Panic and anxiety

[Kimbo63p]

Hello am new to the group,is anxiety the same as panic,as am unsure which Attic am having ,help needed to understand, many thanks

[Claire51]

Panic and Anxiety Attacks usually go hand in hand , i have suffered for almost 20 years and have never felt one without other, all i know is the onset of mine is a cold creeping like feeling up my back and it reaches top of my head , then all hell breaks out, i feel like vomiting, i shake, feel weak, want to run away, and have urge to go to toilet . Now let me take you Back on a Journey to the Days when we were Hunted by predators, Fight and Flight response , this is still part of us there is a small part of brain called the Amygdala is the reason we are afraid of things outside our control. It also controls the way we react to certain stimuli, or an event that causes an emotion, that we see as potentially threatening or dangerous. without this we would put our hands in fire, cross roads in front of cars, so it is still relevant for today. But when ours is switch on as it has been by anxiety it takes us back to the days as i said when we were the Hunted. The Fight or Flight response kicks in , our Blood feeds our main Muscle Groups in response to ready ourselves to either Run or stay and fight ( hence why extremities often become cold toes and fingers) Then the Body as a natural response then wants to rid our bodies of excess weight hence the need to Vomit or take a Poop, (watch how many racehorses pooh when on racecourse as they are readying themselves for flight) so this is same for us. So as a result your Heart Races as blood needs to be pumped faster to the major Muscles. Then what !!! well the trouble is we have no threat , nothing to fight , nothing to run from. This is the Nature of Anxiety Panic Disorder. Hope this helps explain the workings of the Anxiety/Panic Attack for you . xxx

[Kimbo63p in reply to Claire51]

Thanks for the reply but my symptoms don't seem to be like this maybe I best look at other options.

[Agora1 in reply to Claire51]

Great explanation Claire51. I'm always learning through the forum. Thanks x

[Agora1]

Hi Kimbo63p, Welcome to the Forum....hope we can help

Panic is a most intense feeling of fear that is short lived. Whereas Anxiety can be free floating that is never really going away or short but on going feelings of fear w/symptoms. (chronic) Knowing what you are experiencing can help the group relay to your fears and concerns. My best

[Kimbo63p in reply to Agora1]

Thank you for your reply,I keep getting out of breath ,dry mouth,get very shaky and dizzy,can last up to an hour,not sure if it's a panic attack.

[Agora1 in reply to Kimbo63p]

Kimbo63p, sounds more like anxiety attack because of length of time with symptoms. The adrenaline overflows in your body producing the shakiness and dizziness. The out of breath stems from the oversensitized nervous system and the tightly wound muscles. The diaphragm muscles get so tight, we get scare and it gets tighter making us feel as if we can't take that full breath. And so we start shallow breathing which just makes as feel more out of breath. We pant through our mouth when afraid, the mouth gets bone dry then we feel as if we can't swallow and the circle is complete. That circle is fear begetting fear. The best thing to counteract these symptoms are to practice deep belly breathing daily so that when in the throws of anxiety, you will be better prepared to either abort the feeling before it grows or to slow it down once it starts.

Practice makes perfect. You are in good hands with this forum. So many kind, comforting people who all experience anxiety in different ways but the understanding is there. I'm glad you found us.

[Kimbo63p in reply to Agora1]

Thank you I am Glad I joined the group and good to talk to someone ,I hope I can overcome this problem

[Agora1 in reply to Kimbo63p]

You will Kimbo63p, the first step is always knowing what you are dealing with, finding out as much as you can about the mind/body connection and then being open to suggestions in how to go forward.

I don't want to overwhelm you right now, but know that you will receive good advice from others and how they deal with anxiety.

Keep an open mind to what you read, take away from it anything you think will help and disregard the rest. Seeing your doctor is advisable so he may help send you in the right direction after doing an assessment. You'll be find. Keep using the forum for support and start practicing deep breathing (because you are going to hear that a lot from me as well as the others)

[Agora1]

It's me again Kimbo63p, FYI....take a read on Jeff1943's Post a few minutes ago about Anxiety being the Fear of the Unknown. Everything you wanted to know and need to know about ANXIETY is in that post. Hang in there, we've only just begun...

[Kimbo63p in reply to Agora1]

Thanks but I can't find his post

[Agora1 in reply to Kimbo63p]

I'm sorry Kimbo, it was done an hour ago and the title of the Post

is "Anxiety is Fear of the Unknown so get to know your Nervous System"

by Jeff1943... He is the best on explaining Acceptance as an important key

to addressing Anxiety. Let me know if you don't see it....