Anxiety Health Feed

You feel your heart begin to beat wildly in your chest as you break into a cold sweat and have trouble catching your breath; is this a heart attack or panic attack? Your first thought is that it's a heart attack since you have an impending feeling of doom which you may even have felt before your attack began. This makes your heart beat even faster and you become so overwhelmed that the feeling gets even worse until you begin to feel light-headed or maybe even pass out. This is a panic attack.

When you suffer from anxiety, the slightest thing can trigger a panic attack and some can be so intense that you can't imagine it being anything other than looming death. It's very common for those having an anxiety attack to mistake it for a heart attack and this fear is enough to just take over and really wreak havoc on your heart rate, but no matter how fast your heart beats or how panicked you feel; you are not having a heart attack and this episode will not kill you.

One thing that will prove helpful in dealing with this is learning the differences between the two:

Signs of a Heart Attack:

1. Pressure in the Chest (described as feeling like there is an elephant sitting on your chest).

2. Chest pain - note that this is not always present.

3. Sweating.

4. Shortness of breath.

5. Pain in the right arm.

6. Pain in the back or shoulder blades for women.

7. Nausea or vomiting.

Panic attack symptoms include:

1. Increased heart rate.

2. Sharp or stabbing chest pain that lasts only 5 to 10 seconds.

3. Pain that is localized to one small area.

4. Pain that usually occurs at rest.

5. Pain that accompanies anxiety.

6. Pain that is relieved or worsened when you change positions.

7. Pain that can be reproduced or worsened by pressing over the area of pain.

The bottom line: Be vigilant and get checked out promptly.

“Self-examination is the key to insight, which is the key to wisdom”. As the quote states, examinations are more of a check for your comprehending ability and memory power. Stress and anxiety are natural emotions which are attached to it. But, overcoming it with courage and optimism is all that matters. Ideally, stress occurs due to many factors, such as if you are not able to cope up with the studies, family or school pressure. In fact, it is completely normal to feel that you are the only person who is experiencing this muddle. So, try to imagine more with positive thoughts like you becoming a school topper. Visualize your life with a bigger picture, with you leading a good and happy life. Remember, exams are important but this is not the only way to become successful in future. The more you are confident about yourself, the easier it becomes to crack the exams.

Now, let’s break this process into two phases

• First is how you prepare yourself to study
• Second is preparing yourself to face the exam.

Before proceeding with the guidelines, it is very important to know your strengths and acknowledging your weaknesses.

Phase 1 - Tips to study

• Set small achievable goals: This will help you to reach your milestones in a smart way.
• Take notes: Writing boosts up your memory power especially if you a slow learner.
• Don’t lose confidence: Even if you find hard to learn something, do not give up. Keep trying day by day.
• Use diagrams: A picture is worth than a thousand words. The more you represent the lessons in drawings, the more you remember it easily.
• Set time and read: This will help you in time management during the examination.
• Do combine studies with friends: This gives more space for learning new things.

Phase 2 - Facing the Exams

• Avoid last minute preparations. It will disturb your confidence levels.
• Keep all the required things ready the day before the exams.
• Don’t ever compromise on health and sleep. Good sleep and nutritional food are important to boost up your physical strength.
• Refrain comparing yourself to others. Every individual is unique.
• Don’t think about the failures. Learn to embrace them and you will shine big in the future.
• Failures are part of success. Remember this in every struggle.

Stay away from the social media and gadget distractions as much as possible. Relax by talking with your friends. Funny conversations keep you engaged, energetic and focused. Challenges are a must in life, exams are one among them. So, face it with all your heart, for it will make you a better person in future. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

A panic attack can start suddenly and may be caused due a variety of reasons. A patient of depression and anxiety usually goes through such attacks. The symptoms of these attacks include sudden and persistent fear, the feeling of losing control, the feeling of having a heart attack, palpitations problem, sweating, dizzy spells and more. It has been medically proven that most adults go through at least one or more panic attacks in their lifetime.

Here are a few ways in which one can stop a panic attack:

1. Recognise the Signs: Take note of the symptoms. From a feeling of choking to detachment, losing control, surreal experiences, dizzy spells, nausea, pain in the abdomen and chills, to tremors, and a fear of facing death, there are many symptoms that can put your body in a fight or flight response where things may suddenly seem terrifying, and without any reason at that.
2. Breath Control: Learn to control your breathing as soon as you begin to experience the symptoms. This will help in distraction even as it soothes and calms you down, thus forcing you to think rationally about the fear and helplessness that you are suddenly experiencing. Sit down with your knees bent and let your shoulders relax.
3. Relaxation Techniques: Learn and practice a few relaxation techniques during times like these. This may include simple things like rubbing your neck and more focused activities like talking to yourself and meditating.
4. Continuation: Remember to hold your breath, let it out, and then carry on with the activity that you had set out to do. If you stop what you were doing, then the message going to your brain is loud and clear and you will panic even further. But if you relax and zone out before letting yourself go about the chore, however robotically, then it will have a positive effect on the messages that are sent to your brain.
5. Medication: In the event that you are not able to fully control and relax yourself and your thoughts, then you may want to see a psychiatrist who can prescribe specific medication that will help in relaxing you. Sedatives and antidepressants may also be prescribed for patients who are going through severe episodes of panic with debilitating symptoms.
6. Differentiate between Stress and Panic: Many times, we may feel like we are panicking, yet this may simply be a way of going through stress. It is important to focus on recognising events and reactions as stress or panic.

Not allowing yourself run away from a situation is a sure shot way of dealing with panic as this condition the brain to be more accepting and resilient. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!