I need to state from the outset that I have neither any Medical accreditation
nor any certification in any matters related to Anxiety Disorders. However, what
I do have is the painful experience of having been a sufferer for 13 long years,
and I have also studied the subject extensively and have learned greatly both
from others who have done the same and who make it their life work to help
sufferers. I have also learned a huge amount from reading about fellow
sufferers.
It is believed that there are many factors which contribute towards people
having Anxiety Attacks. They tend to multiply over time and rarely does one
factor alone cause the disorder. Some of these factors are genetics, biological,
stress/lifestyle related, childhood experiences and environment, and your own
personal thoughts and thought patterns. There are others, but these tend to be
the main causes.
Research shows that anxiety disorders do tend to run in families, with the
reasons being twofold. Firstly one's childhood environment can cause them, more
on that later, and secondly the genes we inherit. Whereas there is nothing we
can do about the genes we inherit, the bad news ends there as all the other
issues can be positively addressed.
From a biological perspective, some people believe that a chemical imbalance in
the brain can be at the root of anxiety disorders. What is not understood is
which comes first i.e. the chemical imbalance itself, or the disorder which
creates the imbalance. We are all programmed for either "flight or fight", and
this causes all the breathing issues, rapid heartbeat, tightening of the muscles
etc which the anxiety attack brings on. These attacks, or more importantly their
root cause, can be controlled, and managed, using many techniques, such as
controlled breathing and relaxation methodology, which are very easy to learn.
Stress is one of the principle curses of modern life, and unfortunately
contributes massively to anxiety disorders. Overwork, lack of sleep, poor diet,
lack of exercise will, over time, put such a huge burden on the body, that the
result will be stress which will manifest itself in anxiety disorders, and
everyday mundane things will get blown out of all proportion. We see this in
people everywhere, with some categorizing it as burnout - they simply are unable
to function as they once used to. The body seems to have totally had enough.
So is there a way out of the apparent stress impasse? Definitely so. One must
address the core problems by working less, usually meaning more productively
rather than longer hours - sleeping properly and regularly, literally getting
your 8 hours every night - addressing one's diet and eating properly - and
getting out and taking proper exercise. The body is a wonderful vehicle that we
travel round in, we can virtually wreck it, but we can also rebuild it if we
really want to. Remember, it is the only one we will ever have, so look after
it. If you do, it will look after you and stress related, and burnout issues,
will vanish.
There is an old saying which is that we all are molded by our environment, and
none more so than children. If your childhood environment was such that it
caused you to be anxious e.g. you felt physically unsafe, you were not loved,
you were always being criticized and judged, you always had to achieve things to
get approval and you also watched others in your family go about their lives in
an anxious way, then the anxiety seeds will have been well and truly sown. Can
you break out of these mental strictures? Again, most definitely yes, with help
and advice and practise, you surely can, no matter bad those childhood thought
patterns were.
I think, therefore I am. What a profound saying that is, as how you think will
determine how you see the world and as a consequence how you will react to the
stress of the world. Negative thoughts, trying to be perfect, imagining the
worst could happen and believing one is a victim will all engender anxiety
disorders. So can they be addressed? Again the answer is a resounding yes. We
all have the power to affect and change our thoughts and, in the same way that
bad thoughts can actually make you feel ill, positive thoughts will actually
make us feel positive about ourselves and our world. As a result we will also
feel physically better.
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