Through the following symptoms, you can detect that a child is a possible candidate of a specific type of anxiety disorder or if the child is undergoing another episode of anxiety attack.

Separation anxiety is very common among children when they reach school age. They exhibit unreasoned fear and panic at being separated from their parents or their home during parents. Symptoms include crying and begging not to go to school. It is also possible that a child complains stomach aches, headaches, toothaches, and other maladies that would keep him from going to school. Alternately, a child will show a demeanor when at home or during the company of parents.

Social phobia is almost the opposite of separation anxiety. A child may choose stay home alone or keep separated from parents. Social phobia can push children to stay away from peers as they feel that they are different from other kids or that they have clothes or hair style that are apart from the interest of other kids. A child with social phobia may choose to read a book than to go to summer camp or any activity that involves mingling with others.

Performance anxiety can be closely linked to social anxiety. A child who does not play good sports may show signs of fear during physical education class. A child with poor reading skills or cannot perform simple mathematical equation may panic and become ill when called to recite for the class or solve a problem on the board.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by chronic worry or fear over almost everything without any apparent reason. Symptoms of GAD are very similar to what adults would experience. Patients with GAD may complain about stomach upset, fatigue, restlessness, and difficulty sleeping. In addition, a child may throw tantrums, may cry, have nightmares, may be keyed up and even begin to show problems in school that were not present before.

What causes anxiety to children?

There are many studies supporting that child anxiety is genetically acquired. Parents, for example, who manifest anxiety, will likely have anxious and nervous children. This condition can be learned as well. It is possible that a child develops anxiety disorder after a bad experience ? ridiculed by classmates, victim of bullies in school, or making a mistake in front of the class. Separation of parents, abuse, death of a loved one or any traumatic experiences can lead to anxiety disorder as well. Fear of being alone, is afraid of the dark or afraid of certain animals may be reflections of events with bad memories.

Behaviors during anxiety attacks and symptoms of anxiety disorders are similar to other psychological, physical and behavioral condition. It is important, therefore, to seek professional help to be able to rule out other reasons and provide the right treatment to the patient.

His social life may suffer including his relationship to his friends, relatives, family, and even to him/herself. If the condition is not addressed and properly treated, the person may think that his life is worthless. In extreme case, he may commit suicide. Thus, on the onset of anxiety, treatment is necessary. Here are some of the possible natural treatments for anxiety attacks:

Meditation and relaxation techniques ? These are proven effective methods in dealing with anxiety attacks. Through meditation and relaxation techniques such as breathing techniques, the mind will be able to control the body. Meditation and relaxation techniques can be used during an anxiety attack to slow down the heartbeat, control breathing, and divert the mind away from the cause of anxiety attack. Although these methods require practice, once you learn the proper techniques, they are very effective.

Diet ? The food we eat plays a very large role in our overall health, including our mental health. A well-balanced diet and healthy eating promotes a healthy brain and a healthy body. It is advised to prefer natural or organic foods rather than processed foods or those with preservatives and chemicals. If the cause of anxiety attack is weight problem, adapting a diet that helps you reduce weight can solve the problem.

Exercise ? Aside from diet, another important factor that helps promote a healthy well-being is exercise. Studies suggest that as little as 30 minutes of exercise, 3 to 5 times a week can have great effects to the body as well as the mind.

Herbal treatments – St. John Wort, Hyperforin, 5HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan), Melissa officinalis, Ginkgo Biloba, passionflower, valerian, scullcap, California poppy, hops and lavender are used as an alternative to prescription drugs to treat anxiety. Natural herbs can be made as tea, but some of these are already available over-the-counter as powder, liquid, capsule, oil, tincture, tablets and tea.

Pray ? If you believe in the power of prayer, pray. Many studies show that prayer is an effective way to relieve stress and anxiety as prayers have soothing and calming effect both on the body and on the mind.

Laugh ? Laughter still holds the title as the best medicine. This is because when you laugh, your body releases endorphins or “happy chemicals” that help you to feel good and happier.

Identify where anxiety is coming from ? Sometimes, anxiety attacks happen for no apparent reason. But that doesn’t mean that there is really no reason. After all something cannot happen out of nothing. Thus, if you experience an episode of anxiety attack, there must be a trigger (it might be directly linked to the attack or it might come from something else, totally apart from the event).

Once you identify the cause of the attack (which is as important as recognizing that you are having one), it is easy deal with it directly and process your condition using the natural ways mentioned above or through medication and therapy.

When is too much anxiety too much?

Excess anxiety is when you feel worry, anxious and afraid for no apparent reason at all. Under normal circumstances, teens worry because of specific things (like what was mentioned above). But there is an obvious difference between healthy anxiety and irrational anxiousness. Teens during an anxiety attack tend to react disproportionately over simple things or events that seem not to cause any excessive anxious reaction to others. In other words, too much anxiety is an unusual reaction over simple or trivial things.

What are the signs and symptoms of anxiety attacks?

Different people react to situations differently. Hence, there are really no uniform symptoms of anxiety attack that are present to all. Nonetheless, teens may show some or all of the following signs: shortness of breath, chest pain, heart burn, smothering sensation, sweating, shivering, chilling or shaking, numbness in the head and face, neck and shoulder pain, palpitation, derealisation or depersonalization, hyperactivity, dry mouth, fear of going crazy, headaches, stomach pain, and other body pains.

Take note that some of the mentioned signs and symptoms can be caused by other medical, psychological, and physical conditionals. They can also be the effects of current medical treatment, side effects of certain medications or the body’s natural reaction to stimuli.

What are the available remedies for anxiety attacks?

Medication
Severe cases of anxiety attacks may require prescription drugs to control or reduce its symptoms. Prescription drugs may be antidepressants and benzodiazepines. Antidepressants may take some weeks to take effect so it is important to continuously take medications and not just during an attack. Benzodiazepines, on the other hand, have quick relief effects, usually within 30 minutes, but they are highly addictive, thus it should be used with caution. Remember that medication should not be the first treatment option as there are other effective ways to combat the effects of anxiety.

Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective ways to treat anxiety attacks or any anxiety disorder for that matter. CBT focuses on the thinking pattern of the patients and replaces negative thoughts with positive ones.

Exposure therapy exposes the person to the physical sensations of panic in a safe and controlled environment. Through repeated exposure, patients gain greater self control and more confidence in facing fearful situation.

Natural Remedies
Proper diet, regular exercise and sufficient sleep bring balance to the body, which help reduce the episodes of anxiety attacks.

Massage, aromatherapy, relaxation and breathing techniques promote wellness, relax muscles and ease muscle tension.

Herbal treatments naturally relieve stress and restlessness associated with anxiety, thus solving anxiety problem.

Thinking positively and talking to a supportive person help stop the occurrence of anxiety attacks.

Types of Anxiety Disorder

There are six different types of anxiety disorder, each has its own characteristics: generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a chronic worry or fear over almost everything without even knowing why. They feel anxious from day to day activities and are troubled that bad things will happen. People with GAD show symptoms such as stomach upset, fatigue, restlessness, and insomnia.

Panic disorder is repeated, unexpected panic attacks, and fears that panic episodes will likely to happen. People with panic disorder are likely to have agoraphobia, or fear of being in places where help or escape will be difficult in case of another panic attack. People with agoraphobia are also afraid of being trapped in confined places such as an airplane or crowded areas such as a shopping mall.

Phobia is excessive, irrational, and exaggerated fear over simple things that generally present little or no danger. Common phobias are heights, snakes, spiders, dark, and flying. People with phobias tend to avoid the things they are afraid of in order to escape anxiety attacks. However, avoidance only strengthens the phobia.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that happens after a life-threatening or a traumatic event. People with PTSD show symptoms such as hyper-vigilance, avoiding situations or places that remind them about the event, nightmares and flashbacks about the things that happened, startling easily, and isolation.

Social anxiety disorder or social phobia is fear of being seen negatively by others or fear of getting humiliated in public by other people. Social anxiety is often mistaken as an ordinary extreme shyness. People with this kind of disorder usually isolate themselves from others or event and places where crowd usually gathers. Stage fright is the most common type of social anxiety.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD is a condition where a person has unwanted behavior or thoughts which appear to be impossible to control. People with OCD can have certain obsession such as worries that they might hurt someone or that they have forgotten to turn the lights off. They can also have uncontrollable compulsion. The most common is washing of hands repeatedly.

Do you experience anxiety attacks?

? Are you always worried, tense, and on the edge?

? Do you feel like you are in danger whenever you are in confined places?

? Are you afraid of mingling with strangers, meeting new friends or even meeting relatives?

? Do you feel that something bad or catastrophic will happen if certain things are not done according to plan?

? Do you experience worry, fear and anxiousness that affect your relationship, work, healthy, and other responsibilities?

? Do you feel irrational fear but couldn’t shake it?

? Does your anxiety force you to avoid everyday situations and activities?

The exact cause of an anxiety attack is not fully understood, but research suggests that genetics, life experiences and brain chemistry contribute to the onset of the attack. What is known is that during the attack, a person shows signs and changes in the body.

The immediate sign of anxiety attack is increased heartbeat or palpitation. This is the most distressing among anxiety symptoms. But this is generally a good thing since the heart works harder to pump more blood to your body, especially to your legs and your arms, enabling you to have a surge of energy to respond quicker than normal to any emergency. The chest feels tight as if it refuses to expand to accommodate air the body needs. Sometimes, the feeling is like someone is pushing a pillow into your face.

The additional oxygen requirement of the body must be compensated by breathing. Thus, during an anxiety attack, you breathe faster. As your arms and legs receive more oxygen and energy, your muscles tend to get tensed, which is important when abrupt movement is needed.

As your arms and legs receive more supply of oxygen through the blood, other parts of the body receive less than normal supply of oxygen (the stomach and the brain can survive with less oxygen during emergency situations). In other words, the oxygen that is supposed to go to the stomach is redirected to the arms and legs. This explains why a person who is undergoing an anxiety attack experiences churning feeling in the stomach. Because the brain receives less amount of oxygen for a short period of time, the person experiences light-headedness and dizziness. (Take note, however, that the reduced supply of oxygen in the brain is just enough to produce these symptoms and doesn’t cause any permanent brain damage.)

Because your heart pumps more blood to your muscles, your body temperature increases. So to keep a relatively normal temperature, you begin to sweat.

Aside from these signs, you can also experience weakness or fatigue, tingling sensation, and dry mouth. Also, side-effects of these signs may include diarrhea and constant urination.

These body responses are automatic. Meaning, there is no “switch” to turn it on. Thus, there is also no way you can turn it off by simply thinking that you should not feel any of these symptoms. What you should do, especially if the attack is chronic, recurring and it already affects your life, is to seek medical help. This way, your doctor will be able to identify and rule out any other possible causes of these signs which are unrelated to anxiety.

Allow your doctor to conduct a physical exam. He may prescribe you a drug or may refer you to a psychologist or a therapist. Following your doctor is important so do not ignore any advice and believe that you are totally okay.

Symptoms of Anxiety Attack

A person undergoing an episode of anxiety attack shows the following symptoms:

? Heart palpitation (increase in heartbeat)
? Hot flashes or chills
? Hyperventilation
? Surge of overwhelming panic
? Feeling detached or unreal
? Trembling or shaking
? Trouble breathing
? Feeling of losing control, going crazy; or fear of dying
? Choking sensation
? Nausea or stomach crams
? Sweating
? Dizziness
? Chest discomfort or pain

Handling anxiety attacks

Anxiety attacks usually peak within 10 minutes and rarely last for half an hour. But during this time, a person can totally lose control of himself and show symptoms mentioned above. To handle this attack, a person must:

Relax ? Although it is often impossible to relax during an attack, it is very crucial not to submit yourself to your emotion. Breathe. Deep breathing helps calms and relaxes your mind and body. During an anxiety attack, focus your breathing to slow down your heartbeat. This also diverts your attention from the attack which helps you recover faster. Take some time and practice deep breathing exercises even if you are not stressed or feel anxious.

Think positively ? Again, during an anxiety attack, it is often impossible to relax or even calm yourself, but you have to be in control. Push more positive thoughts to your head. Instead of thinking that others will humiliate you or you are going to faint because you cannot take the pressure, think of the good things. Do no anticipate that something bad will happen because in reality, there isn’t. Keep in mind that the more you think negatively, the more anxious and panicky it is going to be.

Think that it will be over soon ? and it will. Anxiety attacks do not last for more than an hour so there is no reason for you to think and feel that your world is over. You don’t have to be mindful of the time. You don’t even have to count every minute that passed. What you should be doing is be conscious that it will not going to last forever.

Start an exercise program ? We have heard that exercise has lots of benefits both to the body and the mind. It is also a great stress buster and anxiety reliever. Experts agree that as little as 30 minutes of exercise, 3 to 5 times a week is enough to lower the level of stress and reduce the chances of having episodes of anxiety attacks.

Talk to someone you trust ? It can be your friend, your wife (husband), a relative or a therapist. Often, having someone who listens and understands what a person is going through will make a lot of difference. This is because it allows you to bring out your emotion rather than keeping it to yourself.

Common symptoms include:

Fear of going crazy ? When under tremendous pressure, a person may feel that he is going crazy. This, however, is more evident during anxiety attack, but rest assured that you are not going crazy. This is because going crazy is not a conscious act; people who are suffering from mental illnesses do not even know that they have one. Again, if you are experiencing excessive fear or irrational thoughts, you are not going crazy.

Dry mouth ? This is a natural occurrence during anxiety attack as fluids are diverted to other parts of the body. To counter dry mouth, sip water or suck sweets to stimulate the production of saliva. In severe cases, doctors may prescribe you with liquid.

Shaking and shivering ? These two are necessary functions of the body as it constantly tries to keep the body temperature normal. When the body temperature drops from normal, the muscles spasmodically contract, creating friction between muscles and body tissues, thus increasing the body temperature. During anxiety attacks, shaking and shivering are normal.

Heart palpitation ? or the feeling that the heart is missing beats is caused by the release of adrenaline into the bloodstream during an attack. This is perfectly normal and cannot harm you in any way. However, it can cause discomfort.

Body pain ? such as neck, shoulder, jaw, mouth and stomach pains, as well as head headaches. When the body is under stress, parts of the body usually get tensed, which results to pain.

Chest pain ? is a normal body reaction to anxiety attack because of muscle tension. Sometimes, chest pain is misinterpreted as a heart attack, but it is important to identify from one another as the latter can be deadly.

Shortness of breath ? is the most distressing symptom of anxiety attack as it almost feels that the chest cannot expand to accommodate the necessary air that the body needs. Sometimes, it feels that someone is pushing a pillow into your face. Three important points to remember are you will not suffocate, stop breathing or pass out.

Feeling detach or unreal ? is a symptom of anxiety attack which alters the way you experience yourself or see reality. It makes you feel that everything around you is like a dream, foggy and unreal.

Recognizing the symptoms of anxiety attacks need not require you to understand the physiology of the human body. What is required is your awareness on each symptoms and the danger they have when ignored.

Different people manifest different behaviors when experiencing anxiety. The intensity of prevailing symptoms differs either. And since the term “anxiety disorders” is coined to refer a group of related conditions rather than a single disorder, symptoms may look different on every anxiety attack. It is important, therefore, to consult a health professional so that it will out any possible condition apart from anxiety.

Once you understand you can either seek out some natural ways of treating anxiety or you could talk to your doctor about your anxiety, he or she will be able help you determine what remedies for anxiety may be appropriate for you.

Anxiety can really put you on edge. Not only is it uncomfortable to live with, studies have shown that anxiety is actually physically bad for you, increasing your likelihood of developing serious heart conditions, and even cancer. Finding some remedies for anxiety is therefore always a good idea.

The first thing you?ll need to determine is whether you are suffering from normal amounts of anxiety, perhaps related to stressful situations in your life, or if you have an anxiety disorder. People with anxiety disorders have excessive anxiety even when there is no good reason for it.
There are several effective remedies for anxiety that can go a long way in alleviating normal amounts of the condition. First thing you should look into if you?re interested in remedies for anxiety is reducing or eliminating your caffeine intake. Caffeine has anxiety written all over it. Regular caffeine intake will go a long way towards mimicking an anxiety disorder. Because caffine is a stimulante it tends to get your system working faster which can make you feel on edge. You want to relax with anxiety not stimulate it on.

The other remedies for anxiety that may help are diet and exercise. By diet, I don?t mean you have to go on a diet, but just watch what you?re eating. Eating loads of sugars, fats, and unhealthy foods can amplify anxiety. Far more important, however, is regular exercise. Regular exercise has been proven to be an extremely effective remedy for anxiety.

Anxiety disorders can be crippling for many people, and may require more serious treatments. Fortunately, there are a variety of very effective medications available today that can considerably alleviate the symptoms of an anxiety disorder. These medications, combined with talk therapy, and the remedies for anxiety described above, form a powerful arsenal in fighting even severe forms of anxiety disorders.

But taking medications for anxiety should be your last resort. Seek out information first and educate yourself so you understand anxiety, knowledge is power and when you have knowledge you understand more of what is happening to you.

There are a lot of different treatments available these days for anxiety and panic attacks. As one of the most widespread mental disorders out there, and with our ever-increasing understanding of it, anxiety is steadily becoming ‘the mental disease of the year’. This is both good news and bad if you are looking for treatments. There a lot of different medications available to help treat anxiety, but they are not without side effects. Looking for some healthy and natural cures is the better way to go.

While anxiety is a ‘mental disorder’, everyone suffers from some amount of it, just as with depression. Some people, due to an imbalance of neurotransmitters, may suffer from undue amounts of anxiety. For everyone else, its just one of those things you have to deal with now and then. Taking medications is an extreme response. There are a number of natural cures you should try first, all of which have worked great for me.

Exercising is a great natural cure for anxiety. Anything that gets your heart rate going and boosts your metabolism will work wonders for reducing anxiety and panic attacks. You always find that once you have done some exercise you notice how relaxed you feel. Our brain chemistry is ‘designed’ with the assumption that we are going to be very active in our lives, as that is how we have evolved. It is only recently that we have become mostly inactive and deskbound and our brain chemistry hasn’t caught up to this yet. Essentially, our bodies are still in ‘hunter and gatherer’ mode, and sitting all day at a desk can cause some imbalances.

Relaxation techniques are good natural cures for anxiety attacks. Meditation, listening to some calming music, reading a good book, getting enough sleep at night, and reducing caffeine intake will all help you to relax and therefore serve as safe, natural cure. This last point especially, caffeine and other stimulants alone can cause huge amounts of anxiety for people. When you cut back and eventually quit caffeine you immediately noticed an enormous reduction in your every day anxiety. You will find you don’t feel so anxious or jittery.

Aromatherapy oils are also great they have been around for centuries and are good natural cure for anxiety attacks. Aromatherapy oils are a way for your brain to react to the smells and when applied to your skin. Each oil has its own purpose and also when mixed with other oils. Oils to use to help calm and relax you are lavender, you can just smell the oil and it is enough for your brain to react to it. Or you can mix with carrier oil like olive or almond and rub some on your temples or just on your body somewhere. You can also use an oil burner and put it in your bedroom or in a room you spend a lot of time.

Other essential oils known to help panic and anxiety attacks are helichrysum, frankincense, and marjoram. Smell each of them, and use what smells best to you, or you could use a combination of your favourite oils mixed in with carrier oil for your skin or put into an oil burner. You could also put a few drops in your bath, layback and listen to some music with a few candles going.

Try all sorts of methods and find what suits you is always the best solution, when we want to cure anxiety attacks, we are all different and we have to feel comfortable about what we are doing. Because the main aim here is for you to feel relaxed. Once you start relaxing you will find you have a lot less stress in your life. But really if you notice here it’s about you and paying some attention to you and how you feel and making yourself feel great again. Anxiety and panic attacks are exactly that! A way for your body to tell you hey slow down stop worrying and pay some attention to me. It’s like a big HELLO pay a bit of attention to me.

You have probably seen so many articles and books recommending hypnosis for treating anxiety and panic attacks. But I am sure a lot of people out there are just wondering well what happens when you go see a hypnotherapist. If your already in state of anxiety attacks the last thing you need is to be feeling anxious about going to see a hypnotherapist and doing hypnotherapy.

So speaking from experience I thought I would write my experiences so you have some idea what to expect if you decide that this is something for you.

The first thing is they ask you questions about what is going on with your life and what you are experiencing and what you would like to achieve by doing hypnosis. So they can get to know you better and you feel a little bit at ease,

Once that has been discussed they will usually explain what hypnotherapy is about and what is going to happen so you understand the process. Most practitioners have the same method and some have different methods but really hypnotherapy is all about getting you to relax..

So once the formalities are over you usually lay on a couch or suit in a comfortable recliner chair. They will get you to close your eyes and they will start guiding you to relax, by taking deep breaths and relaxing your body. Then once you start relaxing they will just keep getting you more and more relaxed. The first time is always the hardest but try and go with the flow here and just let go. It’s a great experience to let go when you have been so tense from anxiety and panic attacks.

Then once they can see you are relaxed they will start making suggestions in your mind about a way for you to get through this time. They may also get you do some visualizations’ and put you in a place that feels nice to be there. Its all part of getting you to relax. All this usually lasts about 30mins or even longer but the first session is usually only about 30min long.

In the first session you may feel a bit uncomfortable and that’s ok because this is all new territory for you. But remember if you’re making the move to do something about getting rid of anxiety and panic attacks then that’s the most important thing here.

Now if your not comfortable about going and seeing someone for hypnotherapy then there a lot of CDs that you can buy and do it yourself in the comfort of your own home. But I feel that going to see a hypnotherapist at least once you will benefit a great deal because then if you have questions they can be answered while you are there. Then you can could do it at home at your own leisure.

When I suffered anxiety and panic attacks and I was ready to get rid of them this is how it all started for me I started with doing hypnosis then went on to do it by myself at home everyday until they were gone.