When most people think of anxiety disorders they picture people having panic attacks, nervousness, and extreme shyness. But few think of anxiety disorders when they think of greasy burgers. Fifty-four year old Don Gorske of Fond du Lac Wisconsin (68 miles north of Milwaukee) says he has eaten 23,000 Big Macs since 1972 because of his OCD. Gorske has said that "he was always fascinated with numbers, and watching McDonald's track it's numbers" Obsessive compulsive disorder or OCD is an anxiety disorder with a twist. The twist mainly lies in
Archives for September 2008
Anatomy Of A Panic Attack
"In panic attacks feeling follows thought so swiftly it is as if thought and feeling are one " - Dr. Claire Weekes So there you are lying in bed when all of a sudden your heart starts to pound and feels like it's going to leap from your chest. You stop thinking and become overwhelmed by the physical sensations that started in your gut, back or chest. And in what seems like seconds you become convinced that you're about to die. Having a panic attack is analogous to a drag race. It starts fast, reaches climax in a flash and winds down
New Study Finds That Chewing Gum Good For Anxiety
When I was a kid chewing gum was a semi-sinful food. Apparently the threat of having it stuck under a desk or somebodies shoe was enough to create a freakishly long list of rules regulating its consumption. But alas gum is much more than just a public nuisance. A new study from Swinburne University in Melbourne Australia has shown that chewing gum can help relieve stress and anxiety. And that’s not all, gum chewing can also help you focus while multitasking according to the new research findings. The study was conducted by splitting the
Chat Room Addition
Having an anxiety disorder is lonely business. You're always wondering if there are other people like you out there. Well let me assure you that there are and many of them are not only looking for information but also support. It may take a little time for my readers to take notice of the new chat room, but hopefully it proves useful. I'll leave the chat room up for awhile to see if people take advantage of it. Tell me what you think? Will you be using the chat room?
Discover Why Vitamins Matter
When it comes to explaining the causes of anxiety disorder there are generally three reasons given, which are usually brain chemistry, genetics, and to some extent environment. But could it be that there are other factors that contribute to our constant state of anxiety? The short answer is of course! Aside from the usual suspects listed above, vitamin deficiency is yet another potential cause of abnormal anxiety. Now, I am not saying that popping Flintstones tablets will cure your anxiety disorder, but I will say that vitamins can help to
How To Use Breathing to Reduce Anxiety
Many of us have heard of various types of breathing techniques meant to calm the nerves but just as many of us never actually try them. Some people feel strange doing breathing techniques that have strange sounding names and seem rather complicated. However although you may be reluctant you should at least consider using breathing to reduce your stress and anxiety. Learning how to breathe to reduce anxiety is a useful way of helping us when we get nervous or have a full blown panic attack. This is not just because breathing deeply and slowly
What Smart People Say About Fear and Anxiety
Have you ever had a thought and heard someone else say or write something similar but way better? Yea me too and it happens very frequently. There is something special about a set of words that becomes a reference. It's usually a basic insight that you have had but could never articulate. Here you'll find some of those sets of words that have become mantras in many lives and potential ammo for our hope of living a life free of anxiety. 1. "Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live". - Dorothy Thompson This is a
Dietary Supplements For Anxiety – What Works?
As you may or may not know I am not a huge fan of synthetic drugs. I instead encourage anxiety sufferers to find other means of managing their anxiety disorders before trying anti-anxiety medications. One of the most popular alternatives to anti-anxiety dope are dietary supplements. Today I want to explore the safety and effectiveness of five supplements commonly used to combat anxiety. Do they work and should we even bother? First I'd like to clear the air a bit and preface this article by letting you know that I am not an anti-drug