< previous page | page_29 | next page >
Page 29
| There may be no recognizable basis for the fear or feeling of threat, or the actual stimulus may be completely out of proportion to the emotion it provokes. Nevertheless, the symptoms it provokes are very real. For some people, anxiety takes the form of recurrent attacks that, though they occur unpredictably, may become associated with specific situations. They start with a sudden, intense apprehension, often combined with a feeling of impending doom and sometimes with feelings of unreality. Any of the symptoms described below may occur. An "anticipatory fear" or loss of control often develops, so that the person experiencing the attack becomes afraid of, for example, being left alone in a public place. The anticipatory fear may itself precipitate other symptoms that escalate the attack. |
| People with panic disorder have feelings of terror that strike suddenly and repeatedly with no warning. They can't predict when an attack will occur, and many develop intense anxiety between episodes, worrying when and where the next one will strike. In between times there is a persistent, lingering worry that another attack could come any minute. While most attacks average a couple of minutes, occasionally they can go on for up to 10 minutes. In rare cases, they may last an hour or more. |
| SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY. There are a whole range of reactions associated with anxiety.* |
| Anxious mood: Worrying, apprehension, anticipation of the worst, irritability. |
| The remedies: The herbal approaches described in the following section will be generally helpful, but the Bach Flower Remedies are especially relevant. For example |
| *Adapted from: Hamilton, M. "The Assessment of Anxiety States by Rating," British Journal of Medical Psychology, 32, 1959, pp 5055. |
< previous page | page_29 | next page >

If you like this book, buy it!