Tag: panic
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MASTERING RELAXATION: TAKING A LONGER EXHALATION FOR ANXIETY RELIEF
In the course of one’s life, it is almost inevitable to encounter distressing situations that trigger feelings of anxiety. Perhaps you have received an email from your supervisor with the ominous subject line “We need to talk,” a message that instantaneously sets off a sense of apprehension. The subsequent anticipation of the impending meeting, along…
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BREATHING RETRAINING
1 – Hyperventilate: 60 to 90 seconds: Standing up, start breathing deeply and quickly as if you were blowing a balloon. Exhalations should be hard and forced. This is what you do when you hyperventilate 2 – Pay attention to the body: Sit down, close your eyes, and listen to your body. How does it…
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BREATHE DEEP: THE SURPRISING ROLE OF HYPERVENTILATION IN EMOTIONS
The intricate connection between emotions and breathing finds expression in everyday phrases like a “gasp of surprise” or a “sigh of sadness.” This linkage is further evident in laughter and crying, where breathing patterns are noticeably altered. Within this framework, Chronic Hyperventilation Syndrome (HVS) emerges, characterized by abnormal breathing at rest and during activity without…
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WHY DO OUR THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS INFLUENCE BREATHLESSNESS?
SPOILER ALERT! ~ Cues linked to breathlessness trigger sensations even without the original cause. ~ Negative emotions like anxiety and depression play a significant role in breathlessness perception. ~ Anxiety and depression often coexist with respiratory issues, intensifying breathlessness. ~ You would feel more out of breath when you’re in a place or situation that…
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A FEW FACTS ABOUT CAFFEINE
A large number of consumed dietary sources contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea, cocoa beverages, chocolate drinks, and soft drinks. The caffeine content in each of these food items ranges from 2 to 7mg for150ml of cocoa to 40 to 180mg for 150ml of coffee, but the worldwide daily consumption is estimated between 70 to…
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THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF USING SAFETY BEHAVIORS TO CONTROL ANXIETY
In accordance with cognitive-behavioral theory, anxiety disorders manifest when individuals perceive situations as more perilous than they truly are. This distortion in perception sets off a chain reaction of responses, beginning with a heightened focus on threat-related stimuli, physiological arousal, and the adoption of safety-seeking behaviors, such as avoidance and escape tactics. Paradoxically, these safety-seeking…
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THE ANXIETY CONTROL QUESTIONNAIRE (ACQ)
This 30-item questionnaire assesses an individual’s perceived ability to control anxiety-inducing situations. INSTRUCTIONS Listed below are a number of statements describing a set of beliefs. Please read each statement carefully and, on the 0-5 scale given, indicate how much you think each statement is typical of you. 0 = Strongly disagree 1 = Moderately disagree…
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WHAT IS HYPERVENTILATION?
Hyperventilation refers to the act of breathing fast or increasing the respiratory rate. When we breathe normally, we take about 15 to 18 breaths per minute (one breath cycle includes one inhalation and one exhalation); however when we hyperventilate we take about 18 to 20 breaths per minute, and this rate can go up to…
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CAN A PANIC ATTACK CAUSE CHEST PAIN?
Chest pain is common during anxiety or panic attacks. Typically, hyperventilation during panic attacks may lead to musculoskeletal chest pain, with strain or spasm of intercostal chest wall muscles. Though it can feel alarming, anxiety chest pain is fleeting. Pain typically lasts around 10 minutes, though other anxiety or panic attack symptoms (like dizziness, shortness of…
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ARE ANXIETY ATTACK AND PANIC ATTACK THE SAME THING?
No, the word “anxiety attack” is a misnomer, because it is often used interchangeably with the word “panic attack”. A panic attack is a sudden onset of intense and acute physiological arousal with shaking, fast heartbeats, sweating, and other common symptoms. Fear is the characteristic emotion. Anxiety, not anxiety attack, is a continuous feeling of…