Five Forms of Anxiety

The symptoms of anxiety cannot be compartmentalized into a single diagnosis; there are a number of conditions for which anxiety may be one of the symptoms. For this reason, when a person is experiencing symptoms such as rapid heart rate, sweaty palms, or dizziness, their doctor will need to investigate further to determine which form of anxiety is the cause.

For example, the doctor may ask in what setting the anxiety symptoms tend to occur or if the patient uses any type of prescription medication or illicit drugs. The doctor will also probably gather information about any traumatic events the patient has experienced in the past. With these questions, and perhaps additional testing, the patient’s healthcare provider can develop a diagnosis as to what type of anxiety is present.

Anxiety can take many forms. Here are five of the most commonly diagnosed forms of anxiety.

·         Social Phobia symptoms include an intense fear of being judged by others or of becoming the center of attention. It can cause the patient to avoid social contact and to worry incessantly about being humiliated weeks before a social occasion.

·         Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a form of anxiety that results from traumatic events in the past. The symptoms of PTSD may not be displayed immediately after the trauma, but the patient may later begin reliving the event mentally, suffering from extended insomnia, withdrawing from everyday life, or being easily startled. PTSD symptoms take different forms, but the central factor of having lived through some form of trauma is a constant.

·         Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is actually a form of anxiety that causes a person to obsessively perform certain rituals that can hamper their ability to work, be in relationships, and otherwise function normally.

·         Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is diagnosed when the patient reports feeling largely anxious or fearful without an obvious cause. This overall feeling of anxiety can keep the patient on edge, irritable, or overly emotional.

·         Panic Disorder is present when the person reports severe attacks of anxiety that appear without warning. The patient may have difficulty breathing, feel dizzy or nauseous, have an accelerated pulse rate, or experience chest pains. These episodes are usually not connected in any way to the person’s circumstances at the time.

Treatment for anxiety depends upon which form the disorder takes and also on the severity of the symptoms. The more details a patient can furnish their doctor or therapist, the more accurate the diagnosis and the more successful their treatment will be.

NEUROFEEDBACK FOR ANXIETY

Gentle Relief with EMDR Therapy

Treatment of patients traumatized by painful memories can be a lengthy process. Fortunately, the introduction of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy has dramatically reduced the time required to assist patients in processing trauma and moving forward to emotional recovery.

EMDR therapy is based on the results of years of credible research and is approved as therapeutic for treating traumatized patients by such organizations as the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Therapists trained in EMDR techniques lead their patients through remembering the traumatic event and then allowing the mind to reframe it in a healthy, positive way. As this multi-step process is being followed, the patient is also taught eye movement techniques that encourage the release of the painful memories being stored in the memory areas of the brain.

The above is a very simple explanation for a complex process that occurs within the brain. To better understand the startling success rate of EMDR therapy, consider that during dreaming, when the brain is processing old memories and recent events, the eyes are in constant movement known as REM (rapid eye movement.) The development of EMDR is, in some ways, an extension of that natural process.

Careful training is required for clinicians to assist the person suffering from the after effects of trauma to break free from destructive behaviors, depression, frozen emotions, and anxiety. The careful coordination of eye movements (or in some cases other stimuli) with this process is crucial. For that reason, this training is restricted to licensed medical or social work professionals with advanced education in the provision of mental health services.

From the patient’s viewpoint, EMDR therapy can allow them to make great strides in a shorter time period. With proper preparation and guidance, they can recall the painful events triggering their emotional disturbance and then learn to see them in a different way. The gentle, non-invasive relief that EMDR offers can release them from the troubling symptoms that caused them to seek help in the first place.

EMDR therapy has been beneficial to thousands of patients in relieving the long-term effects of trauma. It does not involve medication and is practiced by well-trained, licensed professionals. The significance of the mind/body connection that is the basis for this form of treatment is still being explored and may offer hope for even more forms of emotional dysfunction in the future.

ATERNATIVE MEDICINE: NEUROFEEDBACK THERAPY FOR NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

The Science Behind the Stress Eraser

Measuring, Monitoring and Controlling Stress with the Stress Eraser

                Stress is a good thing.  It helps us to perform when important things are on the line, and it helps to motivate us to do our best.  We do not commend our fellow human beings for "grace under fire" for nothing. 

                Unfortunately, due to the ever-increasing demands that modern life places on our time and our lives, we are under more stress than ever.  Some folks are so stressed so often that it has become a way of life for them – and they are paying the price with their health.  There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch – and this is especially true of the great toll that stress exacts on our physical and mental well-being.

Overdosing on stress hormones is a major problem for a lot of people – and increasingly, doctors and therapists have been trying to find effective treatments to help people deal with the effects.  Sadly, they are just going after the symptoms, not the cause.  Sedatives sleep aids and anti-anxiety drugs do not remove the real source of stress in people's lives.

Of course, there is no treatment that can balance a job, a relationship, kids, errands and everything else that orbits our hectic lives.  But psychiatrists have recently learned what yogis and mystics have known for a long time – it is not the stressors in our life that damage us, or even the stress that is placed upon us.  It is our reaction to the stress.

Enter the Stress Eraser.  This simple biofeedback machine, which has been regulated and approved by the Food and Drug Administration, measures your mental and physiological reactions to stress and teaches you how to activate your body's natural defenses within minutes.  No medication, no uncomfortable questions about your parents from your therapists – just handheld medical technology that does its magic through finger sensors and a screen that simulates your stress levels in waves. 

The Stress Eraser measures and monitors stress levels using a technique that interprets your heart rate variability – that is, the beat-to-beat variation in your pulse.  This gives the Stress Eraser information about your nerve activity, which it then interprets for you, along with helpful information on what you can physically do to control your stress levels. 

Biofeedback devices like the Stress Eraser are not just a godsend for the stressed out.  The technology behind it has proven effective for afflictions like anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches, hypertension, drug abuse and attention deficit disorder. 

To learn more, visit the Stress Eraser website here.
NEUROFEEDBACK FOR STRESS

Who Should Take a Social Anxiety Disorder Test?

Is There a Social Anxiety Disorder Test?

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To those that don't live with social anxiety disorder, it's impossible to explain how this disorder affects those that suffer from it. It's not well understood by the world at large – to say nothing of the medical world – but it can significantly reduce a person's quality of life by causing anxiety and fear in social situations, and causing individuals to sometimes avoid social contact altogether.

If you have been described as "painfully shy" or you have been known to actively avoid social engagements because of fear or anxiety, you may have this malady. Luckily, there is a quick and simple social anxiety disorder test you can take to find out whether you present with the most common symptoms.

Please note that onlya doctor can make a diagnosis. If you believe you may have social anxietydisorder, talk to your doctor or another health care professional.

Each of the questions on this social anxiety disorder test are "yes" or "no." At the end of the test, tally your scores for your results.

1.       You feel shy or awkward about talking on your cell phone in public. This sometimes presents as a creeping fear that other people are listening to what you say and judging you.

2.       You have difficulty getting up the motivation to go to normal social functions. Of course, many people are naturally introverted and avoid loud parties and big crowds because they simply don't like them. However, if the idea of attending social functions, such as small celebrations for family and friends, or celebratory events at work or church, fills you with dread, you may be experiencing social anxiety.

3.       You have difficulty accepting criticism, even if it's constructive. Are you highly sensitive to evaluations of your professional performance, suggestions for how you can improve at work or in other endeavors, or constructive criticism from friends and family? Do you avoid competitions or other activities where you feel you could be judged? Do you subject yourself to intense self-criticism or experience depression and guilt over perceived failures?

4.       You hate being the center of attention. This is one of the most common symptoms of social anxiety disorder – the thought of being at the center of it all. If you are uncomfortable with a large group of people focusing on you, even when giving a presentation at work or at your own birthday party, you may be experiencing social anxiety.

5.       You feel painfully self-conscious. If you are constantly aware of what you are doing, how you are acting and how others perceive you, you may have social anxiety. A little self-consciousness is normal, but if you feel it every day, or at least in social situations, mark this question as a "yes."

That's the end of this social anxiety disorder test! If you answered, "yes" to:

0-1 questions: You probably experience a normal level of anxiety that all people feel from time to time, or it is slightly higher than the general population.

2-3 questions: You are more self-conscious or anxious about social situations than the general population. If you feel that your social anxiety affects your life in an inordinately negative manner, talk to a doctor.

4-5 questions: Your social anxiety is probably negatively affecting the quality of your life in a big way. Speak with your doctor about a professional social anxiety disorder test.

NEUROFEEDBACK FOR ANXIETY

How to Treat Panic Attacks in Children

Seeing panic attacks in children is heartbreaking for anyone, but it's especially awful when you realize your own child is dealing with a panic disorder. No one that young should have so much to fear and so much to worry about.

Unfortunately, panic attacks in children exist, and they can be debilitating for young people. However, the good news is that for most children, panic attacks are isolated, meaning that they don't reoccur and aren't necessarily indicative of a chronic condition.

There is a small portion of the population of children in America that do suffer from a full-blown anxiety disorder. Regular panic attacks in children can grow out of a variety of causes: Post-traumatic stress, confronting a specific phobia (such as heights or spiders) or more mysterious origins that lay in a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Though a chronic condition is less common in young children, panic disorder afflicts around five percent of teenagers.

There is a wonderful, comprehensive article over at the web page of the Massachusetts General Hospital about panic disorder in children, and what to look for in terms of symptoms and recurring patterns. This is important information for parents to have, as panic attacks in children don't always look the same as panic attacks in adults.

Massachusetts General Hospital makes the following recommendations concerning treatment for young people affected by panic disorder:

·         Do everything you can to help them avoid panic attack

s at home. This includes being calm and comforting when they are experiencing an attack, listening to their concerns and helping them to remember that they survived previous panic attacks and will survive this one. If you notice that a child has recurring triggers, anticipate attacks by giving them extra love and support when those triggers are present. Lastly, teach them relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and counting, and give them lots of praise and affirmation when they make it through their panic attacks.

·         Do everything you can to help them avoid panic attacks at school. Many people working in education are sympathetic to panic attacks in children but don't understand them well. Make sure that your child's teachers, nurses and school staff understand your child's needs so the school can give them the support they need to achieve academic success.

·         Seek medical help. Psychological help, such as through counseling (whether school-based or psychotherapeutic) is often enough to carry a child through to a point where they can learn to manage their attacks. In some cases, doctors may feel it's necessary to prescribe medications to help reduce a child's symptoms. There are also alternative therapies available, including herbal treatments and technology-driven treatments like neurofeedback, which helps children learn to control their body's reaction to the sudden onset of feelings like anxiety and fear.

NEUROFEEDBACK FOR ANXIETY

Is EEG Biofeedback the Same as Neurofeedback?

Defining EEG Biofeedback 

As new and innovative medical treatments have gained notoriety over the last few years, many people have been confused about the distinction between EEG biofeedback and neurofeedback. Today we will put that misunderstanding to rest and then explain the treatment and how it works in depth. First off, there is no difference: EEG biofeedback and neurofeedback are different terms for an identical therapy. This is a pain-free and noninvasive procedure that delivers long-term results without the risk of any side effects – and no, it’s not too good to be true.

The concept behind EEG biofeedback is this: the human body is an amazing machine of functionality, and it wants to perform flawlessly. Having said this, things happen that can throw off our various body systems, and the brain is no exception. Where a normal brainwave pattern accomplishes its goals efficiently and without issue, when our brainwave patterns get off kilter, problems such as neurological disorders ensue. EEG biofeedback works to normalize these patterns, and to teach your body how to keep them normal for good. 

What Can Be Treated? 

EEG biofeedback has already been proven effective against an amazingly wide array of neurological disorders, including:

·         Anxiety

·         Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

·         Autism

·         Chronic Pain

·         Fibromyalgia

·         Insomnia

·         Memory Loss

·         Migraines/Tension Headaches

·         Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

·         Seizures

Embrace the Future of Medicine 

EEG biofeedback got its name because it relies on electrical signals delivered from your brain called EEG’s. Prior to beginning therapy, an assessment is performed and subsequently interpreted by doctors using high-tech reading devices. This information, in turn, is used to determine which brainwave patterns need to be corrected. Patients are guided through a series of brain exercises, usually in the form of a video or audio recording (the “feedback” part of EEG biofeedback), that teach the brain to self-regulate when brainwave patterns begin to deviate from the norm. After a certain amount of repetition, the brain will eventually learn how to perform these normalizing functions automatically, which should then help address the problem not only in the right now, but for the long-term. In this way, EEG biofeedback accomplishes what medication or therapy sets out to do without continually eating up your time, money, and patience.

To take the first step in changing your life forever with BrainCore’s incredible EEG biofeedback, click here today and get in touch with our team.