Are You Afraid? What Do You Fear?

• Do you avoid going into public places alone because he thought of it scares or frightens you, and you don’t know why?
• Do you feel safe staying at home and fear leaving the house because you think something bad will happen to you?
• Do unpleasant or frightening thoughts or words ever keep going over and over in your minds?
• Do you ever get tunes, numbers, or words running through your minds that cannot get it out?
• Do you feel uncomfortable being in crowds or certain social events?
• Do you avoid certain situations because they make you feel like you are trapped?
• When in situation listed above, do you ever experience unpleasant physical sensation such as: dizziness, nausea, weak knees, sweaty palms, rapid or heavy heartbeat, dry mouth and lump in your throat, tightness in chest, or hyperventilation?

If you have answered yes, to one or more of the above questions, you may be experiencing symptoms related to an anxiety disorder. Research shows that one in five patients that seek treatment from their primary care physician often present symptoms of an anxiety disorder but has never been properly diagnosed. Anxiety disorders are prevalent in our country, but when treated properly, people can resume worry-free lifestyle. Mathers Clinic and the Northern Illinois Anxiety Clinic, specialize in assessment evaluation and treatment of all anxiety disorder. Please contact us for a confidential, comprehensive evaluation and consultation.

Panic Disorders: When Fear Becomes Overwhelming

Have you ever had an attack of anxiety and an overwhelming fear that last for several minutes? Have you ever had a time when you begin to sweat, your heart is pounding, it is getting harder to breathe and it is becoming more difficult to think rationally. Does this happen at any given time and there is no reason for these symptoms to be triggered, and worse yet, it causes you to worry that this can happen again without warning?

This is a type of anxiety spectrum disorders known as a panic disorder. If untreated, this type of disorder can lower your quality of everyday life at work, or school and/or socially; and can lead to fears and other mental health disorders.

If so, you may have a type of anxiety disorder called panic disorder. Left untreated, panic disorder can lower your quality of life because it may lead to other fears and mental health disorders, problems at work or school, and social isolation.

What Does A Panic Disorder Feel Like?

Panic disorders make one feel like they have no control over the feelings they are suffering from. It is a feeling of deep anxiety, which makes it difficult to breathe, the heart begins pounding uncontrollably, causing profuse sweating, and possibly feeling dizzy. You cannot think straight or rationalize as you normally would. You feel like you are losing your mind and feel totally drained after the ordeal of struggling to regain control.

Panic Disorders Are Also Known As Panic Attacks

Those with panic disorders have sudden and repeated attacks of fear that can last for several minutes or even longer. Often they are called panic attacks which are characterized by a fear of disaster or of losing control even when there is no real danger. A person may also have a strong physical reaction during a panic attack (for some it may feel like a heart attack). Panic attacks can occur at any time, and most often people with panic disorder worry about and dread the possibility of having another attack.

A person with panic disorder may become discouraged because he or she cannot carry out normal every day routines like going to school or to work, to the grocery store or driving.

Panic disorder often begins in the late teens or early adulthood. More women than men have panic disorder.

Some Facts About Anxiety

Anxiety is the most common mental health problem in the United States with more than 19 million people suffering from this condition. It can occur even when there is no obvious situation to cause anxiety. Some people confuse anxiety and fear. Fear is purely an emotional response to an immediate threat whereas anxiety fight or flight reaction. It becomes a problem when it interferes with day-to-day life.

These are some of the symptoms that people with anxiety have but they are not exclusive to it: excessive sweating, increased heart rate or blood pressure, restlessness, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, irritability, muscle tension, headaches, difficulty concentrating, fear of death and unrealistic view of problems.

To overcome anxiety, it is essential that you have a commitment to change. At Mathers Clinic, we can help you identify the nature of your anxiety in its severity. We will design a personalized treatment plan, that will produce results, and best meet your needs.