What Is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder?

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder also known as PTSD is the mental disorder that can occur with, or under the threat of death, sexual violence and severe injury. PTSD can also be experienced by people who have witnessed a distressing event. These traumatic events could be natural disaster, a grave accident, an act of terrorism, war/fighting or violation.

Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD.

People with PTSD have intense, disturbing thoughts and sentiments long after the trauma has ended. They can look back, remember the event, feel sorrow, fear or anger and they usually isolate themselves from others. PTSD individuals can prevent or remind people of trauma and can react severely to a loud noise or accident.

A diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder requires exposure to an upsetting traumatic event. However, the exposure could be indirect rather than first hand. For example, PTSD could occur in an individual learning about the violent death of a close family or friend. It can also occur as a result of repeated exposure to horrible details of trauma such as police officers exposed to details of child abuse cases.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder fall into four categories. Specific symptoms can vary in severity.

  1. Intrusion: Intrusive thoughts such as repeated, involuntary memories; distressing dreams; or flashbacks of the traumatic event. Flashbacks may be so vivid that people feel they are re-living the traumatic experience or seeing it before their eyes.
  2. Avoidance: Avoiding reminders of the traumatic event may include avoiding people, places, activities, objects and situations that may trigger distressing memories. People may try to avoid remembering or thinking about the traumatic event. They may resist talking about what happened or how they feel about it.
  3. Alterations in cognition and mood: Inability to remember important aspects of the traumatic event, negative thoughts and feelings leading to ongoing and distorted beliefs about oneself or others (e.g., “I am bad,” “No one can be trusted”); distorted thoughts about the cause or consequences of the event leading to wrongly blaming self or other; ongoing fear, horror, anger, guilt or shame; much less interest in activities previously enjoyed; feeling detached or estranged from others; or being unable to experience positive emotions (a void of happiness or satisfaction).
  4. Alterations in arousal and reactivity: Arousal and reactive symptoms may include being irritable and having angry outbursts; behaving recklessly or in a self-destructive way; being overly watchful of one’s surroundings in a suspecting way; being easily startled; or having problems concentrating or sleeping.

Many people who are exposed to a traumatic event experience symptoms similar to those described above in the days following the event. For a person to be diagnosed with PTSD, however, symptoms must last for more than a month and must cause significant distress or problems on the individual’s daily functioning. Many individuals develop symptoms within three months of the trauma, but symptoms may appear later and often persist for months and sometimes years. post-traumatic stress disorder often occurs with other related conditions, such as depression, substance use, memory problems and other physical and mental health problems.

 

 

What is a Research Proposal Structure

There are a few key sections for your research topic proposal. Here is a run down of the sections to include in your paper.

  • Introduction– A few parts of the intro is your lead-in, background information, and your thesis statement. Start your lead-in with an introduction that garners interest with a strong hook. You may quote a controversial statistic you plan to investigate or a question your peers often ask themselves about a contemporary subject. This will setup a strong transition for any background information on the topic which will then follow with your thesis statement. Your thesis is the basis of your paper and should be relevant through the entire text including your conclusion.
  • Literature review– Here you demonstrate your knowledge on your subject. Mention texts you’ve read and how they reinforce the background of your topic proposal and especially any knowledge gaps that serve as a driver for your research.
  • Methodology– Scientific work must be based on logical conclusions and the only way to have consistent and accurate data is through proper technique. In this section detail what experiments or studies you plan to conduct. Ensure your methods are logical and on point with your thesis statement. When another scientist reads your methods, they should be able to duplicate your tests and obtain similar results.
  • Expected Results– It may not seem possible to indicate the expected results, especially when venturing into unknown territory. But with solid background knowledge, you’ll be able to formulate a hypothesis of what to expect. Certainly the results of many college proposal have differed in practice, so don’t get discouraged if your expected results deviate from reality. You’ll have plenty of time to document the discrepancies in your actual paper.
  • Conclusion– Don’t wing this. The conclusion is what leaves the reader with an impression so make it memorable. Restate your thesis, why it is important and what you aim to achieve. Give a consolidated summary to persuade your professor to approve your topic.

 

Research Proposal Topics

When you write a research proposal you may be stuck trying to find the best topic that will be interesting and have sufficient material to develop your paper for a high grade. The key here is to be relevant. You may have a pet subject you’re passionate about, but if doesn’t appeal to the larger audience, your paper will likely be rejected. A good tip is to check with academic publications in your field and see what questions leading researchers are working on. This will provide a blueprint that is relevant to your studies and greatly improve the chances of your work being approved.

 

Research Proposal Presentation Tips

When you pitch your proposal, nothing sells better than confidence. Take time to prepare and think of any questions your audience may ask. You may find it useful to practice with friends and ask for feedback how you can improve the delivery. Ask what they like, or dislike and if they have any questions. It is important to give a good impression as to why your work is important and the questions you will explore. Include a list of visual aids to encourage interest in your work. A few graphs to indicate a problem as well as an explanation of how you intend to solve it will work well to keep your audience engaged and follow your presentation.

Professors appreciate the effort you put into your proposal so do not neglect this step. Students who craft the best proposals are seen more serious and are given more authority to follow their passions instead of towing the line with the curriculum. Show that you have what it takes to be a lead scientist in your discipline with a well-crafted proposal. And as always, if you find yourself a rock in a hard place, our professional writers are always available to help you put together a high quality proposal at a moments notice.

 

 

Important Qualities of a Nurse Leader

All healthcare organizations require  nurse leaders to administer staff individuals. The resigning attendant accomplice addresses the greatest test for supplier associations who will encounter a huge convergence of unpracticed nursing ability that will in the end contain a large portion of the United States enlisted nursing pool. These conditions make the development of new attendant pioneers fundamentally significant. Thus, different nursing advocates have shaped unions to grow new pioneers.

Effective nursing leadership is essential to optimizing the delivery of healthcare services in medical institutions of all sizes.

The world needs nurse leadership now more than ever before. Consider the current talent gap in health care. Today’s nursing shortage is only projected to grow as the baby boomer generation ages. There is an increasing demand for care while also a significant number of knowledgeable and experienced nurses transitioning into retirement.

Relatively new nurses will soon represent nearly half the population of practicing RNs, which makes nurse training and management, clinical standard leadership, and the professional development of new nurse leadership all the more important.

Combine these demographics with the current value-based trend in which reimbursement is tied to outcomes, and you get a set of needs that equal huge career opportunities for nurse leaders.

Nurse leaders can study interdisciplinary leadership techniques and use them in practice to ensure that their teams are motivated to provide the highest quality of care for their patients.

Before you begin developing nurse leadership skills, you must learn the skills, traits, and competencies that lead to effective nurse leadership. That’s not always easy to do when you’re working a full-time job.

In light of this, the accompanying nine characteristics help nursing chiefs in gathering the goal of encouraging new authority ability.

Characteristics of a Nurse Leader

  1. Passionate Intelligence

In clinical settings, nurture pioneers work intimately with students to assist them with creating passionate knowledge. Such help encourages companions to adapt to the stressors that present during routine difficulties. Attendant pioneers help learners in dealing with those difficulties and other counterproductive impacts that can bring about enthusiastic fatigue and helpless group joint effort.

  1. Uprightness

Respectability for one’s self and among charges is an essential target for nurture pioneers. Individual uprightness helps nurture professionals in settling on the correct decisions during basic crossroads in patients’ treatment plans. Furthermore, viable pioneers adjust to utilize, and instruct, morally feasible practices that empower youngster nurture pioneers to settle on protected and viable consideration choices naturally.

  1. Basic Thinking

Medical caretaker pioneers manage unpolished professionals in the utilization of basic speculation to build up their capacity to settle on choices dependent on an unpredictable exhibit of elements. This ability is indispensable in a medical services climate with expanding occurrences of multidisciplinary coordinated effort. The developing pattern of self-rule for medical caretakers additionally makes basic reasoning an important expert ability for professionals.

  1. Commitment to Excellence

Medical caretaker pioneers are focused on their energy and reason and represent this through their constancy in the providing care setting. To cultivate this quality among new medical attendants, pioneers may evaluate exhibitions quarterly. Notwithstanding the method used to improve nurture execution, all medical caretaker pioneers show their charges commitment to greatness by conveying first class administration so students can gain from their models.

 

  1. Good communication skills

The current multidisciplinary treatment climate incredibly builds the significance of coordinated effort in the consideration supplier setting. To encourage cooperation, nurture pioneers orchestrate learners to go to adjusts while drawing in with different clinical experts, for example, uphold staff, essential consideration suppliers, and senior chiefs. Some medical services associations likewise build up enlistment maintenance groups, who may participate in these rounds with learners.

 

  1. Socializing professionally

During preparing, nurture pioneers acquire an extreme comprehension of patient-nurture elements. Medical caretaker pioneers center around growing how students draw in with patients after the emergency cycle. Viable medical caretaker pioneers distinguish freedoms to grow new hierarchical pioneers during this learning cycle.

 

  1. Respectful

Attendant pioneers are enthusiastic, powerful influencers who move change in others and, simultaneously, win the regard and trust of their charges. To achieve this, pioneers show correspondence strategies, for example, two-way correspondence and rewording to advance a work environment climate where partners connect each other in a beneficial, positive way. By seeing each other’s conditions, students acquire regard for their companions and medical attendant pioneers.

 

  1. Mentorship

Medical caretaker pioneers convey inspirational systems that take into account the individual characters of their students. By enabling students and directing them toward understanding their jobs as care suppliers, nurture pioneers develop a climate of ceaseless learning. While compelling medical attendant pioneers bend over backward to recognize learning openings, they give students enough self-rule so they don’t feel micromanaged.

 

  1. Polished skill

Nursing is a unique calling that requires capable, sure administration. As authoritative pioneers, these experts address the nursing field at essentially every expert purpose of contact inside the association. This will increment in importance as medical attendant pioneers wind up addressing the field in the meeting room all the more as often as possible as time pushes ahead.

Nursing authority will change hands to another age of nursing ability throughout the following decade. These experts will assume an indispensable part in liaising among medical attendants and chief pioneers in the developing medical care climate. Accordingly, it is important that nurse leaders begin developing their substitutions now and that the new age of medical practitioners seek after cutting edge preparing, for example, Doctor of Nursing Practice accreditation, that will permit them to practice to the full degree of their capacities.

 

 

Ways of Promoting Professional Development in Nurses

Nurse leaders are tasked with nurturing the growth and education of nurses. With the changing healthcare environment, roles of health care providers are changing. More care is being provided outside the acute care setting in outpatient care settings, such as clinics, home care, and other specialized care facilities. NPD practitioners need to expand their role to support the transition of nurses and other healthcare team members across learning and practice environments. With the new practice arenas comes new roles for nurses. The Future of Nursing Report from the Institute of Medicine challenges nurses to assume new and expanded roles to help meet the evolving needs of the healthcare system. There are now nurse navigators, health coaches, community health workers, and many new roles in nursing informatics, telehealth, and patient safety. Nursing as a profession and associations such as ANPD are working on ways to increase diversity in the field.  We need to have diverse practitioners to help meet the needs of our diverse population.

The question is how do nurses get involved in the professional development? Well, there are so many ways of engaging professional development in nurses. This includes motivational interviewing, elimination of barriers, and promotion of shared governance.

  1. Inspirational Talking

Persuasive talking includes the medical caretaker pioneer plunking down with the attendant to recognize inspirations and requirements and afterward thinking of an objective setting methodology to meet them. It is imperative to be collective and utilize undivided attention during this opportunity to guarantee the medical attendant’s considerations are sufficiently communicated. Being nonjudgmental during this one on one time will empower attendants to really communicate their individual objectives, interests, and instructive necessities. You may find that what you felt would be a sufficient expert improvement plan for your staff doesn’t have any significant bearing to every person. Persuasive meeting assembles trust among medical caretakers and their chief and gives nurture a sensation of self-rule in their own proficient turn of events.

  1. Wipe out hindrances to proficient turn of events

Basic obstructions to proficient improvement of medical caretakers incorporate the expense to the person for proceeding with training, powerlessness to have booked downtime to give schooling, and childcare or home prerequisites of people. One path for pioneers to help to proceed with schooling and expert improvement of medical caretakers is to give admittance to in-house proceeding with training openings. By carrying these to the medical attendant, accommodation and adaptability will expand staff investment in these chances.

Proficient improvement isn’t just found in homerooms and auditoriums, yet online too. There are numerous associations, for example, the CDC, that give free online classes on a huge number of subjects intended to improve instruction and give current rules. These online courses can be gone to at home and are helpful to medical attendants who can’t go for a live class outside of work hours.

  1. Shared governance

Institutional awareness is another important aspect of professional development. Shared governance enables and supports a professional practice environment for nurses that supports engagement, role development, nursing ownership of practice, a positive practice environment and professional development. Encourage staff to participate on both a unit and institutional level. Creating a work environment that supports shared governance will aid in supporting professional obligation and accountability, as well as empower professional development and growth of nurses.

  1. Execute nurse residency programs

Distinguished as a proof based best practice in supporting the change of amateur medical attendants into proficient practice, nurse residency programs are vital to the fate of the nursing labor force. Surveying needs and planning, executing, and assessing these projects are work that NPD experts are consummately situated to attempt. On account of the idea of these projects, a nearby, community working relationship with both scholarly accomplices and authoritative nursing pioneers is fundamental. The projects should be properly planned and controlled such that meets the change needs of the alumni while finding a way into the activities of an association. Thusly, rate of profitability can be figured it out.

  1. Ensure that nurse engage in lifelong learning

Formal and informal lifelong learning are essential for nurses to stay relevant as frontline leaders in health care. NPD specialists promote lifelong learning by facilitating educational events, acting as planners for contact-hour provider units, and addressing needs of diverse populations. Lifelong learning activities can take many forms such as instructor-led workshops, simulation events, and computer-based and/or blended learning activities.

 

Best Nursing Research Proposal Writing Help

When you take up a nursing course, then you should expect so much workload. The academic work is to prove to the lecturers that they understand the course material. Nursing is a serious profession. What nursing research students do is ensure that they master the dosages and diagnoses which they’ll use in their nursing career.

Although students may find it possible to write certain medical papers, a research proposal in the field has proved to be difficult to achieve. Instead of working with a task in which they do not have the expertise, nursing students should seek out the best APA research proposal to help them gain high qualifications in their examinations.

Nursinghomeworks.com gives customized writing services for nursing and medical students that have been praised as reliable and high-quality in the past and current times. We have more than 150 native speakers, who can handle every nursing writing task in the United States and Europe. The firm was created to meet the growing needs of students for reliability and quality in the nursing sector.

This gap has paid off since most of the students with whom we have worked with are not only highly qualified university graduates, but they immediately joined the nursing profession. It will be easy for a prospective employer to view you as a potential scholar who contributes to the field of knowledge if you have an impressive nursing research paper.

When you come to our site, we help you get the best APA healthcare research proposal. Also, you are able to work with a top writer of your choice to communicate with and clarify your instructions. Our expert team of writers has extensive knowledge of the industry and can help you in every type of writing, it doesn’t matter if you are a professional or a student.

We have writers who are committed to their work and they are always on demand because they have at least an undergraduate degree in nursing. So we are not recruiting average writers. In addition, we see an experienced writer in the nursing and nursing industries as being sure that he is aware of the dynamics in the field.

What does it mean for our potential customers? You don’t have to worry about an ability you do not have, put your focus on patients, and let us write your healthcare assignments. We are passionate, skilled and experienced writers, because we believe a student is only looking for help when they are stuck in APA nursing research, but they still want a high grade.

We are one of the only companies who think it is not right to buy the best proposal online for APA nursing research. Therefore, we encourage our customers to order nursing papers to avoid the last-minute despair that often forces them to buy pre-written nursing papers. We work from scratch on all papers to make sure that each customer receives a unique document to meet their needs.

Free APA project proposal template is available on our site to customers. The template can be used to learn how to work if you plan to write your proposals in the field of nursing. You can also look at our examples in our APA research proposal format before placing your order. This will give you an idea of what to expect. Below are reasons as to why you should consider our services:

Advantages of using our Services

  1. Plagiarism free

A close look at the samples of nursing proposals which we provide our customers show how thorough our writer is with every order. They have thousands of sources which are based on the wisdom of the nursing proposal. In addition, we have a rigorous quality process, including editors, proofreaders and a software that checks plagiarism.

  1. An APA nursing research proposal

Each order is treated exclusively because we believe every customer has different needs. Therefore, you can be sure that you will receive a paper that meets your expectations when you come to us with any research topic in nursing.

  1. Unlimited revisions

As we write the best APA nursing research proposal for you, we value your feedback and opinion as well. So we allow an unlimited number of revisions.

  1. 24 hours customer support

Do not spend most of your time wondering who’s going to help you do your assignment. Whether it is a proposal for a nursing project or any other nursing paper, contact our customer support team. They operate 24/7 and are ready to help you get the best support for APA research proposal.

Tips on How to Deal with OCD on your own

Seek online support and teletherapy

To limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19, many therapists have stopped offering in-person sessions. However, instead, people may be able to access teletherapy online or over the phone.

ResearchersTrusted Source have found that online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be effective for people with OCD, and it allows more people to access help.

Online support groups, such as the International OCD Foundation’s My OCD Community, may also help people cope with OCD during a pandemic.

Try CBT self-help

CBT is a first-line treatment for OCD. However, many people do not have access to it, either online or offline. People may have even more limited access during nationwide lockdowns, as not all insurance companies will cover telehealth services.

ResearchersTrusted Source have confirmed that online CBT learning programs can be an effective treatment option for OCD, allowing people to learn CBT techniques even if they cannot talk to a therapist.

Many free or low cost self-help online resources and books can help people learn CBT strategies at home. However, people should consult their doctor to ensure that these resources are reliable.

Practice self-compassion

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused fear and stress for many people, including those who did not have a preexisting mental health condition.

Some experts say that people with OCD may feel better if they remind themselves that it is normal to worry, and that it is not their fault if their OCD symptoms get worse.

It is a good idea to be mindful of any worsening OCD-related thoughts and behaviors, and to consult a doctor or therapist if this occurs. Taking care of oneself can help people focus more on what they can control and less on the pandemic.

Many therapists also recommend that people with anxiety continue to socialize with their family and friends. Physical distancing can make socializing difficult, but using video chat software can help prevent feelings of isolation.

When to seek help

Pandemics do not only have biological or medical implications. They also impact many people psychologically and socially, including those with mental health conditions.

During a pandemic, people with preexisting mental health conditions are at higher riskTrusted Source of experiencing a relapse, stopping their medication, not engaging in self-care, or having suicidal thoughts.

If a person with OCD is struggling with their symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, they should call:

  • their doctor or therapist
  • a mental health helpline
  • their local public health center

Summary

People around the world feel anxious because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is particularly the case for people with OCD.

Although fears about illness might be justified during a pandemic, a person with OCD may take extreme measures to protect themselves and their family.

Checking in with a therapist, setting sensible limits, and staying in touch with friends by phone or video chat may help people with OCD cope with their symptoms.

 

What to know about anxiety

Anxiety is a normal and often healthy emotion. However, when a person regularly feels disproportionate levels of anxiety, it might become a medical disorder.

Anxiety disorders form a category of mental health diagnoses that lead to excessive nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worry

These disorders alter how a person processes emotions and behave, also causing physical symptoms. Mild anxiety might be vague and unsettling, while severe anxiety may seriously affect day-to-day living.

Anxiety disorders affect 40 million people in the United States. It is the most common group of mental illnesses in the country. However, only 36.9 percent of people with an anxiety disorder receive treatment.

What is anxiety?

Knowing the difference between normal feelings of anxiety and an anxiety disorder requiring medical attention can help a person identify and treat the condition.

In this article, we look at the differences between anxiety and anxiety disorder, the different types of anxiety, and the available treatment options.

When does anxiety need treatment?

While anxiety can cause distress, it is not always a medical condition.

Anxiety

When an individual faces potentially harmful or worrying triggers, feelings of anxiety are not only normal but necessary for survival.

Since the earliest days of humanity, the approach of predators and incoming danger sets off alarms in the body and allows evasive action. These alarms become noticeable in the form of a raised heartbeat, sweating, and increased sensitivity to surroundings.

The danger causes a rush of adrenalin, a hormone and chemical messenger in the brain, which in turn triggers these anxious reactions in a process called the “fight-or-flight’ response. This prepares humans to physically confront or flee any potential threats to safety.

For many people, running from larger animals and imminent danger is a less pressing concern than it would have been for early humans. Anxieties now revolve around work, money, family life, health, and other crucial issues that demand a person’s attention without necessarily requiring the ‘fight-or-flight’ reaction.

The nervous feeling before an important life event or during a difficult situation is a natural echo of the original ‘fight-or-flight’ reaction. It can still be essential to survival – anxiety about being hit by a car when crossing the street, for example, means that a person will instinctively look both ways to avoid danger.

Anxiety disorders

The duration or severity of an anxious feeling can sometimes be out of proportion to the original trigger, or stressor. Physical symptoms, such as increased blood pressure and nausea, may also develop. These responses move beyond anxiety into an anxiety disorder.

The APA describes a person with anxiety disorder as “having recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns.” Once anxiety reaches the stage of a disorder, it can interfere with daily function.

Symptoms

While a number of different diagnoses constitute anxiety disorders, the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) will often include the following:

  • restlessness, and a feeling of being “on-edge”
  • uncontrollable feelings of worry
  • increased irritability
  • concentration difficulties
  • sleep difficulties, such as problems in falling or staying asleep

While these symptoms might be normal to experience in daily life, people with GAD will experience them to persistent or extreme levels. GAD may present as vague, unsettling worry or a more severe anxiety that disrupts day-to-day living.

Causes

The causes of anxiety disorders are complicated. Many might occur at once, some may lead to others, and some might not lead to an anxiety disorder unless another is present.

Possible causes include:

  • environmental stressors, such as difficulties at work, relationship problems, or family issues
  • genetics, as people who have family members with an anxiety disorder are more likely to experience one themselves
  • medical factors, such as the symptoms of a different disease, the effects of a medication, or the stress of an intensive surgery or prolonged recovery
  • brain chemistry, as psychologists define many anxiety disorders as misalignments of hormones and electrical signals in the brain
  • withdrawal from an illicit substance, the effects of which might intensify the impact of other possible causes

 

What to know about panic attacks at night

A panic attack is a sudden, intense onset of distress or fear. These feelings heighten for around 10 minutes until starting to fade. Panic attacks can occur at any time of the day or night. People may experience a panic attack without warning. Others may have frequent, unexpected attacks.

Those who have frequent panic attacks may begin to identify certain triggers, such as stress at work or fear of flying. However, nocturnal panic attacks may happen without a trigger and even wake a person from sleep.

Some people with a panic attack may feel as though they are having a heart attack and seek medical treatment.

Read on to learn more about nighttime panic attacks, including their causes, ways to cope, and possible treatments.

Since there are several potential risk factors and causes of having a panic attack, it is possible that a person may experience panic attacks at night.

There is very little research on nocturnal panic attacks, however, so doctors are unsure what causes them to occur while a person is asleep.

People who have nighttime panic attacks typically also have panic attacks during the day.

When a panic attack occurs at night or while a person is sleeping, it may be difficult for them to calm down again.

Fear of the panic attack reoccurring can prevent the person from falling asleep again, which may lead to sleep loss and increased stress.

Causes

Scientists do not yet fully understand the exact causes of panic attacks, both in the day and at night.

However, some factors can make it more likely that a person will experience a panic attack. These include:

  • genetics, or having family members with a history of panic attacks
  • personality type
  • life events, such as job loss, a public speaking engagement, or a fear of flying
  • brain chemistry
  • underlying conditions, such as social anxiety disorder

Symptoms

A panic attack, during the day or at night, occurs when a person experiences four or more of the following symptoms:

  • sweating
  • chills
  • feeling faint
  • nausea
  • palpitations, a pounding heart, or an accelerated heart rate
  • feeling dizzy or lightheaded
  • feeling unsteady
  • trembling or shaking
  • feeling smothered
  • feeling a fear of dying
  • depersonalization, or the feeling of being detached from oneself
  • sensations of shortness of breath
  • feelings of choking
  • fear of losing control
  • pain or discomfort in the chest
  • paresthesia, or sensations of tingling or numbness
  • derealization, or feelings of unreality

Some people may experience fewer than four of the symptoms listed during an attack. In these cases, a person may have had a limited-symptom panic attack.

Panic attacks are related to anxiety. Anxiety can also cause a person to experience physical symptoms. What makes a panic attack different from general anxiety is the speed of onset (reaching a peak within 10 minutes) and the intensity of the symptoms.

How to cope

Before, during, and following a panic attack, a person can try several different methods to calm down. These include:

  • concentrating on breathing using slow, deep breaths
  • thinking about positive things
  • focusing on relaxing the muscles in the jaw and shoulders
  • getting away from the situation causing anxiety
  • talking to a loved one
  • slowly sipping a glass of water
  • focusing the eyes on something nearby
  • trying to meditate
  • doing light exercise, such as going for a walk or doing light stretches at home

Diagnosis

A doctor can assess a person to determine if they have had a panic attack, have panic disorder, or have another condition such as thyroid or heart disease that could present similar symptoms.

To diagnose a panic disorder, a doctor will typically:

  • perform a complete physical examination
  • run blood tests to check for issues with the thyroid
  • run tests, such as an electrocardiogram, to check heart health
  • discuss the person’s family history, current stress levels, any situations they may be avoiding, and their fears and concerns

A doctor may also refer a person for a mental health assessment. A person may receive a diagnosis of panic disorder if:

  • they experience repeated unexpected panic attacks
  • the attacks cannot be associated with other psychological or physical health conditions
  • the attacks are accompanied by 1 or more months of worry about having another attack

Even without a panic disorder diagnosis, there are treatments available.

Medical treatment

Formal treatment of panic attacks will typically involve medications, psychotherapy, or a combination of both.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is often the first line of therapy for people who experience panic attacks.

In CBT, a therapist helps a person confront and understand their symptoms of panic attack in a controlled, safe environment. Once the fear is resolved, it can help a person avoid future attacks.

In addition to or instead of therapy, a doctor may prescribe one or more medications to help treat anxiety. Some examples include:

  • selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which are antidepressants
  • serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, which are also antidepressants

 

What are The Causes of OCD

ExpertsTrusted Source do not know what causes OCD, but there are various theories. Genetic, neurological, behavioral, cognitive, and environmental factors may all contribute.

Genetic causes

OCD appears to run in families, suggesting a possible genetic link, which experts are investigating.

Imaging studiesTrusted Source have suggested that the brains of people with OCD function with characteristic differences. Genes that affect how the brain responds to the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, for example, may play a role in causing the disorder.

Autoimmune-related causes

Sometimes, symptoms of OCD appear in children after an infection, such as:

  • group A streptococcal infections, including strep throat
  • Lyme disease
  • the H1N1 flu virus

Clinicians sometimes call this occurrence of OCD symptoms pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS).

In a child with PANS, the symptoms start suddenly and reach full intensity within 24–72 hours. They may then disappear but return at a later date.

Behavioral causes

One theory suggests that a person with OCD learns to avoid fear associated with certain situations or objects by performing rituals to reduce the perceived risk.

The initial fear may begin around a period of intense stress, such as a traumatic event or significant loss.

Once the person associates an object or circumstance with this feeling of fear, they begin to avoid that object or situation in a way that comes to characterize OCD.

This may be more common among people with a genetic predisposition for the disorder.

Cognitive causes

Another theory is that OCD starts when people misinterpret their own thoughts.

Most people have unwelcome or intrusive thoughts at times, but for people with OCD, the importance of these thoughts becomes more intense or extreme.

Take the example of a person caring for an infant while under intense pressure and having intrusive thoughts of accidentally harming the baby.

A person might usually disregard these thoughts, but if the thoughts persist, they may take on unwarranted significance.

A person with OCD may become convinced that the action in the thought is likely to happen. In response, they take excessive, continual action to prevent the threat or danger.

Environmental causes

Stressful life events may trigger OCD in people with a predisposition, genetic or otherwise.

Many people have reported that the symptoms appeared within 6 months of events such as:

  • childbirth
  • complications during pregnancy or delivery
  • a severe conflict
  • a serious illness
  • a traumatic brain injury

Also, OCD may occur alongside post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

Diagnosis

Doctors look for specific criteria when diagnosing OCD, including:

  • the presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both
  • obsessions and compulsions that are time-consuming or cause significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important settings
  • OCD symptoms that do not result from the use of a substance or medication
  • OCD symptoms that cannot be better explained by another health issue

Many other disordersTrusted Source, such as depression and anxiety, have similar features to OCD, and they can also occur alongside OCD.

Treatment

There are effective treatments for OCD. The right approach depends on the person’s set of symptoms and the extent that they affec the person’s life and well-being. Some effective optionsTrusted Source include:

Cognitive behavioral therapy

This type of psychotherapy, sometimes called CBT, can help a person change the way that they think, feel, and behave.

It may involve two different treatmentsTrusted Source: exposure and response prevention (ERP) and cognitive therapy.

ERP involves:

  • Exposure: This exposes the person to situations and objects that trigger fear and anxiety. Over time, through a process called habituation, repeated exposure leads to a decrease or disappearance of the anxiety.
  • Response: This teaches the person to resist performing compulsive behaviors.

Cognitive therapy starts by encouraging the person to identify and reevaluate their beliefs about the consequences of engaging or refraining from engaging in compulsive behavior.

Next, the therapist encourages the person to:

  • examine the evidence that supports and does not support the obsession
  • identify cognitive distortions relating to the obsession
  • develop a less threatening alternative response to the intrusive thought, image, or idea

Medications

A number of drugsTrusted Source can help treat OCD, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are a type of antidepressant.

Some examples include:

A doctor may prescribe a higher dosage to treat OCD, compared with depression. Still, a person may not notice results for up to 3 monthsTrusted Source.

About half of all peopleTrusted Source with OCD do not respond to SSRI treatment alone, and doctors may also prescribe antipsychotic medications.

Also, in 2010, some researchers noted that the tuberculosis drug D-cycloserine (Seromycin) alongside CBT may help treat OCD. It may also helpTrusted Source people with social anxiety.

Outlook

If a person with mild OCD does not receive treatment, the symptoms may still improve. However, without treatment, symptoms of moderate or severe OCD do not improve and may worsen.

Treatment can be effective, but it is an ongoing process. In some people, OCD symptoms reappear later in life.

Anyone who may be experiencing OCD should receive professional care and guidance.

 

Anxious about the news? Our top tips on how to cope

Reading the news can be stress-inducing at the best of times. When the news is particularly worrying, many of us experience levels of anxiety so high that we can have difficulty coping. So how can we stay (reasonably) anxiety-free when the media bombards us with headlines that spook us?

It may seem as though we have entered an age of bad news. Every day for the past few years, newspapers and news websites have turned out stressful headlines full-blast.

There is news about wars and civic unrest, impending ecological disasters, failing economies, and violent, sad local events.

And — why not admit it? — though we aim to provide our readers with constructive, actionable content at Medical News Today, we, too, sometimes end up highlighting news that could be stressful.

While our intent is positive, to warn our readers about possible health dangers and empower our audience to avoid them, our content may sometimes lead to worry and anxiety.

So what can you do if what seems like a constant cycle of negative news throughout every media outlet is getting you down and interfering with your well-being?

In this Special Feature, we look at some tips for coping with the special kind of anxiety that can come from reading the news.

‘Headline stress disorder’?

While news cycle-related anxiety has probably existed for centuries, it became particularly obvious in 2016, a year packed with global events that polarized communities.

When people started reporting tension and anxiety that stemmed from feeling bombarded by alarming news headlines, some therapists came to describe this as its own phenomenon.

For example, therapist Steven Stosny, Ph.D., refers to it as “headline stress disorder” in an opinion piece for The Washington Post. He describes his personal experience with clients in whom the grueling news cycle triggered intense feelings of worry and helplessness, and he reports that this particularly affected female clients.

Stosny’s observations may be spot-on. According to a study from 2012Trusted Source, women are better than men at remembering negative news for longer periods. They also have more persistent physiological reactions to the stress caused by such news, the study’s authors conclude.

“Many feel personally devalued, rejected, unseen, unheard, and unsafe. They report a sense of foreboding and mistrust about the future,” Stosny writes.

A survey conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that between August 2016 and January 2017, people in the United States reported an overall average stress level increase from 4.8 to 5.1 on a scale where 1 means little or no stress and 10 means an extremely high level of stress.

According to the researchers, this was the first notable increase in average stress levels in the decade since the association first started conducting these surveys.

The APA’s 2019 report on stress levels in the U.S. population did not find much of a difference compared with past years, except in one respect: Respondents said that they felt distinctly more anxiety about specific topics.

According to the most recent poll data from the report, adults in the U.S. experienced the highest amounts of stress about politics, healthcare, and mass shootings.

Meanwhile, climate change and sexual harassment — other topics frequently covered in the news — also caused significantly more stress in 2019 than in 2018.

Take a break from the news

When faced with anxiety about what feels like a constant cycle of negative news, the best approach may be to step away and take a break from these reports, at least for a while.

For some, the anger, hopelessness, and feeling of powerlessness that can stem from sustained exposure to stressful news can really stand in the way of being productive on a day-to-day basis.

Focus on what you can solve

Instead of, or as well as, unplugging from the news, one way of coping with news-related anxiety is to focus on issues that you can help solve.

Negative world news, regarding acts of violence or the impact of a devastating hurricane, for example, can make people feel powerless and defeated.

Search for positive news roundups

When it feels as though a barrage of bad news can reach us all too easily, we sometimes need to make an effort to find positive news. This can help counteract news-related anxiety.

While we may feel that it is our responsibility to understand what is going wrong in the world so that we can find a way to fix it, it is also very important to find out what is going well so that we feel motivated, hopeful, and uplifted.