Anxiety takes shape in many forms. Sometimes anxiety means a small amount of normal nervousness from time to time. On the other hand, anxiety can mean a disorder that breaks the normal living pattern of the sufferer and often is accompanied with panic attacks. Sometimes anxiety can lead to agoraphobia, a condition where the patient becomes afraid to leave his or her home.



Different Forms and Intensities Of Anxiety

Not only does anxiety differ by how much it can disturb the sufferer's life, but also in the type of anxiety that is being experienced. Some of the different types of anxiety are:

Performance Anxiety - A condition where a person is unable to make speeches or cannot function under pressure while participating in a participation sport.

Test Anxiety - A similar condition where a person fails tests in school, even though he or she is adequately familiar with the content of the test.

Separation Anxiety - When a person, often a child cannot stand to be left alone.

Anxiety or Panic Disorder - Where a person experiences spell of intense panic when there is no external reason to be in a state of panic.

Though these conditions seem to run the gamut of a wide variety of situations, often times the same self help treatments can be very beneficial and maybe even sufficient to bring on the cure to each one. First however, we must make this disclaimer...

Dealing With Panic Attacks

Panic attacks will sometimes make the sufferer feel as if he or she is experiencing a heart attack or a stroke. It is important a person suffering from this condition gets a clean bill of health from a doctor before assuming the panic has brought on these common mock heart attack or stroke symptoms. Once the patient's health is no longer in question, he or she should no longer pay any attention to these false symptoms while under the influence of the adrenaline brought on by the panic attack.

Furthermore, a health care provider should be apprised of any conditions a patient is suffering from and though it is likely health care providers will approve, they should be told when the patient is engaging in these self-health techniques.

Relaxation Exercises

There are three stages to relaxation exercises. First, the anxiety sufferer lies down or relaxes in an easy chair. Once comfortable, the patient instructs the body to relax part by part. This is accomplished by instructing the body starting at the bottom and moving to the top. In other words, "feet relax, legs relax, lower legs and buttocks relax," etc. This is continued right up to the head and in this way some degree of relaxation is accomplished.

In the second stage, the patient becomes aware of the breathing, which should be slower than normal but comfortable. He or she should pay no attention to any outside noises but only tune into this slow, comfortable breathing.

After a few minutes, the patient should think of some relaxing time or scene he or she has experienced some time in the past, or if none can be though of, the patient should make one up. The key is to use the imagination and the breathing to be drawn into a peaceful state of mind.

Finally, the patient should imagine him or herself acting in a way that would be his or her ideal. For instance, the test anxiety sufferer should imagine being calm and confident while taking a test. The panic sufferer should imagine dismissing any hint of panic and continuing on through the day undisturbed.

Is That All There Is To It?

While this may seem too simple to give any real results, I used this method when I suffered frequent severe panic attacks and it was what got me to turn the corner and head toward complete recovery. So, I know it works, but there is one more key to a successful recovery.

An anxiety sufferer needs to recognize the fact he or she is suffering from anxiety disorder and needs to acknowledge it will only leave after the body's overly sensitized adrenaline system becomes healed. This can only happen on its own timetable and will only happen after the patient realizes that no amount of fighting the condition or trying to run away from it will help. However, acceptance together with time will.

The key is to use relaxation and recall relaxed feelings throughout the day. Then, live through anxieties symptoms, paying them as little attention as possible. A complete recovery will come soon after this acceptance takes hold.