in the past and the doctored stories that were offered as explanation and will eventually determine the truth all by itself. Sounds unbelievable? It's just a matter of time when the child just figures out what's been going on in his absence and more often than not, the picture that emerges in his mind is not too far from the truth.

So as adults, we must be very careful about how we carry ourselves when we have children in our daily lives. We have a moral responsibility towards our children to provide a psychologically healthy environment to grow up and it takes a lot of sacrifice and rational thinking on our part on how we must "behave".

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Herbs For Anxiety - Herbal Treatments For Stress, Tension and Work Pressure

Feeling anxious is a common feature in most human beings. There is nothing abnormal in it, but if a person is very often subjected to anxieties due to simple and trivial reasons then it must be checked otherwise it may lead to serious disorders like depression creating much problem in later stages of life.

Stress, tension, pressure at workplace, competition, family problems back at home seldom leave a person's mind to sit back and relax. The constant duel and turmoil that continues in one's mind leads to a habit of being anxious and at the same time disturbing other physiological functions too.

Some simple herbal treatments

Instead of getting addicted to sedatives and other drugs in order to get rid of anxiety, some herbs have magical spells in alleviating anxiety because herbs contain the essential chemical constituents that affect the functions of the brain and heart. Most of these herbal therapies have very little side effects and are quite cheap compared to the drugs sold over the counter. Some of the best herbal therapies in treating anxiety can be summarized as follows:

1. Kava kava is well known to lift one's spirits and so its roots were used to prepare drinks since ancient times. It also reduces the stress and anxiety within one week of its use. Even women suffering from post menopause depression have found good results after using kava kava.

2. Ginseng has many beneficial factors but it is most popular in treatment of anxiety. It helps to maintain emotional balance and produces a relaxing effect on the nerves reducing tiredness and fatigue.

3. Valerian root is generally applied as a sedative. But it has also yielded good results in reducing stress, anxiety levels, agitation and other mental disturbances. It is also advantageous to the fact that it helps to fall sleep in less time and promotes sound sleep in spite of a disturbed mind.

4. Catnip is a mint type of herb that reduces nervousness, sleeplessness and so is widely used as an anti anxiety medicine. It has been used as a sedative through ages but studies showed that it can also reduce migraine.

5. St John's wort has been popular for its anti depressant qualities since ages and so it is widely used as medications to reduce stress and anxiety.

6. Chamomile herbs are the safest in treating anxiety problems. German chamomile and Roman chamomile are the most commonly used herbs. They have some chemical constituents that relax the brain and have a soothing effect on the nerves.

From the above studies the main benefits of herbal treatments is that they are non toxic and being natural does not lead to any sort of addiction. Apart from treatments herbs develops the resistance to fight against any disorder.

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The Truth About Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders

Panic Attacks. They are very scary and most of the time uncontrollable, and are becoming increasingly common thanks to the hectic lifestyles we are forced to follow. They come when least expected and significantly limit the number of activities we can carry out. People who suffer from anxiety attacks usually don't know what is causing the attacks. Anxiety attacks can take place for a number of reasons such as stress, improper diet, chemical imbalances in the brain and even Post Traumatic Stress. Whatever the causes are, you definitely want to get rid of the problem as it limits us from living a normal life.

Anxiety is actually a good thing. It is a part of human nature to feel scared or tensed in a stressful situation. Whenever the human brain experienced change or something which can be threatening in any way, the Amygdala (a complex structure in the brain which deals with normal human behavior) reacts to that by sending signals of fear and our bodies adrenaline starts pumping, readying the body for a fight or flight situation. Anxiety is good since it keeps us on our toes and is the key to our survival, but when anxiety is overwhelming and occurs on a regular basis it is known as an anxiety disorder.

There are many ways to cure anxiety disorders, the most common being prescription drugs. But these drugs are in no way a cure for anxiety disorders. Instead, they only provide relief when you are experiencing an attack and make the sufferer dependent on them. So once you stop taking the medication you will continue to suffer from attacks and in some cases, experience it more frequently and with greater intensity. This is why it is best to deal with it through a natural approach. Now natural to you may seem like using herbs like Kava root to cure it, but this is not the case.

There are treatments that do not require any substances at all to cure anxiety disorders. The best way to deal with it is by changing your lifestyle and by finding a permanent cure. The Linden method is a program which includes things like PMR (progressive muscle relaxation), visualizations, meditation and a number of different ways to beat anxiety attacks. It creates strength and gives a sense of clarity to anyone who suffers from attacks. It will show you how to stop over thinking and stop the obsessive checking of symptoms. Stop worrying about you getting a panic attack is another thing which you can do to reduce the attacks.

Also, while following the Linden Method, you must also pay close attention to your diet. Today most of us live atrocious lifestyles such as staying up late, sleeping less, eating food stuffs that are known to be bad for our digestive systems, hardly relaxing, not exercising and of course, thinking too much. And we still wonder why we suffer from so many problems. By changing many of these bad habits anxiety attacks will reduce significantly. Eating right is something that will really help reduce your anxiety attacks since the digestive system has a big connection with the brain.

With a good diet, good sleeping habits, regular exercise and with the help of the Linden method, you can surely get rid of anxiety induced panic attacks forever.

Civil Engineering Overview

How to Reduce Anxiety in 5 Easy Steps

Anxiety is an emotion associated with fear and nervousness, and it develops into a disorder when such feelings are experienced irrationally. Symptoms of anxiety disorders include chest pains, sweating, hot flushes and nausea, amongst other. However, these symptoms are very common and are often overlooked or wrongly diagnosed as some other illness such as heart attacks.

There are many different types of anxiety disorders, such as post trauma anxiety disorder, panic anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. If you suspect that you suffer from anxiety disorder, it is advisable to seek out a professional opinion and get treatment.

Below are some guidelines on how to reduce anxiety in 5 easy steps, but this is not meant as a cure or a treatment. Proper medical care should be sought, and these tips can be used in addition to help you to cope with anxiety attacks.

Step 1: Relaxation Techniques

Learning to relax your body will help you to combat the symptoms of anxiety attacks, such as racing heartbeat, sweating, tremors and muscle tension. Pick up techniques such as meditation or muscle relaxation, and use it to relax your body when you feel an anxiety attack coming along.

Step 2: Exercise

Exercising is always recommended for keeping your body fit and healthy. A healthy body will also have a positive effect on your psychological health, and will help you to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You should also ensure that you get sufficient rest for your body, and that you have a relaxed environment where you can get uninterrupted rest for your body to recuperate at night.

Step 3: Balanced Diet

A balanced diet is essential to providing your body with the necessary nutrients needed to function optimally. Avoid taking in stimulants such as caffeine, or substances such as drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. These stimulants cause your heartbeat to speed up, and may trigger symptoms of your anxiety disorder.

Step 4: Seek Emotional Support

It is important to recognize that you have a problem, and not be afraid to seek help from your family and close ones. Share with them the cause of your anxiety disorder, as this will help them to assist and support you in recovering from anxiety disorders. If possible, you should see a professional for counseling to eliminate the root of your anxiety problem. Support groups are also a good alternative to share and learn from others who suffer from the same illness.

Step 5: Self Monitoring

You know yourself best, and this makes self monitoring a highly effective process. Once you have identified the cause of your anxiety attacks, look out for the triggers that cause an attack to occur. This will help you to look for alternatives or solutions to avoid or solve possible situations which will trigger an attack.

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