Understanding anxiety
"Anxiety is how you react to stressful situations," says Dr. Donna Ferguson, a psychologist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. When faced with a stressful situation, the body produces excess adrenaline and cortisol, which turns on the body's ‘fight or flight' instinct. It's not uncommon to experience a pounding heart, hyperventilation, trembling, nausea, abdominal distress, headache or light headedness.
There are different kinds of anxiety. Sometimes, the trigger is an unexpected or stressful situation, leading to a pounding heart or upset stomach. General anxiety disorder is a constant feeling of worry about nothing in particular, while other anxiety disorders have specific triggers that can set off panic attacks. Some people have panic disorders, where panic attacks occur randomly. Studies have shown women to be more likely to suffer from anxiety and anxiety disorders than men.
Panic attacks
In some cases, the physical symptoms of anxiety can get out of hand, leading to a panic attack. Often, people experiencing anxiety are unable to recognise their physical symptoms as a stress reaction, and think something is physically wrong with them.
"It's a cycle," Ferguson says. "You worry about the symptoms, but the more you worry, the worse the symptoms get." Someone having a panic attack might think they are having a heart attack and end up in the emergency room before they finally calm down. "There's a fear of the symptoms, and a fear of the anxiety itself, and the anxiety is almost catastrophic," she says. While most panic attacks peak within 10 minutes of onset, they can be severe and debilitating; Ferguson notes some people think they are going to die.
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