Acute anxiety is a neurotic disorder characterized by apprehension, uncertainty and fear directly out of proportion to any known cause, and often elevated to attacks of intense panic associated with physiologic changes. Anxiety can be physiological and/or psychological and there may be a genetic tendency.
The physiologic factors involved stem around arousal of the autonomic nervous system in the manner of a “fight or flight” response to fearful inner impulses and emotions. This stress response results in the characteristic body sensations often seen in a person in a panic attack.
The psychologic factors are individual but usually some sort of emotional stress precedes anxiety. The emotional stress may be easily identifiable (such as the loss of a job or relationship), or may be subconscious and harder to uncover: such as when hidden inner emotional drives of neediness, sexuality, and aggression are kept from the patient’s conscious mind by psychological defenses. When these troubles are aroused by a social or environmental occurrence that extremely stimulates, the episodes of anxiety can represent the individual’s fear of losing control of these repressed conflicts and, in turn, his actions.
Another reason for anxiety is known or subconsciously hidden trauma that certain situations or events can trigger, reverting the traumatic event and setting up the resulting fight or flight response.
Acute panic attacks from anxiety neurosis occur episodically over a period of time. They are self-limited and generally last from 2 minutes to 2 hours, and can sometimes end as soon as the person leaves the situation that triggered the attack.They experiences the alarm of terror for no obvious reason. It may supersede rational thought as it ushers in a horrible dread that an unknown and nameless catastrophe will occur.
The somatic changes associated with this type of severe anxiety include:
• Tachycardia, palpitations, precordial pain usually noted as sticking or sharp, and occasional escape beats.
• Cold sweats and/or general sweating are common.
• Fine tremors of the hand.
• Dizziness.
• Overall motor weakness.
• “Butterflies in the stomach”, nausea and sometimes diarrhea.
• Respiratory changes often produce hyperventilation to a sense of air hunger.
• The patient may observe a feeling of being unconnected with the people and objects around him, and a sense of unreality.
Symptoms can often be of a longer duration, lasting days, weeks, or months. The course of mild anxiety tends to be long-term, emphasized by acute panic attacks of various intensities and frequencies. About a third of all people with anxiety recover, with men having a better prognosis than women.
There are a variety of natural therapies that can be of great benefit for those experiencing anxiety.
To discuss the specific needs of you, your team or your organization, please contact Dr. Keri directly at (719) 539-7065 or fill out the form below.
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