When Anxiety and Pain Strike! Techniques to Cope

By Valerie Widmann

Do you often feel like you’re going to die from an anxiety or panic attack? Are you fed up of trying various treatments that do not seem to work? Are you afraid of being resigned to a life of anxiety and loneliness? Do you feel that nobody understands what you are going through? Are you someone who has an anxious child or partner and feels unable to help them? Are you afraid of talking about your mental illness because of the stigma associated with it? Valerie Widmann aims to “raise the roof on mental illness.” Raising awareness means that we can change mental illness to mental wellness. She talks candidly about why we might feel like anxiety is taking over our lives and how we can regain control of it. 

In her latest book, you will learn:

•How to identify triggers and deal with your symptoms
•How to stop worrying
•How to help someone who is anxious
•The benefits of exercise, medication, meditation and a change of environment
•The current gold standard of therapy including CBT and EMDR

You have one life and you control the agenda for it. If anxiety and mental illness lead you to feeling out of control, this book is for you. The power is in your hands!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Valerie Widmann
• Release date: Oct 3, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386631903

Valerie Widmann

Valerie Widmann holds a BSc.(Hons) Psychology degree.  Originally from South Africa, she has spent a large part of her adult life studying and working in London, United Kingdom. She is currently based in Munich but frequently travels between Germany and the UK.  She enjoys coaching, reading, writing, the gym, and travelling.

Book preview

Dedication

This book is dedicated to Glenda. I am inspired by her.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to my husband Dirk Widmann for your kind support, encouragement, and for being my number one fan! Thank you to Louise, Melissa and Nina (LMN) for your informative feedback on the initial draft.

When Anxiety and Panic Strike!

Techniques to cope

Table of Contents

Introduction

Background

Types of Anxiety Disorders

The Psychology behind Anxiety

The Biology behind Anxiety

Causes and Symptoms

Triggers and Responses

Food is your Friend

The Power of Nature

Your Environment

Exercise Techniques

Medication

Meditation

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Emotional Freedom Technique

Keeping an Eye on it (EMDR)

Anxiety in Children

An Anxious Partner

Stop Worrying

Q&A

A Final Thought

Introduction

Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet less than 40% of those suffering from them receive treatment. Millions suffer alone. Anxiety is a mental illness – it is not a weakness. The stigma attached to mental illness where sufferers might be referred to as crazies stems from fear and ignorance. People merely need an education on the subject in order to appreciate that to some extent, we are all crazies. Sufferers of mental illness (invisible illness) deserve the same degree of compassion, support, and understanding as someone with a visible illness – no less! Too often it is a taboo subject confined to the four walls of a sufferer’s home. But it’s time that we raised the roof on mental illness and talked about it as unashamedly as we would about that hip replacement or cancer treatment. Because the more openly we talk about mental illness, the more we can motivate sufferers into seeking help. The more we normalise the subject, the more we assure sufferers that they too are an important dynamic in society – that they too matter equally in this world.

One of the hardest things about anxiety is the feeling that there is no hope for you and that nothing will set you free from its unforgiving trap. So you panic about panicking, resigning yourself to the belief that your life is doomed. That’s exactly what anxiety wants you to believe but you owe it to yourself to conquer that irrational belief be that through psychological intervention, medication, meditation or by means of all of those channels. There are more people who are experiencing something similar to you than you may think.

This book is gender neutral. The popular assumption is that only women suffer from mental illness or indeed, anxiety disorders. This is an utter fabrication of the truth. It might be the case that women reach out for help more often than men do, but the truth is that anxiety affects men too. Perhaps men just don’t talk about it as much or are afraid of being stigmatised if they did. In a society where men are expected to be stronger both emotionally and physically, it might hold them back from seeking treatment for fear of appearing weak. However, men who are affected should take comfort in the fact that they are not alone – there are many men globally who fight mental illness on a daily if not, on an hourly basis. These men are not weak – they are human like you and me. Just because they have one X and one Y chromosome does not make them immune to genetics, their environment and their (traumatic) experiences in life. They do not possess supernatural powers (even if some of them may think they do). My point is, let’s not forget to highlight the fact that men too suffer from anxiety disorders. They too deserve the treatment that is available to help them cope better with anxiety and panic.

You may often hear the terms panic attack and anxiety attack used interchangeably. Clinically speaking, this is incorrect. Whilst panic and anxiety attacks share many similarities and do fall under the broad umbrella of Generalised Anxiety Disorder, it is important to note that they are not one and the same thing. Knowing this fundamental fact and understanding the differences between them are important so that you are able to get the correct treatment and help for your condition. 

Anxiety attacks develop from a complex set of risk factors such as (but not limited to) genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events. It often has a trigger relating to excessive worry about potential or perceived danger. The attacks intensify over a period of time. Whilst an anxiety attack is less intense than a panic attack, the symptoms often last longer. Feeling out of control, light-headed, weak, dizzy, and shortness of breath are amongst the more common symptoms of an anxiety attack.

Panic attacks, on the other hand, feel a lot like anxiety attacks not least of all because they share similar symptoms. However, unlike an anxiety attack which may steadily build up, panic attacks tend to appear completely out of the blue. They are also more intense and peak at around 10 minutes before subsiding. Panic attacks may also be accompanied by agoraphobia (the fear of being in places where escape or help would be difficult in the event of a panic attack). This might prevent you from flying for example because of the fear of being stuck in an aeroplane or going on a cruise. Chest pain, nausea, an accelerated heart rate, shaking, and feeling detached from reality are amongst the more common symptoms of a panic attack. Some have reported that it takes an entire week to feel normal again after a panic attack.

The frequency of panic attacks depends on the severity of the condition. Whilst some may have one or two attacks a month, others may have a few each week. Even though they are not dangerous, panic attacks can be extremely intense and scary. However, it will not cause any physical harm and sufferers are unlikely to be admitted into the hospital for a panic attack. There are various coping mechanisms that can help during anxious moments and more importantly, that can potentially help to prevent future attacks.

In this book, you will primarily learn:

1. How to identify your triggers and how to deal with your symptoms

2. How eating the proper food and taking the correct medication can bring you relief from the symptoms of anxiety

3. The benefits of exercise, meditation, and making adjustments to your environment

4. The benefits of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)

5. How to stop worrying

6. How to help a child or a partner who has an anxiety disorder

Even though this book is best read in its entirety, it is set out in such a way that you can choose to read only certain (relevant to you) chapters.

Terminology frequently used

I have tried my best to keep this book as simple as possible, in lay man’s terms. However, you might encounter a few unfamiliar words which I have given a short definition of below.

Adrenaline – this is a hormone that is secreted by the adrenal gland, which increases rates of blood circulation and breathing whilst it prepares the muscles for exertion (frequently encountered in the fight or flight response)

Cortisol – this is a stress hormone

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) – this a neurotransmitter in the brain

L-Tryptophan – this is an amino acid which is the main ingredient for producing serotonin in the brain

Neurotransmitter – these pass messages from neuron to neuron

Serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine – these are also neurotransmitters in the brain which carry chemical messages between the nerve (neuron) cells

Disclaimer

I am not a medical doctor. The contents of this book are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you may have read in this book. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 111 (in the UK) or 911 (in the USA) immediately.

Background

In the UK,[1] 1 in every 4 people experience mental health problems in any given year. Anxiety is one of the most common types of mental distress affecting roughly 9.2 per cent of the population. This is at a cost of between £70-100 billion a year.

Did you know that in the US[2] alone, about 40 million adults aged 18 and older (roughly translated to 18 per cent of the population) are affected by anxiety disorders? This, at a staggering cost of more than $42 billion a year!

Interestingly, in the US,[3] the largest age group (14,439,465) on anti-anxiety drugs are between the ages of 45-64. Not too far off with 8,944,200 users are those in the age group 25-44. It appears that the cliché of mid-life crisis might actually have some merit of truth in it. By age 45, most people have established a career, a family, their identity and place in the world. Yet at that crucial age, a substantial number of people are drug-dependent. When we consider the statistics, it appears to climb steadily from age 25. Clearly, therefore, it does not just creep up out of nowhere. Even more alarmingly, it does not just peak at 64. Statistics show that those in the age group 65+ have roughly 9,691,791 users of anti-anxiety drugs. This is indeed a worrying trend because it suggests that even in older age (the so-called golden years), anxiety only dwindles marginally.

Perhaps an early intervention is the way forward because if issues are addressed in the early years then the likelihood of drug dependence should decrease with age. However, whilst anxiety and panic attacks may never be cured permanently, they need not take over your life. They can be managed so that you can lead a more rewarding and happier life that everyone deserves to have. To this end, there are various medications, herbs, vitamins and psychological intervention methods which have been found to be useful in diminishing the symptoms of anxiety and panic. Making minor changes to your lifestyle, eating and exercise habits and taking control over your life, are all positive steps towards managing your anxiety levels.  

For now, though, there is a bustling market of drugs which doctors prescribe to patients with mental health problems such as anxiety or panic (amongst others) disorders. Below are some of the more popular ones (generic names are in brackets) which you may personally recognise:

1. Alprazolam (alprazolam systemic)

2. Ativan (lorazepam systemic)

3. Bu Spar (buspirone systemic)

4. Clonazepam (clonazepam systemic)

5. Effexor XR (venlafaxine systemic)

6. Klonopin (clonazepam systemic)

7. Lorazepam (lorazepam systemic)

8. Paxil (paroxetine systemic)

9. Paroxetine (paroxetine systemic)

10. Prozac (fluoxetine systemic)

11. Sertraline (sertraline systemic)

12. Xanax (alprazolam systemic)

13. Zoloft (sertraline systemic)

That is just a snapshot of what is available on the market – there are loads more. However, like with most medication, these too have side effects. Some common side effects of the drugs listed above include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Being forgetful

2. Changes in patterns and rhythms of speech

3. Clumsiness or unsteadiness

4. Difficulty with coordination

5. Discouragement

6. Drowsiness

7. Feeling sad or empty

8. Irritability

9. Lack of appetite

10. Light headedness

11. Loss of interest or pleasure

12. Shakiness and unsteady walk

13. Tiredness

14. Lack of concentration

15. Unable to perform routine tasks

16. Insomnia

17. Body aches