Imagine, that you are sitting in a restaurant. At some point during the meal, you notice that your heart is beating faster than normal and that there is a slight pressure in your chest. You feel like you are having difficulty getting a breath in and you also notice that the lights in the restaurant are starting to bother you. You begin to hear every noise around you- a child clinking his silverware against his glass, the waiter writing down an order and conversations becoming increasingly louder. Suddenly, the restaurant feels overwhelming and small. At which point you may feel a tingling
sensation down your arms or your stomach cramping. You may be thinking, is this a heart attack? Why can’t I get a deep breath? Why is it so loud in here? What’s happening to me?
Chances are, if you have experienced any parts of the scenario listed above – You’ve had a panic attack. Panic attacks can occur anywhere and at any time. A panic attack is often classified as feeling profound moments of anxiety that can present themselves in physical symptoms or feeling of doom. (1) They typically last for about 10 minutes but can take a few minutes to hours to calm down.
Anxiety enlists the body’s natural “fight or flight” response. This type of innate response kicks in when we perceive a harmful event or threat to our survival. The body will produce a flood of hormones to help
enhance our speed, heart rate, reflexes and circulation. (2) Anxiety can also tap into this “fight or flight” system. This can help explain for example why we may feel “nervous or anxious” before giving a speech in public or before flying. In order to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, the symptoms must persist for months. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, around 40 million adults age 18 and above have an anxiety based mental illness. That is nearly 18 percent of our population. (3) There are seven common types of anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), phobias, social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and separation anxiety disorder. (3)
Anxiety can present itself in a variety of different symptoms and forms. Much like the restaurant scenario, it can be an emotional and or a physical response.
The emotional response can include but is not limited to the following examples (3):
Some examples of physical responses to anxiety (3):
It is important to discover what vitamins and minerals you need in order to alleviate stress so that you can live a life of optimal health. An experienced nutritionist can help get you on the right track with individualized dietary and supplement guidelines based on your blood test results.
Works Cited:
**References for this newsletter as well as previous newsletters may be found on our website. The information has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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