What is Acute Anxiety?

Acute anxiety is a psychiatric disorder that is distinguished by its brief panic attacks. The panic attacks are usually accompanied by behavioral changes. Most people have stated that they have had at least one panic attack in their life and many claim to have had more. It is estimated that about 1.7 percent of the adult population in America has a panic disorder. This condition usually hits in early adulthood before the age of 24. People who have experienced some kind of traumatic event usually develop acute anxiety. Studies have shown that women are about two times more likely to develop this problem than men.

Acute anxiety is usually brief, lasting mere minutes or hours. When a person is going through a panic attack, they may be withdrawn and moody. This condition can be brought on by fear or intense worry. Those who experience anxiety attacks usually perceive these moments to be the most frightening points in their life. When having a panic attack, the person suffering the attack will have a feeling of loosing control and may have a strong urge to leave the place where it started. This kind of episode is the reaction of the sympathetic nervous system or "Flight or fight" response.

Many things can cause a person to have a panic attack. Things such as phobias and major personal loss are some of the more common triggers. When someone is faced with something utterly terrifying, the reaction will likely be acute anxiety. This can also be true for a person who has gone through a major life change. Other triggers include some medications, stimulants such as coffee or nicotine, drugs such as marijuana or mushrooms, feelings of self-doubt and "what if" thinking. Long-term panic disorders can be caused by environmental factors or could run in the family.

The symptoms of acute anxiety are categorized in four different groups, physical, perceptual, emotional and mental. The physical symptoms are chest pain, shortness of breath, stomach pains, light-headedness, sweating, uncontrollable itching and crying, claustrophobia, choking sensations, numbness, exhaustion and racing pulse. Perceptual symptoms include dream like sensations, time appearing to speed up or slow down, tunnel vision and heightened senses. The emotional signs are terror, various fears and flash backs of the earlier trigger event. Mental states may include loss of control and thinking ability in general, feeling of imminent ruin, extreme nervousness and loud internal dialogue.

Treatments for panic attacks can vary. It is best to seek out the help of a medical professional. There is no one best cure and often sufferers are helped by a range of therapies. Medical treatments using drugs can help in the initial stages. Most patients come to the realisation that drugs only control the symptoms and do not offer a cure. Eventually most people who recover realise that they need to work on the faulty thoughts and feelings that cause the condition. This can be done with the help of a therapist or via self help books and tapes. The good news is that acute anxiety is not life threatening and most people go on to make a full recovery.

John Alexander is an ex Panic Attack sufferer who is dedicated to helping others overcome this dreadful condition. Go to his website for more information on Panic Attack and to find out how he overcame this condition.

Overcoming Social Anxiety Disorder
The first step in overcoming social anxiety disorder is to learn as much as you can about it. This helps you to recognize the...

Severe Social Anxiety
Social anxiety disorder is a kind of social phobia in which a person has acute fear of eating, drinking, talking or being wat...

Symptoms Of Mild Anxiety Attacks
Many people experience anxiety at various levels. For example, before a big wrestling match in high school, I would become mo...

Physical Symptoms of Anxiety Tips - What to Do When You Experience Chest Pains
Chest pains are most frequently associated with heart disorders. However anxiety depression can also be a reason for chest pa...

Anxiety Attack Help
People who suffer from anxiety attacks may often feel desperate and think that there is nothing they can do to get rid of the...

Fight or Flight - Anxiety & Panic
What is the fight or flight response?Well thats what Im going to explain to you right here right now.I know some people (most...

Anxiety Symptoms: Top 5 Most Common Anxiety Disorder Symptoms
Social anxiety disorder is the fear of social interaction and other aspects of social life. It is also a fear of confrontatio...

Performance Anxiety
Performance, or non-generalized, anxiety disorder is a type of social anxiety disorder that affects a person when they are co...

Cures For Anxiety Attacks
Most anxiety is caused by stress. For many people stress is part of their everyday life and they dont even notice it anymore....

Social Anxiety Disorder Medications
Social Anxiety Disorder (sometimes called simply "SAD") is a temporary-to-permanent condition that is similar to depression, ...

How To Spot Anxiety Problems
At one point or another, nearly 1 out of every 60 people suffer from anxiety. Although it is not always properly identified,...

Dealing With Anxiety and Panic Disorder
Anxiety and panic disorder is a terrible, frightening condition. It can really ruin peoples lives. Attacks can strike at any ...

Breathing Difficulties? Anxiety & Panic Attacks
When I hit a bad time with my anxiety I get a very tight chest and my breathing all goes to pot. My breathing is then all I ...

Cause of Social Anxiety Disorder
There is no clear mandate on the exact cause of social anxiety disorder. There are many assumptions about it, which include a...

How To Recover From Social Anxiety?
There are many people that have a social anxiety problem and they live this way for many years without doing anything, they t...

Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder is characterized by a persistent fear of any kind of social interactions and the feeling of intense e...

Anxiety Cures
Given the difficulty that people suffer from anxiety disorders in simply leading their lives, it becomes imperative that they...

Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder is a condition in which the patient or sufferer experiences great trepidation from being around other...

Physical Causes of Anxiety
If you experience Anxiety & Panic Attacks it may very well be a secondary condition to another physical illness.Of course, th...

Anxiety Self-help
Anxiety disorders can be controlled using self-help tools. Self-help is the first remedial step you should try when dealing w...