Mental Health Perspectives - Part Three

Everyone feels anxiety in their lives. Whether we're nervous about a job interview or worrying about a child's safety, anxiety is a part of life. That fight-or-flight response is what enabled our ancestors to survive and thrive. Unfortunately, today's hectic modern world is much different than the one in which we originally developed. Rather than worrying about having enough food to eat or being attacked by predators we worry about the many intricacies our complex lives have to offer. This can cause, in some individuals, irrational and debilitating anxieties. When this happens, the individual has an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorders are often known as the common cold of mental illness. They affect millions of people every year. The overwhelming feelings of anxiety and nervousness can cause a person to stop functioning in our world altogether. As a sufferer of generalized anxiety disorder myself, I have seen firsthand how this illness can become more than a normal case of nervousness and turn in to a disability. There are a number of different varieties of anxiety disorders that have been identified by psychologists, each of which is treatable with either therapy or medication.

For this issue of Mental Health Perspectives, we'll focus on two of the most common anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

There is no specific rhyme or reason to the intense feelings of worry that sufferers of generalized anxiety disorder face. This persistent anxiety, while sometimes triggered by certain events or circumstances, is often brought on randomly. This illness can not only cause unrelenting feelings of anxiety but also create physical symptoms such as headaches, heart palpitations, exhaustion, and insomnia. Sufferers can find daily life almost unbearable and can even push the inflicted person to take a leave of absence due to disability from work or school.

Coming from personal experience, this illness causes incredible suffering to those afflicted. I have missed many days of work and school because I was so anxious I couldn't attend. The emotion is overwhelming and one can do nothing but stay home and take a tranquilizing medication in order to calm the anxiety attack. It is a physical feeling that occurs in the chest, almost like someone is gripping onto the heart. It's an illness that I would never wish on even my worst enemy and yet I battle daily in order to control. Recovery from it can be long and arduous, though fortunately it's very treatable.

Panic Disorder

Brief, paralyzing bouts of fear and anxiety are the prominent symptoms of a panic disorder. A panic attack is often described by those who experience them like a heart attack. Shaking, dizziness, disorientation, confusion, and intense fear often accompany this feeling. Sufferers often find these attacks to be highly embarrassing when they occur in a public situation.

Though I have not experienced this illness personally, one of my best friends in high school suffered from terrible panic attacks. The first time it happened to her the pain in her chest was so intense that everyone thought she had suffered a heart attack. Upon being rushed to the emergency room they discovered she'd merely had a panic attack, yet this shows how incredibly strong these attacks can be. They are entirely debilitating for the short period of time during which they occur. They last anywhere from ten minutes to a few hours and leave the sufferer feeling exhausted.

These are just two of the many anxiety disorders that afflict millions of Americans on a yearly basis. Those who believe they may be suffering from either of these disorders should seek immediate medical attention. As I mentioned earlier, both are very treatable. Recovery may be difficult but it is most certainly possible.

Acupuncture for Anxiety

Constant stress at the workplace, among your peers and at home can lead to persistent problems of anxiety. Anxiety is often defined as a persistent state of fear related to an object or situation. Although mild forms of anxiety can affect anyone, there are a large number of people who are now afflicted with chronic anxiety disorders and general anxiety disorders. This overwhelming feelings of depression and anxiety leads not only as a social and mental impairment but can have a negative effect on your health as well.

Acupuncture is known to be an effective remedy for reducing anxiety and stress related disorders in people. Usually used as a safe and effective method of relieving pain by aiding the release of powerful endorphins, acupuncture is known to harmonize and calm the sympathetic nervous system of the body.

How Does Acupuncture Help Anxiety and Stress?
The age-old Chinese oriental medicine has regarded the mind and body connection as an inseparable and a deep one. So while external factors do cause quite a number of problems, the mental and emotional problems were associated with the five Yin organs of the body. When there is an imbalance in the organ, then the emotions such as anger, worry, stress and joy develop over a period of time. Acupuncture for anxiety treatment seeks to address these Yin imbalances in the body and prevent the diseases that may afflict the diseased organs. The acupuncture theory and method seeks to balance both the mental and physical manifestations of this condition returning you to an easy-going life. The needles create a sense of relaxation and calm during the course of the treatment allowing not just the body but also the mind to rest and heal.

How Does Acupuncture Help Anxiety Attacks?
Anxiety attacks are often accompanied by physical health problems such as chest pain, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, stomach ache, nausea and headache. Depending on these health conditions and other manifestation of problems, the acupuncturist can determine the pattern of anxiety that afflicts you and decide on a suitable treatment for it.

Overview of The Treatment
Anxiety treatments using acupuncture use both the body treatments as well as the ear or auricular acupuncture treatments to heal the imbalances of the heart and kidney. The heart is considered a Yang energy source so an over-excitement can create "heat" in the heart. This in turn leads to feelings of insomnia and anxiety. As the heart is considered the fire organ, kidney is the water organ that seeks to cool the excess "fire" in the heart. An imbalance or deficiency in the kidney can lead to the excess heart "fire" disturbing the mind and leading to anxiety attacks. To harmonize the imbalances occurring in the body, acupuncture treatment points include the kidney, heart and the spleen. This allows the positive Yin energy to cool the organs.

To soothe the excessive heat in the heart, the heart points eight and nine are considered the soothing points. In addition to the body acupuncture treatments, auricular points such as the spirit gate can reduce the anxiety.

Acupuncture for Anxiety and Depression
One of the persistent anxiety disorders is depression which can feel more like constant exhaustion and lack of energy. In oriental medicine, depression is the result of "Yu" imbalances in the body. In this case the primary Yin organ is the liver. The heart and the spleen have secondary roles to play in this case. Since liver is the primary source of Qi (energy) as the energy organ in the body, a malfunction can result in low energy levels and other sleep and digestion problems. For allowing the circulation of Qi The Four Gates are targeted.

Acupuncture for anxiety and stress helps in releasing the endorphins and serotonin in the body and improves the blood circulation of the body. It also helps in lowering blood pressure, and decreasing the heart rate.

Gouty Arthritis Diet

Gouty arthritis refers to gout. As the name suggests, gout is a form of arthritis, sadly the most painful one. The difference between gout and other forms of arthritis is that people suffering from gout do not experience climatic or constant pain, they have gout pain attacks. Though it might not sound, but this is a good factor, as there are many things that can help to control the attack that are not possible in other forms of arthritis. One of the ways is the gout diet. Like other medical conditions, diet plays a very important role in gout. There are certain foods that can decrease the possibility of an attack and some foods that can actually elevate the condition. The thing is that, if the levels of uric acid increases in the body, it forms crystals. These crystals make the joints swell and pain. So the culprit is uric acid, which is formed when purines break down. Now purines are present in the body, but we also unknowingly increase them by consuming foods that are high in purines. So the aim of a gout diet is to exclude high purine foods and include low purine foods. There are also foods that can decrease the swelling and pain.

Diet for Gouty Arthritis

Foods that are high in complex carbohydrates should be included in the diet. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains should also be included. On the other hand, foods that are high in calories should be avoided. Foods that contain fats that have more than 30% calories, should be totally avoided. Proteins can be included, but only in very small amounts.

High Vitamin C Foods: High vitamin C foods should be eaten as this vitamin is said to help in getting rid of uric acid and also lower the levels of serum urate. So include fruits like oranges and tangerines, vegetables like potatoes, red bell peppers, kale, etc. in your diet. These foods can be consumed in plenty as they do not cause any side effects and also contains very low calories.

Essential Fatty Acids: Fats are a complete no no, but essential fatty acids should be included as they help to reduce inflammation, and the reduction of inflammation provides instant relief. So include foods that are rich in essential fatty acids like the flaxseeds, nuts, tuna, seeds, etc. One can make really tasty and healthy dishes from these ingredients, so including them in the diet should not be a problem.

Fruits and Vegetables: Fresh fruits should be included in this diet. However, not all fruits can help in reducing the pain or avoiding the attack. Certain foods like cherries and strawberries are a must in an anti gout diet. These fruits not only help to reduce inflammation but also lower the amount of uric acid. Other fruits that are useful for gout are red grapes, pineapple, blueberries, bananas, elderberries, avocados, etc. Also include vegetables like kale, parsley, celery, tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, etc.

Gouty Arthritis Diet Plan

Breakfast

• Whole wheat bread sandwich
• Fresh fruit juice, preferably cherry smoothie
• Cornflakes
• Skimmed milk
• Yogurt

Lunch

• Green salad
• Peanut butter with slice of ham in a sandwich
• Fruit salad
• Baked sweet potatoes

Dinner

• Small white fish, preferably baked
• Sauteed vegetables like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower
• Plain white rice
• Whole wheat pasta
• Lean meat

Only knowing about the diet is not enough, you need to follow it religiously for its effectiveness. Make it a point to avoid high purine foods, not just at home but even when you are eating outside. As only eating foods good for gout is not enough, if you eat foods that are not appropriate for gout, you are likely to have a gout attack. Some of the foods to avoid are, game foods, hotdogs, red meats, spinach etc.

How to Treat Anxiety in Children

We live in an age where we all are constantly faced with stressful situations. Unfortunately, anxiety, fear and several negative emotions seem to be seeping into the lives of children as well. At times, parents are unable to understand the mental state of their child. Though it might be normal for a child to suffer from anxiety on his first day at school or during examinations, sometimes nervousness, fear and tension start becoming a constant part of a child's life. Such negative emotions start disrupting the child's daily activities. Parents must never make the mistake of dismissing their child's worries as trivial. What might be insignificant to you might be very stressful for your child. If your child's mind seems to be burdened with worries and fear or he/she seems to be suffering from frequent bouts of anxiety attacks, you must step in and try to help your child get rid of such negative thoughts. Scroll down to find out about the circumstances under which a child may suffer from anxiety along with some information on how to treat anxiety in children.

Causes of Anxiety in Kids

If any of the parents are suffering from an anxiety disorder, the child is more likely to suffer from such a medical condition. Generalized anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety, separation anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder are some of the conditions that could cause anxiety. Stress could also act as a trigger. Environmental influences also play a great role. If the parents seem to be anxious all the time, the child is more likely to suffer from an anxiety disorder. A child suffering from such disorders reacts very strongly to stressful situations. On perceiving any imminent threat or danger, he/she could experience panic attacks. Children suffering from anxiety disorders are more vulnerable to depression. They might experience symptoms such as headaches, difficulty in sleeping, nausea and stomach aches. If your child is exhibiting this kind of behavior, you must try to help your child overcome anxiety naturally.

Ways to Treat Anxiety in Kids

Watching your child worrying constantly is certainly not a good sight. Parents must make sure that their child doesn't miss out on the simple pleasures or the happy moments due to anxiety. It is the duty of the parents to allay their child's fears and anxiety. Since a child might not be able to understand his/her feelings clearly, parents must try to resolve such issues. The first step is to recognize the condition of your child. Some children experience severe anxiety on being separated from parents. They might refuse to go to school. They might want someone to stay with them at bedtime. This condition is known as separation anxiety disorder.

Children suffering from this disorder are always worried that something bad might happen to their parents while they are away and therefore, become clingy. Cognitive behavioral therapy might surely help in treating social anxiety to a great extent. Generally psychotherapists use play-based therapies to treat separation anxiety in children. Cognitive behavioral theory is a form of therapy which aims at shaping the child's thought process and behavioral responses. Literary therapy might be used for treating anxiety in young children. Under literary therapy, pictures and stories are used for invoking better responses and channelizing the child's thoughts in an appropriate manner.

Exercises and relaxation therapies can also help in treating anxiety. Sometimes, psychotherapists might create situations whereby the child is made to confront his/her fears in order to overcome them. Systematic desensitization technique is generally employed to help children overcome their fears. Family therapy is also an important aspect of treatment of anxiety in kids. Parents are informed about ways to handle or treat anxiety attacks in children. In severe cases, antianxiety drugs might be used to treat anxiety disorder.

If your child is suffering from an anxiety disorder, you must consult a psychotherapist for the best anxiety cure. Psychotherapy is a great way to treat anxiety without medication. Antianxiety drugs must only be used if other methods are not helping.

Antianxiety Medication

Antianxiety medication is required only when a person fails to control his anxiety, tension, depression and associated symptoms by natural means. These medications impose a direct effect on the brain and the hormones that control such emotions in an individual. Hence, they should be taken only after being prescribed by a doctor. The pills are also administered when a person undergoes severe anxiety or stress, as side effects of some serious health issues like nervous breakdown, asthma, high blood pressure, cardiac arrest, convulsions, seizure, epilepsy, etc. There are some common groups of medicines that help getting over anxiety symptoms when taken according to the prescribed dosage.

Antianxiety Medication List

It's very difficult to predict which is the best out of all, because the effects vary from person to person. Moreover, the efficacy also depends on the ability of your body to absorb the medicine. The dosage starts only after determining the nature of the disorder from the related symptoms. Antianxiety drugs are also used as anti depression medication when the mode of action of the medicines are similar. The most common groups of antianxiety medication are listed below.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
Also known as SSRIs, these elevate the level of serotonin in brain. This chemical is known to induce sleep and reduce anxiety levels in blood. Drugs that act like SSRIs help controlling panic attacks, post traumatic stress disorders and nervous disorders. They are sold in many trade names and are classified under the following chemical names.

• Citalopram
• Sertraline
• Fluoxetine
• Zimelidine
• Indalpine
• Escitalopram
• Dapoxetine
• Fluvoxamine

Benzodiazepines
This is the most common group of drug that provides instant anxiety attack relief. The common drugs that act as Benzodiazepines have trade names Valium, Librium, Xanax, Ativan and Klonopin. These drugs are also administered to a patient suffering from long term anxiety. The groups are

• Lorazepam
• Clonazepam
• Chlordiazepoxide
• Diazepam
• Alprazolam

Barbiturates
Barbiturates control the activity of the Central Nervous System and are mainly used as an effective treatment for anxiety disorder associated with convulsions. They induce sedation in the individual after consumption. They have a stimulating effect on GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors, and boost up secretion of this compound, thereby managing anxiety levels. The trade names are Alurate, Brevital, Luminal, Surital, Phanodorm, Mebaral while the chemical names are:

• Aprobarbital
• Butobarbital
• Methohexital
• Thiopental
• Alphenal
• Cyclobarbital
• Talbutal

Azapirones
Azapirones have a similar mode of action like SSRIs. They act as the anxiolytics and are one of the options for anxiety cures. The drug sold generically is buspirone having the trade name BuSpar. Apart from anxiety, azapirones are also used for treatment of hallucinations, delusions and other forms of psychosis. Such drugs are categorized under antipsychotics. The chemical names of the anxiolytics are

• Ipsapirone
• Buspirone
• Binospirone
• Enilospirone
• Gepirone

Natural Antianxiety Medication
There are certain herbs that have the capacity to show effects similar to that of chemical drugs. Such herbs are administered by ayurvedic doctors for relieving a person from anxiety, depression and stress related disorders. One of the most common natural herbs for anxiety is the passion flower used extensively for the treatment of anxiety disorder. Other herbs that help in treatment of anxiety are:

• Valerian
• Kratom
• Arctic Weed
• Opium Lettuce
• Skullcap
• Brahmi
• Chamomile
• St. John's Wort
• Kanna
• Kava kava
• Ashwagandha
• Lemon balm
• Ginseng
• Bugleweed
• Zizyphi seed
• Catnip herb

Some people experience the side effects immediately after taking the medicines while in others the side effects are evident in the long run. The common antianxiety medication side effects are drowsiness, blurred vision, skin eruptions, increased heartbeat, etc. Women also face menstrual problems while being on such types of drugs. One of the major problems of these medicines are, they cause rapid weight gain. It's important to note that, one should never take anti depressants or anxiolytic drugs without doctors' consent as they might cause reverse effects. Therefore follow your doctors advice for quick recovery.

Anxiety Exercises

Anxiety is a feeling that most of us experience when faced with stressful situations like examinations, interviews, joining a new company, etc. Though feeling anxious during such times is quite common, and actually normal, there are people to whom anxiety comes easily even for insignificant things. There are people who feel anxiety and stress throughout the day without any significant reason. This is not very good because it not only causes hindrances in one's everyday activities, but also can give rise to various physical as well as mental health problems. Moreover, this problem of anxiety is no longer limited to adults, rather more and more children have been diagnosed with this problem. Hence, it is important that people look for ways to cure their problem of anxiety. Apart from the medications that health practitioners give to reduce symptoms of anxiety, there are certain exercises for children as well as adults which will help in reducing their anxiety.

Exercises for Curbing Anxiety

Studies have found that indulging in exercises helps in reducing the feeling of anxiousness that people experience. This is because exercises are said to distract people's focus from their tensions and worries and also helps in relaxing them. So, let us look at some exercises to reduce anxiety and make you feel stress free. Read more on overcome anxiety naturally and natural cures for anxiety.

Aerobic Exercises
Aerobic exercises are the simplest and one of the most effective ways of reducing anxiety. These exercises include walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, etc., which can be done by people of all ages. These exercises help in the muscles of your body to receive sufficient amount of oxygen supply, thus helping you to become relaxed and less anxious. To ensure that you stick to these exercises, it is important that you do something that you thoroughly enjoy. Create an exercise routine for yourself and follow it religiously. You can either stick to one of these exercises or indulge in each of them according to your wish. Such activities will not only aid in relieving your anxiety, but will also make you healthy and fit. Read more on overcome anxiety tips.

Vigorous Exercises
Indulging in vigorous exercises is also a great way of reducing anxiety. If you have been suffering from regular anxiety attacks, taking membership at a local gym may help you. At the gym, you should practice cardiovascular exercises as well as muscle building or weight training exercises. These exercises are said to exhaust your muscles and subsequently the anxiety that you feel. However, these exercises are not advisable for young children, and hence some kind of alternative should be found. Exercises for kids to relieve anxiety can include sports activities like basketball, tennis, football, etc. Encourage your child to enroll in a sports team at his school and it will surely help in reducing his anxiousness. Read more on dealing with anxiety in children.

Relaxation Exercises
Apart from the physical exercises, practicing certain relaxation exercises will also be a good idea. One of the relaxation exercises you can indulge in is meditation. Though many people find it difficult to concentrate properly while meditating, this can be actually done quite easily. Close your eyes and keep on repeating a word or phrase like 'I am feeling good' or 'I am feeling relaxed'. Other than a phrase, another way to meditate will be to focus on your breathing. Though you may not be able to maintain your concentration for the first few times, continuous practice will help you in meditating properly. Just like meditation, yoga is also said to be a great way of reducing anxiety. Yoga consists of lot of exercises which aim to loosen and relax the muscles, thus helping in relieving the stress and tension that the muscle experiences when a person is anxious. Read more on meditation techniques for anxiety and relaxation techniques for anxiety.

Other than meditation and yoga exercises, you can also practice some breathing exercises for anxiety attacks. However, one has to learn the correct way of doing these breathing exercises, otherwise it can lead to some other problem. First lie down in a relaxed position and start taking slow and deep breaths from your abdomen. Do not make the mistake of breathing from your chest as this can increase the feeling of anxiety. Also, while doing these breathing exercises, it is important that you breathe from your nose and not from your mouth because the latter elevates chest breathing. Practicing this everyday will surely help in alleviating your anxiety. Though it may seem that children find it difficult to do these relaxation exercises, with proper guidance from parents or health practitioners, they will surely be able to practice them successfully. Read more on breathing techniques for anxiety.

You may like to know more about:

• Anxiety Attacks Relief
• Coping Skills for Anxiety
• Overcome Anxiety Disorder

One must remember that, mastering exercises like meditation and deep breathing may take time and a lot of hard work. However, when you feel free from the anxiety and tension that you faced earlier, you will surely realize that the new feeling is worth all the effort you have taken.