Anxiety Can Worsen the Symptoms of COPD

Feeling a little anxious from time to time is normal. There are a number of outside influences that add pressure to our lives causing an elevation in anxiety. Most of us find a way on our own of managing anxiety. It usually resolves itself in a relatively short amount of time. Anxiety attacks are very common when suffering from COPD. Sometimes the anxiety can be so severe as to lead to actual panic attacks. For those with COPD, anxiety is a much bigger problem. 

Panic attacks are seen as sudden episodes of intense fear that is also accompanied by a few physical symptoms. While many people actually experience panic attacks, those with COPD actually seem to have a special proneness to them. If you are experiencing sweating, heart palpitations, shaking, chest pains, or shortness of breath you may be having a panic attack. Some people even feel dizzy or lightheaded. Numbness and tingling in the extremities may also occur. 

·         It is very important that if you have COPD that you minimize anxiety and panic attacks. These feeling of fear and attacks of extreme anxiousness can actually cause COPD symptoms to worsen. There are ways of alleviating the anxiety and calming yourself in order to bring the feelings of fear and worry under control. 

·         Performing breathing exercises can be very calming. Focusing on your breath takes your mind away from other worries that may be causing the anxiety to escalate. 

·         Learning to use imagery and meditation is a powerful skill. You can actually visualize your way to a calmer state of mind. 

·         Cognitive behavior therapy helps a person to face the thoughts that are causing them such discomfort by learning to recognize what is truly life threatening and what is not. 

·         Joining a support group is a great way to talk about your worries with likeminded people. 

There are medications that your doctor can prescribe to help with anxiety as well, such as Cymbalta generic. Of course, if you are suffering from COPD, you need to be under the care of a physician. Tell your doctor about your anxiety. As part of your treatment plan, the management of anxiety is crucial. 

Anxiety is a generalized mood that can occur without an identifiable triggering stimulus. As such, it is distinguished from fear, which is an appropriate cognitive and emotional response to a perceived threat. Additionally, fear is related to the specific behaviors of escape and avoidance, whereas anxiety is related to situations perceived as uncontrollable or unavoidable. Another view defines anxiety as "a future-oriented mood state in which one is ready or prepared to attempt to cope with upcoming negative events," suggesting that it is a distinction between future and present dangers which divides anxiety and fear. In a 2011 review of the literature, fear and anxiety were said to be differentiated in four domains: (1) duration of emotional experience, (2) temporal focus, (3) specificity of the threat, and (4) motivated direction. Fear is defined as short lived, present focused, geared towards a specific threat, and facilitating escape from threat; while anxiety is defined as long acting, future focused, broadly focused towards a diffuse threat, and promoting caution while approaching a potential threat. While most everyone has an experience with anxiety at some point in their lives, as it is a common reaction to real or perceived threats of all kinds, most do not develop long-term problems with anxiety. When someone does develop chronic or severe problems with anxiety, such problems are usually classified as being one or more of the specific types of Anxiety Disorders.