Xanax

Overview: Anxiety Disorders

Because anxiety is a normal part of everyday life, it can be beneficial under the right circumstances. Anxiety serves to elevate alertness and prepare the human body for activity. For example, anxiety can spawn an urge to flee in the face of danger.

Fear is a normal emotion. However, when the intensity of fear interferes with the enjoyment and living of daily life, it may be a symptom of anxiety disorder. This most common and successfully-treated form of mental illness affects approximately 9% of Americans for up to six months out of the year.

Anxiety disorder symptoms can completely debilitate patients to the point where it’s impossible for them to leave their homes for simple tasks like grocery shopping or going to work.

Because “anxiety” is often used interchangeably with “fear”, it’s important to make the following distinction. Anxiety refers to unpleasant, overwhelming tension with no apparent or identifiable cause. Fear is the cause of mental tension, occurring for an external and specific reason, such as a car accident.

Overview: Panic Disorder

1 in 50 people experience the uneasiness, foreboding and intense fear associated with panic disorder Feelings experienced during a panic attack are referred to as the “crisis phase”; the heart pounds at an abnormal rate, and unknown fear prevents most or all movement. Following a panic attack, many patients are left in fear and anticipation of the next unpredictable attack.

What are panic attacks?

Panic attacks are characterized by a sudden onset of intense fear or anxiety. These emotions cause frightening, but non-life threatening symptoms, such as fear of losing control and shortness of breath. Panic attacks can last from 5 to 20 minutes, and can occur unexpectedly or as the result of stress.

Every human body responds to fear by either coping or fleeing. During a panic attack, this “fight or flight” response is either activated by the nervous system or overreacts to a non-life threatening situation. Alarming physical symptoms, such as heart palpitations and shortness of breath can occur.

When panic attack symptoms occur, it’s imperative to speak with your doctor. Many effective treatment options exist, such as counseling and medication. The number and frequency of panic attacks can be reduced with successful treatment, improving the quality of life. Xanax is FDA approved for the treatment of anxiety disorders and panic attacks.