What is Hypno-psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy

Psychology is the study of human behaviour. It seeks to look at the motivational drives within an individual and offer an explanation to the behaviour that is demonstrated.

Psychotherapy is the use and application of psychological knowledge to help people understand themselves and begin to make appropriate changes, or to be comfortable with who they are.

Psychotherapy has several different theoretical models that have developed over time, the most commonly known being psycho-analysis. The therapy that I practise uses some of the best ideas from these differing schools of thought in order to help people achieve not only a rapid rate of improvement but also a lasting one. It has its basis in a cognitive–analytical model that seeks to look at the process behind thought, and understand how it has developed, and of course how to change negative thought processes into positive ones.

Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a very effective method of treatment. It is a state of altered consciousness with increased and heightened awareness, which is often accompanied by deep relaxation; this in itself can be beneficial. Contrary to popular belief it does not involve becoming unconscious and has nothing to do with sleep.

Hypnosis cannot be forced upon people, but it is a state which people allow themselves to enter.

It is important to understand that, during hypnosis, people cannot be forced to do things that they would choose not to do. Hypnosis or "trance" as it is often referred to is similar to the experience of day dreaming, when you lose a sense of time and may without thought continue a task that routinely requires concentration, such as driving from one place to another but not actually remembering the journey. This is an example of an altered state of consciousness that we experience every day of our lives.

What is Hypno-psychotherapy?

Hypno-psychotherapy is the practice of psychotherapy with applied hypnosis being the primary approach. The United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy, the lead body for the provision of Psychotherapy in the United Kingdom, recognises the practice of hypno-psychotherapy.

Both hypnotherapy and hypno-psychotherapy utilise hypnosis in a therapeutic form, however an individual that only practises as a hypnotherapist may not have undertaken training in psychotherapeutic theory and practice.

For therapists to be able to register with United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy requires an extensive programme of 4 years training.

Short courses of study that are readily available may give an insight into the techniques and practice of hypnosis, but they do not in themselves enable the practitioner to be able to address all forms of presenting problems.

It is strongly advised that anyone seeking any form of therapy investigates the qualifications and registrations of the practitioners they approach for treatment.

A United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy registered therapist will always provide information relating to their qualifications and registrations if requested.

Ian Wharmby is a United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy Registered Psychotherapist and Clinical Hypnotherapist and Nurse Adviser in Occupational Health. Ian's psychotherapy and hypnotherapy practice is based at the Liverpool Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre in Rodney Street, internationally renowned for its medical excellence. Visit Ian's psychotherapy, hypnotherapy and counselling in Liverpool, Wirral and Merseyside [http://www.ianwharmby.co.uk] website, which was designed by [http://www.webstarcreations.co.uk]Liverpool, Wirral and Merseyside web design.

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What to Do About Addiction Before It's Too Late

By Mickey Lieberman


An addiction is a state in which the body relies on an act or substance for normal functioning and develops physical dependence. When this act or substance is suddenly removed, it will cause withdrawal, a characteristic set of signs and symptoms.

Addictions will, over time, cause changes in your life and you will eventually need to admit that you need professional help. The recovery from an addiction will usually happen at the point you hit rock bottom and you realize you require help from any of the numerous outside resources so you can become free of your addiction and a lead a normal life.

There are numerous types of addictions and any of them, individually or a combination can have a very serious affect on your life and affect the members of your family. To recover from an addiction will require you to actively seek professional help. You might start with talking to your family or friends, your doctor or someone who specializes in addictions counseling. It is imperative to access your addiction and how your emotional and your physical behavior are affected, because of the addiction.

With the help of your doctor, it will be decided what will work best for you so that you can begin your road to recover and become addiction free.

There are several different types of addictions that you may or may not already be aware of. Addictions include:

• gambling addictions: you spend money that is supposed to be for necessities. Every time you lose, you feel compelled to go back and try to win back what you lost.
• sex addictions: you think of nothing else. You spend large amounts of money on adult related items.
• food addictions: you feel compelled to eat all of the time, without regard to the cost.
• alcohol abuse: you drink all the time. You spend money on alcohol and it does not matter the time of day, you always have to drink.
• relationship addictions: you are obsessed with being with someone all of the time.
• Drugs: opiates, barbiturates, narcotics, heroin, cocaine, and amphetamines. You will do anything to get the money to buy this stuff.
• marijuana abuse: it is a cheap high.

There are many type of substances that individuals can become addicted to. It is a fact that some of the substances are much more addictive than the others. For example, the drug heroin is very addictive and it is possible to become addicted after only using it once or twice.

Someone who gets addicted to cocaine has become so dependent on it that they really feel they are unable to live and function without it. An addiction can be both physical and psychological.

A physical addiction means the individual has become emotionally and physically dependent on a particular substance or act.

Over some time frame, a person will actually build up some type of a tolerance to a substance and require a larger amount to achieve the same results. If the addict suddenly quits using a substance, there is a strong likely hood they will go through symptoms of withdrawal.

During the Withdrawal period, the person may have symptoms that are flu like: the shakes, diarrhea and weakness. The person must be convinced and believe that a recovery is really possible. So how can you overcome your addiction permanently?

The absolute best way to overcome an addiction is through firm practice of abstaining. This simply means to completely stop the use of whatever you were taking or doing and refuse to take or do anymore. An alcoholic must not have another drink. The gambling addict must never go to a casino or any type of place where gambling takes place.

Abstinence will not work with any type of food addictions, simply because we must eat. You may Want to stop your addiction, but to successfully follow through with it, you might find it to be most challenging. Many people who are addicts really believe they can continue with their actual addiction but only use their chosen drug or perform the act in moderation. For those people with actual addictions, this is simply a dream and wishful thinking on their part. A full recovery from any addiction will require abstinence for the rest of their lives.

For the type of addiction that can be controlled either by limiting the substance or act of choice, there is the chance of overcoming the addiction permanently. These addictions would include: addictions to food, compulsive shopping addictions, gambling addictions and sexual addictions. The addict must evaluate and decide the amount of moderation they must exercise to cope with their addictions and what needs to be done to prevent addictive behavior from reoccurring again. This is the path the addict must take for recovery from the addiction.

Mickey Lieberman uses his diverse medical background and experience to research helpful health information on numerous diseases and illnesses and provides useful resources for over 100 different medical conditions. For further information, Go to ==> http://www.helpful-health.com/diseases/addictions

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Disadvantage of Taking Psychiatric Drugs

By Chee Fui Chau

The Psychiatric Drugs

Desiring optimal health, people frequently turn to drugs to alter their physical and mental health. Surveys show that many Americans regularly use some type of psychiatric medication such tranquilizers, sleeping pills, antipsychotic drugs and antidepressants. Easily obtained in today's market, these drugs are used to treat a wide variety of symptoms from anxiety and difficulty sleeping to decreased energy levels, disorientation and depression.

Although these are serious health issues, the treatment of these disorders is often misunderstood and abused. Not without consequence, the use of any mind-altering substance must be prepared by thorough research and careful evaluation.

Tranquilizers and Sleeping Pills

Today's hectic schedules and external pressures put great strain on the human body, often resulting in stress and agitation. Surveys show that 15.6% of people use tranquilizers to relieve anxiety. Of this percent, 39% use them daily, and 78% admitted to taking tranquilizers for more than a year. Most tranquilizers belong to a chemical family called benzodiazapines, although more common names include Valium, Librium, Xanax and Halcium. Sleeping pills, another common type of tranquilizers, include sedatives known as barbiturates, buspirone, Diphenhydramine, Hydrozyzine and Meprobamate.

Although confirming their popularity, studies question the efficacy of tranquilizers and sleeping pills. Evidence suggests that even the most potent tranquilizers are ineffective after periods of four months and sleeping pills have been shown to lose efficacy after only two to four weeks. In addition to limited performance, tranquilizers and sleeping pills can cause a multitude of side effects, such as low blood pressure, hip fracture, liver disease, allergies and breathing problems. Mind-altering effects include decreased mental functioning, forgetfulness, withdrawal syndrome and lack of coordination. Alarmingly, approximately 16,000 auto accidents each year are attributed to the use of psychoative drugs such as tranquilizers and sleeping pills.

Studies also shows that tranquilizers are unnecessary under most circumstances. In fact, in many studies, patients responded to placebos as well as they did to actual tranquilizers, proof that the therapeutic effects of tranquilizers don't merit their harmful effects. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "anxiety is a normal response to stress, and only when it is severe and disabling should it lead to drug treatment."

Antipsychotic Drugs

Antipsychotics drugs are another example of treatment clouded by misconception and misdiagnosis. Although intended to treat only serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, an estimated 750,000 people over the age of sixty-five regularly use antipsychotics drugs. This figure is alarming considering that approximately 92,000 people over the age of sixty five have been clinically diagnosed with schizophrenia. Experts believe that many people wrongly turn to antipsychotic drugs after experiencing symptoms similar to schizophrenia, such as hallucinations and confusion, when in many cases, these symptoms are side-effects induced by other drugs the consumers take regularly.

Adverse effects of antipsychotic drugs include nerve damage, tartive dyskinesia (difficulty in chewing or swallowing), loss of balance, muscular fatigue, delirium and Parkinson's disease. One study found that 36% of patients with drug-induced Parkinson's had been using antipsychotic drugs when diagnosed with the disease. Assuming that the patients had classic Parkinson's, doctors tried to treat the illness with another drugs, rather than stopping the antipsychotic drugs causing the symptoms.

Antidepressants

Although a very real illness, the cause and symptoms of depression are also frequently misunderstood. As with other mental disorders, many cases of depression are actually caused by drugs used to treat other ailments. Depression is associated with a long list of medications, including, barbiturates, tranquilizers, corticosteroids, diet drugs and painkillers. Other types of depression may be triggered by thyroid disorders, cancer, hepatitis or other form of illness. It is critical to define the underlying causes of the depression before administering treatment.

Adverse effects of antidepressants include low blood pressure, irregular heart rate, enlarged prostate, nausea, blurred vision, worsening of glaucoma, dry mouth, disorientation, loss of memory and fatigue. The safety and efficacy of an antidepressant can only be determined after obtaining both a careful and detailed history of the patient and a complete knowledge about the available medicines and their indications.

In Conclusion

The human mind is the body's powerhouse, the controller of both thought and action. For this reason, the brain must be carefully nurtured and protected from harmful substances. The science of nutritional immunology advocates a diet rich in phytochemicals, which help strengthen the body's defenses and prevent the need for serious medical treatment. Whether used to relieve simple stress or to treat a more serious mental disorder, psychiatric drugs can have a detrimental effect on both the physical and mental well-being of the body. Before consuming psychiatric drugs, it is imperative to consult a physician and conduct personal research to determine the necessity and consequences of the drugs in question. A willingness to do so may prevent critical health blunders and change minds for the better.

Articles provided by Chau Chee Fui who managed [http://healthnutrition4u.com]Health & Nutrition Articles website.

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Who's Who In Mental Health Service - GPs, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, CPNs And Allied Therapists

When a person is experiencing psychological or emotional difficulties (hereafter called “mental health problems”), they may well attend their GP. The GP will interview them and based on the nature and severity of the persons symptoms may either recommend treatment himself or refer the person on to a specialist. There can seem a bewildering array of such specialists, all with rather similar titles, and one can wonder as to why they’ve been referred to one specialist rather than another. In this article I give an outline of the qualifications, roles and typical working styles of these specialists. This may be of interest to anyone who is about to, or already seeing, these specialists.

The General Practitioner

Although not a mental health specialist, the GP is a common first contact for those with mental health problems. A GP is a doctor who possesses a medical degree (usually a five-year course) and has completed a one-year “pre-registration” period in a general hospital (six-months on a surgical ward and six-months on a medical ward as a “junior house officer”). Following this a GP has completed a number of six-month placements in various hospital-based specialities – typical choices include obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, psychiatry and/or general medicine. Finally, a year is spent in general practice as a “GP registrar” under the supervision of a senior GP. During this period, most doctors will take examinations to obtain the professional qualification of the Royal College of General Practitioners (“Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners”, or MRCGP). Others qualifications, such as diplomas in child health, may also be obtained.

The GP is thus a doctor with a wide range of skills and experience, able to recognise and treat a multitude of conditions. Of course the necessity of this wide range of experience places limits on the depth of knowledge and skills that they can acquire. Therefore, if a patient’s condition is rare or, complicated, or particularly severe and requiring hospital-based treatment, then they will refer that patient on to a specialist.

Focusing on mental health problems it will be noted that whilst the majority of GP’s have completed a six-month placement in psychiatry, such a placement is not compulsory for GP’s. However, mental health problems are a common reason for attending the GP and, subsequently, GP’s tend to acquire a lot of experience “on the job”.

Most GP’s feel able to diagnose and treat the common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. The treatments will typically consist of prescribing medication (such as antidepressants or anxiolytics) in the first instance. If these are ineffective, alternative medication may be tried, or they may refer the patient to a specialist. GP’s are more likely to refer a patient to a specialist immediately if their condition is severe, or they are suicidal, or they are experiencing “psychotic” symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions.

The Psychiatrist

This is a fully qualified doctor (possessing a medical degree plus one year pre-registration year in general hospital) who has specialised in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health problems. Most psychiatrists commence their psychiatric training immediately following their pre-registration year and so have limited experience in other areas of physical illness (although some have trained as GP’s and then switched to psychiatry at a later date). Psychiatric training typically consists of a three-year “basic” training followed by a three year “specialist training”. During basic training, the doctor (as a “Senior House Officer” or SHO) undertakes six-month placements in a variety of psychiatric specialities taken from a list such as; General Adult Psychiatry, Old Age Psychiatry (Psychogeriatrics), Child and Family Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry (the diagnosis and treatment of mentally ill offenders), Learning Disabilities and the Psychiatry of Addictions. During basic training, the doctor takes examinations to obtain the professional qualification of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (“Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists” or MRCPsych).

After obtaining this qualification, the doctor undertakes a further three-year specialist-training placement as a “Specialist Registrar” or SpR. At this point the doctor chooses which area of psychiatry to specialise in – General Adult Psychiatry, Old Age Psychiatry etc – and his placements are selected appropriately. There are no further examinations, and following successful completion of this three-year period, the doctor receives a “Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training” or CCST. He can now be appointed as a Consultant Psychiatrist.

The above is a typical career path for a psychiatrist. However, there are an increasing number of job titles out with the SHO-SpR-Consultant rubric. These include such titles as “Staff Grade Psychiatrist” and “Associate Specialist in Psychiatry”. The doctors with these titles have varying qualifications and degrees of experience. Some may possess the MRCPsych but not the CCST (typically, these are the Associate Specialists); others may possess neither or only part of the MRCPsych (many Staff Grades).

Psychiatrists of any level or job title will have significant experience in the diagnosis and treatment of people with mental health difficulties, and all (unless themselves a consultant) will be supervised by a consultant.

Psychiatrists have particular skill in the diagnosis of mental health problems, and will generally be able to provide a more detailed diagnosis (i.e. what the condition is) and prognosis (i.e. how the condition changes over time and responds to treatment) than a GP. The psychiatrist is also in a better position to access other mental health specialists (such as Psychologists and Community Psychiatric Nurses or CPNs) when needed. They also have access to inpatient and day patient services for those with severe mental health problems.

The mainstay of treatment by a psychiatrist is, like with GP’s, medication. However, they will be more experienced and confident in prescribing from the entire range of psychiatric medications – some medications (such as the antipsychotic Clozapine) are only available under psychiatric supervision and others (such as the mood-stabiliser Lithium) are rarely prescribed by GP’s without consulting a psychiatrist first.

A psychiatrist, as a rule, does not offer “talking treatments” such as psychotherapy, cognitive therapy or counselling. The latter may be available “in-house” at the GP surgery – some surgeries employ a counsellor to whom they can refer directly.
Psychologists and allied mental health staff typically provide the more intensive talking therapies. Some senior mental health nurses and CPNs will have been trained in specific talking therapies. It is to a Psychologist or a trained nurse that a psychiatrist will refer a patient for talking therapy. These therapies are suitable for certain conditions and not for others – generally, conditions such as Schizophrenia and psychosis are less appropriate for these therapies than the less severe and more common conditions such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobia(s) and addictions. In many cases, a patient will be prescribed both medication and a talking therapy – thus they may be seen by both a therapist and a psychiatrist over the course of their treatment.

The Psychologist

A qualified clinical psychologist is educated and trained to an impressive degree. In addition to a basic degree in Psychology (a three year course) they will also have completed a PhD (“Doctor of Philosophy” or “Doctorate”) – a further three-year course involving innovative and independent research in some aspect of psychology. They will also be formally trained in the assessment and treatment of psychological conditions, although with a more “psychological” slant than that of psychiatrists. Psychologists do not prescribe medication. They are able to offer a wide range of talking therapies to patients, although they typically specialise and become expert in one particular style of therapy. The therapies a particular psychologist will offer may vary from a colleague, but will usually be classifiable under the title of Psychotherapy (e.g. Analytic Psychotherapy, Transactional Analysis, Emotive therapy, Narrative therapy etc) or Cognitive Therapy (e.g. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) etc).

The Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN)

These are mental health trained nurses that work in the community. They will have completed a two or three year training programme in mental health nursing – this leads to either a diploma or a degree, depending on the specific course. They are not usually “general trained”, meaning their experience of physical illness will be limited. Following completion of the course they will have spent a variable amount of time in placements on an inpatient psychiatric unit – this time can range from twelve months to several years. They can then apply to be a CPN – they are required to show a good knowledge and significant experience of mental health problems before being appointed.

CPNs are attached to Community Mental Health Teams and work closely with psychiatrists, psychologists and other staff. They offer support, advice and monitoring of patients in the community, usually visiting them at home. They can liaise with other mental health staff on behalf of the patient and investigate other support networks available (such as the mental health charities).

Some CPNs will be formally trained in one or more “talking therapies”, usually a cognitive therapy such as CBT (see “Allied Therapists” below).

“Allied” Therapists

Many “talking therapies” are offered by non-psychologists – for example, mental health nurses and mental health occupational therapists can undertake a training course in a cognitive therapy like CBT. After successful completion of the course, the nurse will be qualified and able to offer CBT to patients. The length and intensity of these courses can vary dramatically, depending on the type of therapy and the establishment providing the course. Some are intensive, full-time one or two week courses; others are part-time and can extend over months and years. Perhaps a typical course will be one or two days a week for two to three months. Formal educational qualifications are not necessary to undertake these courses, and they are open to “lay” people with little or no experience of the NHS mental health services. Of course this is not necessarily a problem - it may even be considered a positive point!

Some of those therapists thus qualified will offer their skills as part of their work in the NHS – for instance, a nurse or CPN may offer cognitive therapy to a patient that has been referred by a psychiatrist. Unfortunately this is relatively rare at the moment, presumably due to the reluctance of the NHS to pay for such training for their staff. As a result these therapies are more accessible on a private basis.

Summary

An individual with psychological difficulties will normally attend their GP in the first instance. The GP will usually have encountered similar problems with other patients and can offer a diagnosis and appropriate treatment. If the condition is unusual or particularly severe, the GP can refer the patient to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist is able to access a wider range of treatments (medications and hospital care) and can, if necessary, recruit other mental health professionals to help the patient. This system perhaps works best with the severely mentally ill such as those with psychotic symptoms or who are suicidal.

The Mental Health Services in the NHS are generally less well suited to those with psychological problems of a less severe nature – the moderately depressed, the anxious, the phobic etc. The availability of “talking therapies” is limited in the NHS, with long waiting lists or even no provision at all in some areas. This appears to be due both to the cost of training staff appropriately and the time-intensive nature of these therapies.

For those with such conditions, the main option is to seek help outside the NHS. There are some voluntary organisations that offer free counselling for specific problems such as bereavement or marital/relationship difficulties, but more intensive therapies (such as CBT or NLP) are typically fee based. Your GP or local Community Mental Health Team may be able to recommend a local private therapist.

Karen is a mental health occupational therapist whose background is working in the NHS mental-health system. Karen practices privately in Hertfordshire, where she employs NLP and Hypnotherapy techniques to help people with emotional, psychological and behavioural problems. For more information about NLP, Herts visit http://www.karenhastings.co.uk

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How to Stop Panic Attacks - How to Prevent Anxiety and Panic Attacks by Relaxation Methods

By Laura J.

Panic attacks are one of the most frightening problems you can have. I know it personally - the most frightening aspect of such episodes is that they might come at any moment: When I was calmly watching TV, when I was driving, when I was talking to friends on the phone... Suddenly my heart began racing, my chest was tightened, and I was disconnected from the world. And this could happen at any moment.

Or so would it seem. Recent researches have shown definitely that all panic attacks have certain triggers. So detecting those triggers are the key on how to stop panic attacks. And it is how I treated my own anxiety disorder.

Whenever you feel stressed for whatever reason, this relaxation exercise will relieve you.

Lie down on your back (or a good chair if you can't lie down). Close your eyes for a small while. Concentrate on your muscle groups. But first, concentrate on your breathing. Calm down, and breathe slowly. It is an important point to note that with every breath you give out, you utter the words such as "calm, peace, relax". Then go with the muscle exercises:

Hands: Clench your right arm tensely, so tense that you can feel the muscles in your forearm tense. Continue clenching for five seconds, and then relax as you breathe out. Do this for the other hand too.

Arms: Bend your elbow and tense all your muscles in your arm. Just like in the hand method, leave it tense for a few seconds before you relax.

Stomach: Do the same for the stomach. Tense the muscles on your stomach for a few seconds as tight as possible, and then relax them.

Scientific research proves that there underlying triggers to panic attacks - and you can stop panic attacks by conditioning your mind hours before it actually occurs. This is called the "one move technique" and is how I stopped my panic attacks.

Visit my site for more information about how I achieved this, and my story of how this changed my life. If you have an anxiety problem of any kind, I strongly urge you to click here now!

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Causes of Panic Attacks

This is a long article on anxiety but well worth reading to the end. Very enlightening to a sufferer like me!

The short and obvious answer: panic attacks are caused by high anxiety. But, what exactly is anxiety? Understanding how anxiety crops up will help you defeat panic attacks.

One of the biggest myths surrounding anxiety is that it is harmful and can lead to a number of various life-threatening conditions.

Definition of Anxiety

Anxiety is defined as a state of apprehension or fear resulting from the anticipation of a real or imagined threat, event, or situation. It is one of the most common human emotions experienced by people at some point in their lives.

However, most people who have never experienced a panic attack, or extreme anxiety, fail to realize the terrifying nature of the experience. Extreme dizziness, blurred vision, tingling and feelings of breathlessness—and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

When these sensations occur and people do not understand why, they feel they have contracted an illness, or a serious mental condition. The threat of losing complete control seems very real and naturally very terrifying.

Fight/Flight Response: One of the root causes of panic attacks?

I am sure most of you have heard of the fight/flight response as an explanation for one of the root causes of panic attacks. Have you made the connection between this response and the unusual sensations you experience during and after a panic attack episode?

Anxiety is a response to a danger or threat. It is so named because all of its effects are aimed toward either fighting or fleeing from the danger. Thus, the sole purpose of anxiety is to protect the individual from harm. This may seem ironic given that you no doubt feel your anxiety is actually causing you great harm...perhaps the most significant of all the causes of panic attacks.

However, the anxiety that the fight/flight response created was vital in the daily survival of our ancient ancestors—when faced with some danger, an automatic response would take over that propelled them to take immediate action such as attack or run. Even in today's hectic world, this is still a necessary mechanism. It comes in useful when you must respond to a real threat within a split second.

Anxiety is a built-in mechanism to protect us from danger. Interestingly, it is a mechanism that protects but does not harm—an important point that will be elaborated upon later.

What Are The Causes Of Panic Attacks?The Physical Manifestations of a Panic Attack: Other pieces of the puzzle to understand the causes of panic attacks. Nervousness and Chemical Effects...

When confronted with danger, the brain sends signals to a section of the nervous system. It is this system that is responsible for gearing the body up for action and also calms the body down and restores equilibrium. To carry out these two vital functions, the autonomic nervous system has two subsections, the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.

Although I don't want to become too "scientific," having a basic understanding of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system will help you understand the causes of panic attacks.

The sympathetic nervous system is the one we tend to know all too much about because it primes our body for action, readies us for the “fight or flight” response, while the parasympathetic nervous system is the one we love dearly as it serves as our restoring system, which returns the body to its normal state.

When either of these systems is activated, they stimulate the whole body, which has an “all or nothing” effect. This explains why when a panic attack occurs, the individual often feels a number of different sensations throughout the body.

The sympathetic system is responsible for releasing the adrenaline from the adrenal glands on the kidneys. These are small glands located just above the kidneys. Less known, however, is that the adrenal glands also release adrenaline, which functions as the body’s chemical messengers to keep the activity going. When a panic attack begins, it does not switch off as easily as it is turned on. There is always a period of what would seem increased or continued anxiety, as these messengers travel throughout the body. Think of them as one of the physiological causes of panic attacks, if you will.

After a period of time, the parasympathetic nervous system gets called into action. Its role is to return the body to normal functioning once the perceived danger is gone. The parasympathetic system is the system we all know and love, because it returns us to a calm relaxed state.

When we engage in a coping strategy that we have learned, for example, a relaxation technique, we are in fact willing the parasympathetic nervous system into action. A good thing to remember is that this system will be brought into action at some stage whether we will it or not. The body cannot continue in an ever-increasing spiral of anxiety. It reaches a point where it simply must kick in, relaxing the body. This is one of the many built-in protection systems our bodies have for survival.

You can do your best with worrying thoughts, keeping the sympathetic nervous system going, but eventually it stops. In time, it becomes a little smarter than us, and realizes that there really is no danger. Our bodies are incredibly intelligent—modern science is always discovering amazing patterns of intelligence that run throughout the cells of our body. Our body seems to have infinite ways of dealing with the most complicated array of functions we take for granted. Rest assured that your body’s primary goal is to keep you alive and well.

Not so convinced?

Try holding your breath for as long as you can. No matter how strong your mental will is, it can never override the will of the body. This is good news—no matter how hard you try to convince yourself that you are gong to die from a panic attack, you won’t. Your body will override that fear and search for a state of balance. There has never been a reported incident of someone dying from a panic attack.

Remember this next time you have a panic attack; he causes of panic attacks cannot do you any physical harm. Your mind may make the sensations continue longer than the body intended, but eventually everything will return to a state of balance. In fact, balance (homeostasis) is what our body continually strives for.

The interference for your body is nothing more than the sensations of doing rigorous exercise. Our body is not alarmed by these symptoms. Why should it be? It knows its own capability. It’s our thinking minds that panic, which overreact and scream in sheer terror! We tend to fear the worst and exaggerate our own sensations. A quickened heart beat becomes a heart attack. An overactive mind seems like a close shave with schizophrenia. Is it our fault? Not really—we are simply diagnosing from poor information.

Causes of Panic AttacksCauses of Panic Attacks: Cardiovascular Effects Activity in the sympathetic nervous system increases our heartbeat rate, speeds up the blood flow throughout the body, ensures all areas are well supplied with oxygen and that waste products are removed. This happens in order to prime the body for action.

A fascinating feature of the “fight or flight” mechanism is that blood (which is channelled from areas where it is currently not needed by a tightening of the blood vessels) is brought to areas where it is urgently needed.

For example, should there be a physical attack, blood drains from the skin, fingers, and toes so that less blood is lost, and is moved to “active areas” such as the thighs and biceps to help the body prepare for action.

This is why many feel numbness and tingling during a panic attack-often misinterpreted as some serious health risk-such as the precursor to a heart attack. Interestingly, most people who suffer from anxiety often feel they have heart problems. If you are really worried that such is the case with your situation, visit your doctor and have it checked out. At least then you can put your mind at rest.

Causes of Panic Attacks: Respiratory Effects

One of the scariest effects of a panic attack is the fear of suffocating or smothering. It is very common during a panic attack to feel tightness in the chest and throat. I’m sure everyone can relate to some fear of losing control of your breathing. From personal experience, anxiety grows from the fear that your breathing itself would cease and you would be unable to recover. Can a panic attack stop our breathing? No.

A panic attack is associated with an increase in the speed and depth of breathing. This has obvious importance for the defense of the body since the tissues need to get more oxygen to prepare for action. The feelings produced by this increase in breathing, however, can include breathlessness, hyperventilation, sensations of choking or smothering, and even pains or tightness in the chest. The real problem is that these sensations are alien to us, and they feel unnatural.

Having experienced extreme panic attacks myself, I remember that on many occasions, I would have this feeling that I couldn’t trust my body to do the breathing for me, so I would have to manually take over and tell myself when to breathe in and when to breathe out. Of course, this didn’t suit my body’s requirement of oxygen and so the sensations would intensify—along with the anxiety. It was only when I employed the technique I will describe for you later, did I let the body continue doing what it does best—running the whole show.

Importantly, a side-effect of increased breathing, (especially if no actual activity occurs) is that the blood supply to the head is actually decreased. While such a decrease is only a small amount and is not at all dangerous, it produces a variety of unpleasant but harmless symptoms that include dizziness, blurred vision, confusion, sense of unreality, and hot flushes.

Other Physical Effects of Panic Attacks: Causes of Panic Attacks

Now that we've discussed some of the primary physiological causes of panic attacks, there are a number of other effects that are produced by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, none of which are in any way harmful.

For example, the pupils widen to let in more light, which may result in blurred vision, or “seeing” stars, etc. There is a decrease in salivation, resulting in dry mouth. There is decreased activity in the digestive system, which often produces nausea, a heavy feeling in the stomach, and even constipation. Finally, many of the muscle groups tense up in preparation for “fight or flight” and this results in subjective feelings of tension, sometimes extending to actual aches and pains, as well as trembling and shaking.

Overall, the fight/flight response results in a general activation of the whole bodily metabolism. Thus, one often feels hot and flushed and, because this process takes a lot of energy, the person generally feels tired and drained.

Causes of Panic AttacksMental Manifestations: Causes of Panic Attacks Are the causes of panic attacks all in my head? is a question many people wonder to themselves.

The goal of the fight/flight response is making the individual aware of the potential danger that may be present. Therefore, when activated, the mental priority is placed upon searching the surroundings for potential threats. In this state one is highly-strung, so to speak. It is very difficult to concentrate on any one activity, as the mind has been trained to seek all potential threats and not to give up until the threat has been identified. As soon as the panic hits, many people look for the quick and easiest exit from their current surroundings, such as by simply leaving the bank queue and walking outside. Sometimes the anxiety can heighten, if we perceive that leaving will cause some sort of social embarrassment.

If you have a panic attack while at the workplace but feel you must press on with whatever task it is you are doing, it is quite understandable that you would find it very hard to concentrate. It is quite common to become agitated and generally restless in such a situation. Many individuals I have worked with who have suffered from panic attacks over the years indicated that artificial light—such as that which comes from computer monitors and televisions screens—can can be one of the causes of panic attacks by triggering them or worsen a panic attack, particularly if the person is feeling tired or run down.

This is worth bearing in mind if you work for long periods of time on a computer. Regular break reminders should be set up on your computer to remind you to get up from the desk and get some fresh air when possible.

In other situations, when during a panic attack an outside threat cannot normally be found, the mind turns inwards and begins to contemplate the possible illness the body or mind could be suffering from. This ranges from thinking it might have been something you ate at lunch, to the possibility of an oncoming cardiac arrest.

The burning question is: Why is the fight/flight response activated during a panic attack even when there is apparently nothing to be frightened of?

Upon closer examination of the causes of panic attacks, it would appear that what we are afraid of are the sensations themselves—we are afraid of the body losing control. These unexpected physical symptoms create the fear or panic that something is terribly wrong. Why do you experience the physical symptoms of the fight/flight response if you are not frightened to begin with? There are many ways these symptoms can manifest themselves, not just through fear.

For example, it may be that you have become generally stressed for some reason in your life, and this stress results in an increase in the production of adrenaline and other chemicals, which from time to time, would produce symptoms....and which you perceive as the causes of panic attacks.

This increased adrenaline can be maintained chemically in the body, even after the stress has long gone. Another possibility is diet, which directly affects our level of stress. Excess caffeine, alcohol, or sugar is known for causing stress in the body, and is believed to be one of the contributing factors of the causes of panic attacks (Chapter 5 gives a full discussion on diet and its importance).

Unresolved emotions are often pointed to as possible trigger of panic attacks, but it is important to point out that eliminating panic attacks from your life does not necessarily mean analyzing your psyche and digging into your subconscious. The “One Move” technique will teach you to deal with the present moment and defuse the attack along with removing the underlying anxiety that sparks the initial anxiety.

Before moving to the key of this, let’s examine some of the common myths and misinterpretations of an anxiety disorder.

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Any requests for reprinting this article must be made to Joe Barry McDonagh

Joe Barry is an international panic disorder coach. His informative site on all issues related to panic and anxiety attacks can be found here:

http://www.panic-and-anxiety-attacks.com/

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Mental Health Services

Mental health problems are common with around 25% of the population believed to be suffering from some form of mental health problem at any point in time. Anyone suffering from a mental health problem can access proper treatment and most who do seek help will make a complete recovery but unfortunately, there are still people who are afraid of admitting that they cannot cope or that they need help and will suffer unnecessary mental distress due to lack of understanding about their illness or awareness of what help is available. So what mental health services are available to anyone suffering from mental illness?

Doctor

The first point of contact is your doctor. They will be able to make a full assessment of your symptoms and your physical and mental health in general as well as take into consideration any other factors involved including any family history of mental illness in order to make an accurate diagnosis because an accurate diagnosis is essential if the right help and assistance is to be offered. For most people, a simple visit to the doctor may be all that is required to put them on the road to recovery.

However, your doctor might feel that you could also benefit from other mental health services so once he or she has made a diagnosis they will be able to start you on a suitable treatment programme which could include medication and/or referral to other professionals or specialists in the community mental health team as required, for example, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, various types of counsellors or therapists and so on.

The Community Mental Health Team (CMHT)

It may be that you require specialist skills in order to help you cope with your mental illness and as one person couldn't conceivably be an expert in every single area, you could be referred to someone in the community mental health team. The community mental health team will vary depending on which area that you live, some may be attached to a hospital or work from a doctors surgery and others could possibly have their own clinic in a separate building but typically, they consist of professionals such as psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses who may also be trained to deal with specific problems or behaviours, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers, and various other therapists and counsellors.

It is quite likely that one person will be appointed as your key worker and will be liaising with you on a regular basis and visiting you at home. This person could be a social worker, a nurse, some type of therapist or quite commonly, a community psychiatric nurse or CPN.

The CPN will assess your progress on a regular basis, will identify and help you deal with any problems you might have and put you in touch with others who can help, they will monitor your mediation and any effects of that medication and will generally offer support. They will work closely with other professionals in the team so that everyone is aware of any particular issues or challenges that need to be dealt with. The CMHT will also regularly inform your doctor about your progress, your medication and any other issues involved in your case.

It might be that you need help from other professionals. For example, an occupational therapist can help you regain some independence in your life if you are suffering from any disabilities, they can help you to do things for yourself and improve your confidence in areas such as dressing, washing and other practical skills. Social workers can help with many social problems such as housing needs, financial issues and maybe parenting or child care challenges. Basically, the Community Mental Health Team enables you to access the right kind of help from professionals who are trained in a specific area.

Hospital

It might be that you need to spend some time in hospital to get over a particularly difficult episode of mental illness or where it is considered appropriate but this decision is not taken lightly. Hospitals can offer safety and protection and many people will voluntarily admit themselves to hospital in order to get the right assistance and support. However, there are also compulsory admissions made under the Mental Health Act in order to protect the person themselves or those around them. For some people, the thought of admission to hospital can be frightening but it is important to remember that a stay in hospital can be a lifesaver and hospitals are there to help and are better equipped to deal with particularly severe cases of mental illness.

More support

Family and friends can be instrumental in helping someone who is suffering from mental health problems to progress and regain control of their lives and as such are an extremely important part of any support network. There are also numerous other agencies, support organisations, and charities offering help to people suffering from various mental health problems. Some will also tackle issues related to mental health by raising awareness in the community and others can provide information, advice and support to people who are affected by mental health problems in their family. You can ask your doctor or mental health professional what other assistance is available in your area.

Depression and anxiety are serious mental health conditions that can strike anyone at anytime. For more information about depression and self help come and visit http://www.fightingdepression.co.uk

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