The number one psycho-emotional condition flooding the waiting rooms of both physicians and psychiatrists is Anxiety Disorder.   The experts saw this coming several decades ago, with increased stress-laden pressures on all of us becoming commonplace.

Our country has developed an instant-gratification/instant-cure mentality which was driven both by the marketing of “instant-everything” as a way of life, and the associated medical research strategy which is symptomatic relief as opposed to what it preaches – namely prevention and causal analysis.

So where does that leave us in regard to the search for an instant cure for anxiety disorder and the larger holy-grail of an instant pill-pop solution to the larger issue of anxiety and stress in everyone’s lives?  Well, unfortunately there is no chemical solution to this disorder and is doubtful that one will be coming soon.

This doesn’t mean that drugs don’t exist to help the condition; there are, including both tranquilizers and antidepressants.   Not true.  There are some fantastically successful medications now on the market that alleviate both symptoms and some severity of the effect of anxiety attacks.  But they are certainly not one-pill preventions of or cures for Anxiety Disorder.

So, what can the average person do to achieve an improvement or change in their life as regards Anxiety and panic attack?  Other than seeing your physician and taking his suggestions on all topics, you can immediately make the following changes in your life which have a significant combined effect:

1.  Perform a total review of your lifestyle including your Diet, exercise, intake of network news and other stress-inducing stimuli.  Be sure to minimize competitive sports, arguments and heated debate and – most of all – be sure to reject any task or assignment you can if it involves an unrealistic or tight timeframe or schedule. 

2.  Become a walking encyclopedia on Stress and Stress-related disorders.  Practice what you preach and you will become an informed sufferer and much better equipped to deal with anxiety disorder. 

3.  Minimize the stress-inducing factors in your life by understanding what they are and they manifest themselves in your life.  These are the triggers that produce an anxiety attack and 

4.  Go on a serious and determined search for the root causes of your over-reaction to stress and work tirelessly to overcome them.  This may require professional help but it is definitely worth the effort. 

5.  Get away from your stress-laden life and into calming side events and activities like yoga, meditation and the like.  All of these will greatly minimize the severity and frequency of a panic attack.