Sugar, Caffeine and Alcohol – Their Part in Panic Attacks

Many studies have looked into the link between panic attacks and diet. Everyone knows that we can influence our physical and mental health by following a healthy diet. It’s a logical assumption to make that panic and anxiety disorders can be influenced also. Our physical and mental health rely on a complex interplay of biochemicals which, if the body is left to its own devices and is nourished with natural products, works like a charm. When we interfere with the natural rhythms because it just doesn’t suit us to sleep early, nap at lunchtime or prepare nutritious meals, then the body’s natural processes don’t interact as they should.
 
 There are three main culprits which increase anxiety and indirectly lead to panic attacks. They are sugar, caffeine and alcohol. All three influence the levels of adrenaline and lactic acid in the blood. High levels of lactic acid in the body can cause the body to release too much adrenaline which leads to heightened feelings of anxiety and can cause panic attacks. In one study, two groups of people were injected with lactic acid – in the ‘normal’ group, there was no effect. In the group which was made up of panic attack sufferers, the injection triggered an attack. This illustrates the fact that some people are more sensitive to certain biochemicals and need to watch their diets and lifestyles more than others. It’s like the way some people can eat a lot without putting on weight whereas others seem to gain by just looking at a cream cake the wrong way.
 
 The adverse effects of stimulants like caffeine and alcohol have already been given a lot of attention. For some reason, those people vulnerable to panic attacks and anxiety disorders are more sensitive to these substances and are more likely to experience attacks when they consume them.
 
One of the first things that panic attack sufferers are told is to gradually give up drinking caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea and sodas but be aware that there is also caffeine in some cold medicines and pain relievers. Alcohol causes the level of sugar in the blood to fluctuate. As lactic acid is generated when sugar is burned for energy, the level of this chemical builds up. Both the fluctuating levels of sugar and the increased level of lactic acid result in anxiety and irritability.
 
 In the same way, a diet high in refined sugar can lead to increased anxiety levels and panic attack triggers. When sugar is consumed, the body releases insulin to decrease the level of glucose in the blood. When there is a lot of sugar ingested, the body overproduces insulin and the result is a state of low blood sugar or hypoglycemia; this then causes an adrenaline surge as the body tries to readjust to optimal levels. Again, as the body is flooded with adrenaline, it goes into panic mode.
 
Given that modern lifestyles promote the consumption of sugar, alcohol and caffeine, it’s easy to see how we allow ourselves to become unhealthy, both physically and mentally. These are not the only things wrong in our modern lifestyles that affect anxiety levels, but if you suffer from panic attacks then it’s worth cutting out these things for a start. At the very worst, you can only get healthier because of it.
 
 

 

 


Agoraphobia and Panic Disorder

We have already looked into what a panic attack is. If you haven’t already, read the articles on this page if you would like some more information as to what constitutes a panic attack. This article will look into the relationship between panic attacks and agoraphobia. While they are two separate conditions, the relationship between them is important.

Agoraphobia has always been defined as a fear of open spaces. It is now increasingly being defined as a fear of panic attacks. Agoraphobia is one of the results if treatment for panic attacks is not sought and the panic disorder worsens. While not all agoraphobics have panic disorder, over two thirds of them do. In the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association, the two conditions that concern us here are listed as three separate disorders – panic disorder with agoraphobia, panic disorder without agoraphobia and agoraphobia without a history of panic disorder.

Panic attacks are embarrassing. Dealing with the symptoms is a nightmare, but having an audience is worse. It’s not something that goes through your mind at the time but afterwards when you think about it, you wonder what people thought or think of you; you think about how awful you must have looked. It is the fear of having another panic attack that leads to changes in behavior. The fear of having another panic attack in public gradually leads to agoraphobia. While it may develop at any time, it is usually within the first year of recurring panic attacks that agoraphobia occurs.

Many agoraphobics feel safe only when following a specific routine or going to set places. Anything different will trigger an attack. These are panic attacks with the intense feeling of fear, heart palpitations, sweating and/or getting the chills, feeling faint and dizzy. Agoraphobics also experience the depersonalization that some panic attack sufferers feel; as if they are floating above their bodies and witness what is happening as if it is to someone else. Another symptom they have in common is the feeling they are going crazy or the fear that they are going to die. In severe cases, agoraphobia results in the person becoming completely housebound, sometimes for years.

It is no simple thing to allow your fear to control your behavior to such an extent as to severely limit the choices you feel able to make. Treatment may take some time, months or even more. The condition has taken years to develop; and so, it will take time to cure. Agoraphobia is treatable, however, and does respond well to treatment. Usually, a combination of therapies is the best approach with a limited use of medication (if necessary) and a therapy such as cognitive behavior therapy or interoceptive exposure.

The first step in treating agoraphobia is an examination of the conditions in which it developed in the first place.  Family background, upbringing, genetics, stress factors, diet and lifestyle all contain clues of the cause or causes of panic disorders and phobias.


Teen Depression and Anxiety Disorders

As the rate of depression amongst teenagers increases, so does the rate of suicide for the 15-24 age group.  It is responsible for about 10% of suicides and the third largest cause. Depression is felt by everyone so now and then when life deals a hard blow, but it is defined as an illness when these feelings interfere with normal day to day functioning. In America alone,  2% of preteens and 5% of adolescents suffer from depression.

There are two main causes of depression. The first is where there is unresolved grief in situations involving death, relationship break-ups, a feeling of abandonment or a traumatic event. The second cause results from a feeling of emotional detachment due to a lack of connection with others.

Because adolescence is already a turbulent time of mood swings and unpredictable behavior, teenage depression is difficult to spot. This is one of the reasons why only 20% of teens suffering from depression get the treatment they need. Of the teens diagnosed with depression, about two thirds of them were found to already have an existing problem such as anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder or antisocial disorder. It has also been found that genetics plays a part in determining who suffers from the condition; though it is not a defining cause in that even teenagers with no family history of depression can still suffer from it.

In one study, it was found that adolescents who went to bed at 10p.m. at the latest and had an average of 8-9 hours of sleep were less likely to suffer from depression than those who went to bed at midnight and averaged 5 -6 hours of sleep.

Adolescent anxiety disorder can co-exist with depression and while they may seem similar conditions, they are not. A recent study reported in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry concluded that the two disorders are separate and should be treated as such. Furthermore, where the two conditions co-exist, symptoms have found to be more severe.

However, both conditions respond well to treatment. A growing number of researchers are supporting behavior therapies for adolescents rather than the use of medications.  These may be individual talk therapies or group therapies which involve other depressed teens or may be family oriented. The focus in each case is changing the mindset that leads to negative feelings and behaviors.


Should I join an Anxiety Support Group?

Problems are lonely things. It feels as if you are the only one who is sitting at home on a Friday night; the only one who can’t find a job, the only one can’t get all the housework done. Everyone else is out partying, working and sitting in homes with gleaming floors and polished furniture. Nobody else has that constant sick feeling of worry and fear that reaches into your stomach and turns your insides out. Nobody else lies awake at night tossing and turning because their mind doesn’t stop churning out doomsday scenarios.

Well, you may think that but it’s not so. Everybody has problems and a lot of them might be very similar to yours. It’s just that no-one likes admitting that they can’t cope. Life today is a lot more isolationist than it was in the past. Nowadays, we tend to live in our own little cocoons whereas in the past, Mum and Dad lived next door and Grandma lived across the road. Families were more intimate and communities were more interested in everyone’s well-being.

There are support groups for everything these days, even for those who can’t manage to get all their housework done. To a large extent, support groups have taken the place of the tea-time chats that we used to have with friends and family but just can’t find the time anymore. Some support groups meet to discuss their issues while others are anonymous, like those on the internet. The latter have the advantage of being available 24 hours a day so if you are in despair at 3.00 am, then it is likely that there is someone out there you can share your problems with.

Everyone feels lonely when they have a problem and this is so true for anxiety disorders and panic attacks. They are so debilitating because you often feel you are going mad. Why can’t you get yourself together? Everyone else can. But you see, not everyone else can and, in fact, there are millions in the same situation. Doesn’t just knowing that give you some comfort? They may have some ideas that you haven’t thought of. They may have experience of therapies that you don’t know if you should try.

You are not the only one sitting at home losing heart. You are not the only one only just getting by in the world by the skin of your teeth; hoping no-one notices your knees shaking. By sharing your problems and experiences, you begin to take control of your condition. It is the first step – asking for help. It is the biggest step – admitting that you have a problem. No-one in a support group will put you down or think less of you because they are, or were, in the same situation. Your peers will listen with open minds, no matter how awful you think you sound.

Should you join an anxiety support group? Oh, yes. Ask your doctor or health care provider or look up some groups on the internet. You can read what others are saying before you join so it’s easy to find one that suits you best.


What is Chronic Anxiety Disorder?

Anxiety is a part of everyone’s life and it is a natural response to unfamiliar situations. It may cause the loss of a night’s sleep or the inability to eat breakfast on the day in question. While not a pleasant emotion, it passes and most people get on with their lives. Most people but not everyone. There are some – and by some we are talking about millions in America alone – who suffer from chronic anxiety disorder, also known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Sufferers of chronic anxiety disorder are constantly apprehensive to the point that the quality of their lives is undermined. This worry may be about something specific such as the safety of family members or work performance or it may be about everything in general and nothing in particular. For some, it may be a vague feeling always in the back of their mind while for others, it may be all-encompassing and omnipresent. For the former, life may not be as grand as they’d like but they can get on with it. For the latter, however, they may feel so burdened that they have difficulty finding the strength to get out of bed, shower or go to work.

The Causes of Chronic Anxiety

The causes of chronic anxiety disorder are varied. In some cases, it can surface suddenly as a response to a traumatic event and in others it can be traced back to an anxious temperament, lack of self esteem or troubled childhood. Anyone who watches news broadcasts or reads the newspapers regularly must know that we live in troubled times. Sufferers of chronic anxiety disorder take the troubles to heart and worry about them incessantly.

As to why some people are so affected by what they see and hear while others carry on is still not certain. Anxiety is linked to a feeling of a lack of control over circumstances as well as the sense that danger is lurking around every corner.  It can also be a learned response as a result of one or both parents responding anxiously to events. It may be diet and lifestyle that lead to chemical reactions in the body that cause anxious responses.

The Symptoms of Chronic Anxiety

In order to be diagnosed with a chronic anxiety disorder, the symptoms must have been present for at least six months. Physical symptoms include racing heartbeat, sweating, stomach problems and muscle aches and pains. High anxiety levels will have lead to symptoms such as sleep disorders, depression, fatigue and a feeling of detachment. In extreme cases, panic attacks may develop which in turn leads to avoidance behaviour such as agoraphobia.

Treatment

Luckily, anxiety can be treated. The aim of treatment is the reduction of symptoms to the point where they no longer impact daily life. Treatment needs to be individually tailored as the journey for each patient is unique. Medication, psychological therapy, self help strategies and diet and lifestyle changes are all ways anxiety is reduced. Usually a combination of these therapies gives the best long term result. The road to recovery is not an easy one and it requires dedication and commitment on behalf of the patient. Having said that, a life without chronic anxiety is a goal worth fighting for.