| Studies have revealed the root cause of anxiety, panic | | | | an unsatisfied longing for a loving connection to life and |
| and phobia attacks, but it is not commonly known and | | | | a meaningful connection to other people. |
| understood, even by health service providers. This | | | | Anxiety, panic, phobias as well as depression, addiction |
| article identifies the main cause of these attacks and it | | | | and many degenerative diseases such as heart |
| reveals the two things you must do to get long-term | | | | disease and diabetes-are a consequence of the fact |
| relief from them. | | | | that we are chronically stressed out. |
| More than 15% of the U.S. population, nearly 50 million | | | | Consider what happens during an anxiety or a panic |
| people, suffer from so-called "anxiety disorders". | | | | attack: Suddenly with little or no warning, an anxiety |
| That's a lot of suffering. Anxiety leaves people | | | | and panic attack sufferer's heart starts pounding. They |
| chronically miserable. A severe panic attack can leave | | | | have trouble breathing, their chest aches, they start |
| you in cold sweat terror dreading you are dying. And | | | | sweating and feel fearful that they're losing control and |
| phobias paint many people into a small corner of fear | | | | they're about to die-for no apparent reason. |
| and nasty limitation. | | | | They stand there shaking and trembling in terror, but |
| Anxiety disorders have become such a problem in the | | | | they have no idea why. And as if this isn't bad enough, |
| last 30 or so years that they are now recognized as | | | | they are left anticipating that all this will happen again-at |
| the #1 "mental health problem" for American women | | | | any moment, a moment they have no control over. |
| and second only to drug and alcohol abuse for men. | | | | This anticipatory worry releases more stress |
| But to label anxiety a "disorder" or a "mental health | | | | hormones and sets up conditions for a vicious cycle of |
| problem" risks confusing the issue. And it risks shaming | | | | recurring panic attacks. |
| the sufferer and leaving them prey to the vultures who | | | | Now imagine the following. Imagine that you are on a |
| seek profit and power by defining life problems as | | | | vacation in the Florida Everglades. You are out one |
| medical conditions, so they can medicate as many | | | | early morning in a canoe with your expert guide. |
| people as possible. | | | | Suddenly, unexpectedly-you're guide loses |
| Just why are fear, anxiety and phobias so prevalent | | | | consciousness and falls over, capsizing your canoe. |
| today? Just what has gone on in the last two to three | | | | Then more trouble. Thirty yards away on shore there |
| decades that's given rise to so much fear and | | | | are two alligators. They see you and enter the water. |
| anxiety? I'm very clear on the one word answer | | | | They are coming at you fast- to eat you for lunch. |
| because I've spent many years researching the | | | | How would you feel? |
| problem. It's STRESS. | | | | Like this-your heart would be pounding, you'd have |
| Stress is the chief cause of most anxiety, panic and | | | | trouble breathing, your chest would ache and you'd be |
| social phobias. But stress is not just about feeling tense | | | | shaking and trembling in terror. You'd be thrown into a |
| and wired. It's about the triggering of our hard-wired | | | | Fight or Flight Response where you'd have to fight or |
| "Fight or Flight Response". And it's about the release of | | | | flee to survive-or die. |
| toxic hormones-drip, drip, drip-into our system. These | | | | What happens to you in an anxiety or panic "attack" is |
| hormones seep into our blood and tissues where, over | | | | amazingly similar to what happens to you in an alligator |
| time, they set up conditions for "attacks" of fear, | | | | "attack"-except in the latter you know why. Stress |
| anxiety and panic. | | | | hormones play the key role, hormones whose real |
| In the last 30 years we've gone through about 400 | | | | purpose is to prepare you for a life or death struggle. |
| years of social and technological change. It's been hard | | | | With this knowledge, it's easier to understand why |
| for humans to adapt to such speed. In a nutshell, the | | | | there are so many people experiencing "attacks" of |
| stress problem is rooted in the fact that we're not | | | | fear, anxiety and panic, and we why so many people |
| properly hard-wired for this fast paced, complicated | | | | would rather stay at home where it feels safe. |
| and too often meaningless way of life. We're wired for | | | | The key to preventing and controlling anxiety and panic |
| a time that is long gone. | | | | attacks is twofold: 1) Lower your stress hormone |
| Many people feel lost today. They feel lost having to | | | | levels and 2) Flush stress hormones out of your blood |
| cope with a life that often makes little sense, a life | | | | and tissues so they don't seep into your blood and |
| lacking in clear cues and clues about how to live. And | | | | tissues and linger there-setting up conditions for |
| not only are many people under unrelenting financial | | | | anxiety, panic and phobia attacks. |
| and work strain, but often their souls also must endure | | | | |